Master of Arts in Humanities Capstone Project

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From the Romani to the Other: How Literature Created the “Gypsy” and its influence on the public perception of the Romani
(2024-04-16) Stockley, William; Blouin, Michael
The Western World is currently experiencing a cultural effort to shed light on the racial prejudice faced by marginalized groups. However, while the world is undergoing a positive cultural evolution in challenging common misperceptions and society’s subconscious biases, many of the Romani feel as if this is a conversation they are not privy to. Often depicted as exotic, mysterious, and connected to the supernatural, the Romani people have come to epitomize the idea of Otherness through the literary creation of the "Gypsy." A diverse group of people the average person knows very little about, the Romani occupy a space of blissful ignorance where society can live out their deepest desires without fear of consequence A belief that has led to many non-Romani co-opting what they believe to be “Gypsy” culture based mostly upon falsely perpetuated stereotypes. With an extraordinary number of references in Western Literature unaccounted for, the field of literary criticism lacks appropriate scope in understanding the depiction of the Romani. The unnoticed depiction of Romani characters in Western Literature has allowed for numerous anti-Romani sentiments to infiltrate society’s beliefs without as much as a second thought.