Original scientific paper

THE HOLE IN THE IRON CURTAIN

Joško Božanić ; Komiža

Abstract

In this paper the author presents six oral stories that he had recorded in the USA among the Croatian emigrants from the town of Komiža on the island of Vis. As guest of Hrvatska bratska zajednica (Croatian Fraternal Union) the author visited in 1990 the collonies of emigrants from Komiža in San Pedro (California) and Bellingham (Washington State).
The theme of these oral stories is the exodus from the Croatian islands after the Second Wordld War when thousands of islanders excaped from the Iron Curtain to the free world.
These stories are told in the authentic island dialect spoken in Komiža. Allthough set in the English spoken enviroment, this dialect cleary preserves its identity on the level of phonetica, morphology and syntax. The influence of English is only seen on the lexical level.
The author emphasizes the possibility of reception these nonfictional stories as having literary values. These stories belong to a type of memorate which is characterised by the narator’s personal experience.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

138013

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/138013

Publication date:

1.2.1993.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 2.303 *