Can Translated Works be Original? - A Comparative Study of Edward Bulwer Lytton’s The Secret Way and Sundarampillai’s Manonmaniam

Abstract

In 1827, Goethe spoke about World literature in his letters to Johann Eckermann, “National literature is now a rather unmeaning term; the epoch of world literature is at hand, and everyone must strive to hasten its approach.” (Eckermann, qtd in Damrosch); and translation is the main tool which made Goethe’s conception possible. Various practices in literature lead to different modes of literary exchange such as adaption, imitation etc. but with established boundaries. Translation or adaption suffers from various factors such as cultural, historical, and linguistic differences. In Comparative literature, it results in various queries; Can a translation be the same as the source or the original text? Can a translator who suffers from creative treason, overcome it? Can a translator succeed in a translative adaption? This paper attempts a comparative study of Edward Bulwer Lytton’s The Secret Way, a literary work in the English language and Sundarampillai’s Manonmaniam, a literary work in the Tamil language trying to find answers to the above questions.