"IT IS NECESSARY TO CREATE NEW IMAGES IN LITERATURE IN<br /> ORDER TO PRESERVE NATIONAL IDENTITY," AMERICAN ARMENIAN WRITER<br /> OSHIN KESHISHIAN SAYS<br /> ORDER TO PRESERVE NATIONAL IDENTITY," AMERICAN ARMENIAN WRITER
OSHIN KESHISHIAN SAYS
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"IT IS NECESSARY TO CREATE NEW IMAGES IN LITERATURE IN
ORDER TO PRESERVE NATIONAL IDENTITY," AMERICAN ARMENIAN WRITER
OSHIN KESHISHIAN SAYS

  • 11-10-2007 14:54:00   | Armenia  |  Culture
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Nowedays, when tendencies for globalization and global developments of culture prevail over the spheres of politics, press, and culture, the role of the national identity obtains a peculiar significance." This statement was made by Levon Ananian, the Chairman of the Writers Union of Armenia, at the conference held under the title "National identity issue in Diaspora", which was held in the RA National Academy of Sciences on October 11 within the frameworks of the second conference of Armenian writers in foreign languages. In the words of Levon Ananian, the recent researches show that under the circumstances of a colossal leakage of information first of all small nations and peoples, the foundation-stones of the national identity, that is, the language and culture, suffer damages, which, according to him, finally leads to the abolition of the national identity. In the words of the Chairman of the Writers' Union of Armenia, fortunately, Armenia keeps away from such dangers. However, according to him, there is a problem of preserving the national identity in the Diaspora. "We should think what we should do so as our compatriots of the Diaspora are not gulped down by globalization," Levon Ananian stressed. American Armenian writer Oshin Keshishian mentioned in his report that it is necessary to bring new images into literature in order to preserve the national identity. "An Armenian is always presented as a victim of the genocide in the American literature. It is our task to create the image of a new Armenian, so as foreign readers read about our achievements, and not only about genocide and lamentation," the American Armenian writer mentioned. In the opinion of translator Alexander Topchian, the fact that certain Armenian writers consciously present works merely on the subject of the genocide to generations is a very deplorable one, the same can be said for the cinema and the theater. Thus, in his words, "we make it archaistic in our national cultural consciousness."
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