Accent and Dialect in Literary Adaptations and in Translation

The aim of this chapter is to shed some light on the state of the art of the studies on the use of accent and dialect in literary works, in their film adaptations and on the translation strategies adopted in both cases. Indeed, the use of accent and dialect can be an important device which is purposefully exploited in order to construct the characters’ identity, as they can convey the speakers’ specific geographical origins. This is the reason why they are often used by authors and filmmakers in order to provide background information about both characters and locations. However, it is a fact that the translation of dialects, whether in literary works or in their film adaptations, turns out to be a real challenge, if not ultimately impossible. As a consequence, the connotations related to the characters’ origins are most often lost.