Dezső Kosztolányi, Miroslav Krlezsa and Mateiu Caragiale: Modernist Perspectives on the European East and West

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Two stories written by Modernist authors who are representative in their respective cultures (Hungarian and Croatian) describe the complex and complicated relationship between the European East and West. The two stories I am referring to are Kosztolányi’s “Bandi Cseregdi in Paris” and Krleza’s “Hodorlahomor the Great.” I would like to begin my presentation by discussing the challenges of translating “Bandi Cseregdi in Paris” into English, and then moving on to contrast the abovementioned stories. Furthermore, I will compare Krleza’s approach to the East-West relationship to that of Kosztolányi as well as to that of a third Modernist, the Romanian Mateiu Caragiale, who was a contemporary of both Kosztolányi and Krleza. The goal of this presentation is to further explore the ways in which three representative Modernist authors understood and negotiated the relationship between the European East and West, through language, aesthetics, and politics.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Adriana Varga teaches English and global and historical studies at Butler University, Indianapolis.