Translating Innocence: A Critical Reading of the Delta Dalit Juvenile Fiction: oh priest, give me the seeded banana!

Abstract

This research paper examines the complex interaction between source and target cultures in translation, using Priest’s work, "oh priest, give me the seeded banana!", as a case study. It explores Bengal's tidal landscape and its literature in English translation, focusing on Niranjan Mondal’s novel from the Tide Country, which narrates the life of a Sundarbans delta community through the perspective of a young protagonist, Naran. The story highlights socio-cultural realities, including rituals, village fairs, and intergenerational traditions, shaped by the region’s tides—reflecting emotional and social currents within the community. The English translation offers insight into how language mediates the complex social, religious, and geographical nexus of Bengal’s tidal space. It reveals cultural values transmitted through oral and written traditions, illustrating the intertwining of childhood, social structures such as caste and family, and the natural environment. The novel contributes to Dalit literature, ecological writing, folk narratives, and translation studies, emphasizing the role of language and cultural negotiation in shaping identity within this unique setting.