Negotiating Social Identity in the Translation of Kate DiCamillo’s the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane from English to Bahasa Indonesia

Abstract

Translation is more than the transfer of words; it is a negotiation of meaning, culture, and identity. This paper explores how social identity is negotiated in the Indonesian translation of Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane through a semiotic and translation studies lens. By comparing the source text (ST) and the target text (TT), the study examines how markers of childhood, class, family, and cultural values are transformed in translation. Using Venuti’s (1995) concepts of domestication and foreignization, alongside Peirce’s triadic model of the sign and Eco’s semiotics of translation, the research reveals shifts in language, symbolism, and identity representation. The findings show that the Indonesian translation frequently adopts neutral and standardized expressions, which domesticate non-standard English dialects and diminish class-based identity markers. While this strategy increases accessibility for young readers in Indonesia, it also neutralizes the richness of social identity embedded in the ST. The negotiation of identity in translation, therefore, highlights the translator’s role as a cultural mediator, shaping how Indonesian children encounter values of empathy, belonging, and transformation. This study contributes to broader discussions of youth identity, intercultural communication, and the global circulation of children’s literature