SILENCING DIFFERENCES IN THAMMAVONGSA’S HOW TO PRONOUNCE KNIFE

Sanja  Ignjatović; Jovana  Jovac

doi:10.21618/fil2633438i

Autori

Sanja Ignjatović University of Niš, Faculty of Philosophy Department of English Language and Literature
Jovana Jovac University of Niš Faculty of Philosophy Department of English Language and Literature

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21618/fil2633438i

Ključne reči:

asimilacija, različitost, migrantska književnost, integracija, multikulturalizam, Suvankam Tamavongsa

Apstrakt

Ovaj rad bavi se procesom integracije u multikulturalnoj Kanadi putem analize jezika kao obeležja različitosti u zbirci kratkih priča Kako se izgovara reč nož, kanadske autorke Suvankam Tamavongse. Analiza polazi od premise da jezik, kao sistem koji sadrži obeležja kulture, za migrante istovremeno predstavlja barijeru i sredstvo integracije u novu zajednicu. Stoga, glasovi migranata u procesu integracije postaju i način dostizanja željenog identiteta i osnova za marginalizaciju. Uvodna poglavlja otvaraju diskusiju o multikulturalizmu kao zvaničnoj politici Kanade, i o praktičnim implikacijama multikulturalizma kao sistema koji implicitno naglašava različitosti, posebno one lingvističke. U nastavku je predstavljena analiza izabranih kratkih priča koje ilustruju mehanizme koji nastoje da obrišu individualne razlike, uključujući i jezičke. Tamavongsa u svojim pričama opisuje život i iskustva migranata iz Laosa, definišući multikulturalizam kao sistem koji nameće uslove i granice njihovog učešća u kanadskom identitetu. Pažljivo čitanje ovih kratkih priča otkriva da uspešnost procesa integracije migranata zavisi od ličnog potiskivanja obeležja različitosti i performativnog prilagođavanja kulturološkim i lingvističkim okvirima dominantne kulture. Tako autorka predstavlja proces integracije svojih likova kao oblik asimilacije pod pritiskom društva koje nastoji da migrante svede na prihvatljive i stereotipne reprezentacije, i to po cenu narušavanja njihovih ličnih odnosa i kulturoloških identiteta. Zaključna razmatranja sažimaju diskusiju o multikulturalizmu kao sistemu koji selektivno naglašava i briše razlike.

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