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Translation and Interpreting Studies
Vol. 11:2 (2016) ► pp.248–267

T. S. Eliot, anti-Semitism, and Hebrew translation

Image construction through text selection and paratexts

T. S. Eliot’s early poems, as well as his letters and prose, contain expressions of anti-Semitism. This article deals with the way in which Hebrew translators and others involved in the production of translations, such as scholars contributing introductions, have treated this issue. Based on the premise that the image of a foreign author can be manipulated by the very selection of the texts to be translated, as well as by paratexts such as introductions and footnotes, it examines how Eliot has been presented to the Hebrew readership. Three approaches of presenting Eliot are described. The examination of these approaches leads to the conclusion that Eliot’s expressions of anti-Semitism did not significantly interfere with the construction of his image in the target culture despite the antagonism expressed by some translators and critics. Finally, the paper attempts to explain this indifference, which is particularly striking when compared to the ongoing debate about Eliot’s anti-Semitism in the English-speaking world.
Keywords: manipulation, anti-Semitism, poetry, T. S. Eliot, paratexts, image construction
Published online: 4 August 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.11.2.06wei
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