The Routes of Rootlessness: Tracing Monstrous Romani Representation in Literature and Film

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/8623j047z

Abstract

This paper analyzes representations of Romanies in literature and film. Such an analysis illuminates xenophobic utilizations of different cultures, and how easily these representations move from the realm of basic utility to that of illusory truth. It is not just the perception of Romanies as a migratory people that makes them a vessel for horror, but rather what this constant movement represents: rootlessness. Western society is built upon specific propositions which allow it to function: capitalism, religion, domesticity, and a shared set of morals and values. By analyzing these pillars of Western society, I demonstrate how characterizations of Romanies have not only acted as antagonistic to them, but how the rootlessness of these characters is portrayed as explicitly monstrous.

Creator