Research Article

Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme's Snow White

Number: 33 March 21, 2026
TR EN

Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme's Snow White

Abstract

Deviating from modernist literary tradition and canonical conventions through the stylistic features of his works, American writer Donald Barthelme is recognized as one of the pioneers of postmodern literature. Barthelme does not only open new paths to the uncanny that encourages readers to re-examine what they know and have internalized from new perspectives but also blurs the seemingly unsurpassable lines of literary genres in his approach to literary creation. Based on the well-known fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm and a parody of Disney's adaptation of this fairy tale, his novel, Snow White (1965), is deemed to be the most glaring example of this tendency. This study aims to evaluate how the postmodern characteristics of Barthelme’s Snow White are recreated in its Turkish translation (Pamuk Prenses, Yetişkinler İçin Postmodern Bir Roman, 2009, trans. Hakan Toker, Siren) based on postmodern literary strategies proposed by András Szigeti. This study comprises of three parts. The first part discusses stylistic and narrative elements in Donald Barthelme’s Snow White (1965). The second part analyzes the relationalities between postmodern literature and translation studies. The third part focuses on the analysis of the Turkish translation of Barthelme’s Snow White. In conclusion, it can be suggested that translator Hakan Toker's decisions recreate the postmodern qualities of the text in the Turkish context and recontextualize Barthelme's work in the target culture, thereby bringing the translator's position closer to that of a rewriter.

Keywords

References

  1. Achilles, J. (1982). Donald Barthelme’s aesthetic of inversion: Caligari’s come-back as Caligari’s leave-taking. The Journal of Narrative Technique 12(2), 105-120.
  2. Acı. (n.d.). In Sesli sözlük. https://www.seslisozluk.net/ac%C4%B1-nedir-ne-demek/
  3. Ama. (n.d.). In Sesli sözlük. https://www.seslisozluk.net/ama-nedir-ne-demek/
  4. Ardından. (n.d.). In Sesli sözlük. https://www.seslisozluk.net/ard%C4%B1ndan-nedir-ne-demek/
  5. Arka kapak. (n.d.). In Sesli sözlük. https://www.seslisozluk.net/arka%20kapak-nedir-ne-demek/
  6. Arrojo, R. (1998). The revision of the traditional gap between theory & practice & the empowerment of translation in postmodern times. The Translator 4(I), 25-48.
  7. Aşk. (n.d.). In Sesli sözlük. https://www.seslisozluk.net/a%C5%9Fk-nedir-ne-demek/
  8. Bacchilega, C. (1997). Postmodern fair tales: Gender and narrative strategies. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Translation and Interpretation Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 21, 2026

Submission Date

November 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 2, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 33

APA
Abdal, G. (2026). Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White. Dil Ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları, 33, 71-89. https://doi.org/10.30767/diledeara.1819697
AMA
1.Abdal G. Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White. Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları. 2026;(33):71-89. doi:10.30767/diledeara.1819697
Chicago
Abdal, Göksenin. 2026. “Unraveling the Layers and Untangling the Knots: Postmodern Literary Strategies in the Turkish Translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White”. Dil Ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları, nos. 33: 71-89. https://doi.org/10.30767/diledeara.1819697.
EndNote
Abdal G (March 1, 2026) Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White. Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları 33 71–89.
IEEE
[1]G. Abdal, “Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White”, Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları, no. 33, pp. 71–89, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.30767/diledeara.1819697.
ISNAD
Abdal, Göksenin. “Unraveling the Layers and Untangling the Knots: Postmodern Literary Strategies in the Turkish Translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White”. Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları. 33 (March 1, 2026): 71-89. https://doi.org/10.30767/diledeara.1819697.
JAMA
1.Abdal G. Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White. Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları. 2026;:71–89.
MLA
Abdal, Göksenin. “Unraveling the Layers and Untangling the Knots: Postmodern Literary Strategies in the Turkish Translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White”. Dil Ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları, no. 33, Mar. 2026, pp. 71-89, doi:10.30767/diledeara.1819697.
Vancouver
1.Göksenin Abdal. Unraveling the layers and untangling the knots: Postmodern literary strategies in the Turkish translation of Donald Barthelme’s Snow White. Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları. 2026 Mar. 1;(33):71-89. doi:10.30767/diledeara.1819697

Journal of Language and Literature Studies is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).