Abstract
The language used to describe the work of translation is neither neutral nor without history. This dissertation historicizes the craft of literary translation by tracing translation-related programs developed during the Cultural Cold War, the influence of US foreign policy and economic structures on editorial decisions at prestige publishing houses, and the resulting definition of the translator as a professionalized role. Incorporating archival research, translation theory, and textual analysis, my project studies the figure of Margaret Sayers Peden (1927–2020)—who began translating at the height of these programming efforts—to recuperate both her legacy and a materialist method of reading translations.
Committee Chair
Ignacio Infante
Committee Members
Matthias Goeritz, Douglas Weatherford; Ignacio Sánchez Prado; Lynne Tatlock
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Author's Department
Comparative Literature
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
4-28-2026
Language
English (en)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7936/8xmx-hq28
Recommended Citation
Hanssens-Reed, Rebecca, "The Last Generalists" (2026). Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations. 3812.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.7936/8xmx-hq28