Does writing a novel in English makes it an English literature?

^ Thank you, yes I believe everyone has realized the senselessness of this thread, none-the-less there's a point still, be it subjective, ambiguous, and abstract. The language is the language, nationality is unimportant, or at least should be.

I find translation every bit as keen an art, many might disagree, arguing almost any points in any and all arts is nonsensical, so I'll leave it there, being no where.

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Originally Posted by Charles Darnay

It is very misleading. In fact, two of the authors who are instrumental in the rise of the novel as a literary form - Defoe and Fielding - are highly critical of this ideology.

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It's a matter of reading the text , from which angle are u looking at it.
For instance, the South African author Coetzee wrote his novel Foe as a response to Robinson Cruso which silenced both women and slaves . wasn't this the ideology of the British at that period?

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Originally Posted by PeterL

Why would anyone want to find such a person?

This thread is not about whether the Great Gatsby is great literature, but about whether literature in English is English literature, which is a tautology.

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I should have underlined the words English and American - that was my point.

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Originally Posted by Clovis

^ Thank you, yes I believe everyone has realized the senselessness of this thread, none-the-less there's a point still, be it subjective, ambiguous, and abstract. The language is the language, nationality is unimportant, or at least should be.

I find translation every bit as keen an art, many might disagree, arguing almost any points in any and all arts is nonsensical, so I'll leave it there, being no where.

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No, not senseless . In the academy , in libraries when u do a research they differentiate between the two. You won't find Ahdaf Souif under English Literature . She's Egyptian my dear . And when they gave Roy the booker prize , they gave it for an indian novel cz she's an indian writer.

^A far point; but I try not to make such things matter, and there is great point to be made in not giving a hoot.

Literature is so subjective, fun to find some like minded people, beyond that, it becomes...

Reading literature is subjective but labeling literature and writers is more ideological and political. For instance, we didn't call those who translated and wrote in Arabic , Arab writers : we call them Orientalist . This is political too:)

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Originally Posted by caddy_caddy

No, not senseless . In the academy , in libraries when u do a research they differentiate between the two. You won't find Ahdaf Souif under English Literature . She's Egyptian my dear . And when they gave Roy the booker prize , they gave it for an indian novel cz she's an indian writer.

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You obviously didn't understand what I said, my dear. I was agree with what you said and the person I was responding to also; and I also implied that pretty much everyone agrees, even the person who posted the thread most probably, and therefore the thread itself is silly, of course there is nationality. My point was, it is all, on the whole literature foremost, and shouldn't really matter.

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Originally Posted by caddy_caddy

Reading literature is subjective but labeling literature and writers is more ideological and political. For instance, we didn't call those who translated and wrote in Arabic , Arab writers : we call them Orientalist . This is political too:)

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and silly as well.

I thought it would only be English if there was something in the book or about its author that was closely related to England.

The first Filipino novel was written in Spanish and in Spain in 1885. To call it a Spanish novel is negating the intent of its author who wrote anti-colonial and anti-Spain sentiments.

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Originally Posted by caddy_caddy

Reading literature is subjective but labeling literature and writers is more ideological and political. For instance, we didn't call those who translated and wrote in Arabic , Arab writers : we call them Orientalist . This is political too:)

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and silly as well.

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Originally Posted by Clovis

and silly as well.

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why are u wasting ur time on silly things then ?!!! u come here often and read ?!!:crazy:

I suppose as I already said, like minded people. Academic scrutiny isn't the only thing here, then again maybe I'm mistaken. You shouldn't take things personally, like hearted jokes in particular, that weren't even aimed at you directly. lightn' thy loadeth. :smilewinkgrin:

:blush2:ok , sorry I misunderstood you

oops, it'd be thou, wouldn't it? :Yawn:

That's cool, no sweat. Chances are, I haven't a clue anywho.

From the discussion and the title itself, the thread seems as if it were derived from a lack of vocabulary...

English literature =/= literature in English

Translation= literature translated in [language]


But really the identification of literature as coming from an ethnicity is slowly vanishing today, with the event of globalism and given importance to speculative fiction. It is and will always be important to preserve ethnic cultures and such, so to say that a novel is part of the English literature because it is English is irresponsible, given that there are many novels written in English which have a purpose of being a porte-parole of an ethnic group.

I think what defines whether a literary work is coming from an ethnic group is the perspective under which it was written, how this perspective was written and the themes prevalent to the conception of the plot. I mean; if someone had written a novel under an Afro-American perspective and that the writer characterised this character in the most racially-offensive way possible, I wouldn't call it Afro-American literature.


But again there is the concept of overlap.

^What a clever and informative remark! I had absolutely no idea that when Garnett translated Dostoevsky, still somehow, against all odds, continued the existence of the original Russian, thanks for clarifying that! Live and learn, LIVE AND LEARN....