Applications of Language Studies
A semiannual International Research Journal

Author-Function and Ideology in the Persian Translation of the Beckett's Waiting for Godot through a Foucauldian Lens

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Atefeh Rahimi 1
Reza Yalsharzeh 2

1 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tabriz, Iran

2 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Huminites, Tabriz, Iran

10.22034/jals.2026.2087326.1116
Abstract
The present study is concerned with the analysis of the concept of author function in the Foucauldian theory and the ideology underlying it from a perspective of the Persian translation of Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot. The study attempts to explore how translation reflects the stylistic features that are related to ideological norms of the local socio-cultural context, as well as transcends the conventional understanding of the notion of author function by revealing how meaning in translation is regulated by authorship. The approach followed is that of qualitative textual analysis in order to reveal the ideological mechanisms underlying the process of textual reconfiguration. The results obtained show that translators play a key role in transforming author functions into dominant ideologies. By means of detailed analysis of lexical changes and semantic ambiguities, the current study reveals ideologies operating in particular socio-historical milieus. Applying the concepts of Foucauldian Discourse Analysis to the field of Translation Studies and translating discourse as an arena of discursive power, the present study proposes a compelling theoretical framework that allows one to analyze the complex relations of authority and ideologies, focusing on the importance of the translator in a target society.

Keywords

Author-function
Foucauldian analysis
translation ideology
discursive power
Subjects
Applications of Language Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 02 June 2026

  • Receive Date 22 April 2026
  • Revise Date 01 June 2026
  • Accept Date 02 June 2026

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