The Politics of Cultural
Translation in The Breadwinner: A Critical Discourse Study
M. S. Thendral¹, G. Karthigaiselvi²
ABSTRACT
This study critically examines the politics of
cultural translation in Deborah Ellis’s The Breadwinner through the
analytical lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). As a globally
circulated humanitarian narrative, The Breadwinner transforms Afghan
socio-cultural realities into a form accessible to Western
readership, thereby mediating complex intersections of gender,
conflict, and identity. Drawing upon the frameworks of postcolonial
translation theory and discourse studies, the research investigates
how narrative strategies, linguistic choices, and representational
patterns construct particular images of Afghan girlhood, Islamic
culture, and Taliban authoritarianism. The analysis reveals that
while the text foreground’s themes of resilience and empowerment, it
also subtly embeds asymmetrical power relations that reproduce
Western-centric perspectives of the “other.” Through a close reading
of key episodes and discursive markers, the study highlights how
cultural specificities are negotiated, simplified, or
recontextualized during the translation of Afghan lived experience
into a humanitarian literary market. Ultimately, this research
argues that The Breadwinner operates not merely as a story of
survival but as a cultural and political artifact shaped by global
discourses on trauma, war, and female agency. The study contributes
to broader debates on representation, ethics, and power in
literature that translates marginalized cultures for international
audiences.
Keywords: Cultural Translation, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA),
Postcolonial Representation, Humanitarian Narrative, Afghan Girlhood
