Before we get into our discussion of Clarice Lispector and delve further into close reading, let’s touch on Mistral’s “Crazy Women.” What, if anything, seems to indicate that the women in these poems are “crazy”? What do you make of the phrase?
Let’s discuss Katrina Dodson’s translator’s note and compare it to those of Ursula K. Le Guin. What do they share? How are they different? What terms or ways of talking about translation come up?
PS: If you’re interested in learning more about Clarice Lispector, here’s a link to a rare, stunning interview she gave shortly before her death.
We’ll then break up into small groups based on the Heuristics Toolkit Handout (#1, 2, and 4) and work to develop some close reading observations about “Os laços de família” (“Family Ties”).
The groups will then share their approach and observations with the class. You don’t have to take us through every single step in detail, but maybe take us through an overview and an example or two of your process and interpretations, using page numbers and textual evidence. (Please be sure that every group member speaks when we do this.)
How do your group’s approach and observations compare to those of other groups? Did you choose the same details or different ones? If you chose the same details, did you interpret them in the same way?
In considering these questions, we’ll come together as a group to look at how these observations work together to develop possible interpretations of the story as a whole.
Homework:
- Read Natalia Ginzburg’s “Dear Giuseppe” (“Caro Giuseppe”) [from La città e la casa, The City and the House, 1985] (course reader)
- Post on bcourses Discussion > Ginzburg’s “Dear Giuseppe”: Pick one single sentence that really stands out to you in Natalia Ginzburg’s “Dear Giuseppe,” and quote it, along with the page number. Then, write a short paragraph (~150-250 words) analyzing that sentence. What is being said, and how is it being said? What specific details do you notice (re-quote those phrases or moments as you write), and what effects do they have? In your paragraph, try to put forth at least two possibilities for interpreting the sentence.
Translating Women 