Becoming Diaspora: Global Armenian Literature and Film After 1950

Jallatyan, Karen · 2019

Analyses literary and filmic works to argue for the post-national and post-catastrophic character of diaspora Armenian culture in or involving the Western Armenian language. After 1915, Western Armenian survivors were forced into exile carrying with them a modern national literary language. Through readings of Shahan Shahnour, Nigoghos Sarafian, Gariné Torossian, Vahé Oshagan and Krikor Beledian, Jallatyan traces the forms in which a diasporic Armenian culture is inscribed at the limits of realist and positivist practices of representation. He engages the 'diasporic pessimism' that predicts inevitable assimilation and advocates preserving Western Armenian identity until return becomes possible. Appendices include synopses of Vahé Oshagan's prose and an Armenian transliteration system.

Citation checked against the publisher's record on 2026-07-13.