"Reader, it delighted". Translating humor in the Jane Eyre retelling My Plain Jane

Abstract

This thesis explores translation problems that arise when translating humor, using Young Adult (YA) novel My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows as a case study. This novel parodies Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre for a teenaged audience. Relevant connections between My Plain Jane and Jane Eyre will be considered. Additionally, My Plain Jane’s status as a Young Adult Novel poses translation problems that will be discussed. Furthermore, an analysis will be conducted on desirable translation solutions for four types of humor that are present in My Plain Jane: humorous allusions to Jane Eyre and popular culture, wordplay and irony. For this, the General Theory of Verbal Humour by Salvatore Attardo (2002) will be used, as well as literature discussing allusions, wordplay and irony. The analysis shows that each type of humor requires different translation strategies: what works for one type of humor, may not be a desirable solution for another. Additionally, the desirability of translation strategies depends on the nature of the text and the translator’s priorities. The thesis will be concluded and illustrated by an annotated translation in Dutch of various fragments of My Plain Jane.