Showing papers in "Literator: Journal of literary criticism, comparative linguistics and literary studies in 2011"

From foreign to national: a review of the status of the French language in Gabon

Abstract: This article provides a review of the various statuses of the French language in Gabon, a French-speaking country in Central Africa. It reveals a process in which different generations of Gabonese people are increasingly learning, and thus conceptualising, French as a second language rather than a foreign language. Furthermore, some are also learning and conceptualising French as a mother tongue or initial language, rather than a second language. This process of reconceptualisation has somehow been encouraged by the language policy of the colonial administration and the language policy since the attainment of independence, the latter being a continuation of the former. The final stage of this process is that the language has been adopted among the local languages within the Gabonese language landscape.

The curious case of legal translation

Abstract: This article explores the nature and scope of legal translation which is an under-researched area in South Africa. In this article the author predicts that the demand for competent legal translators will increase in the future, evidenced by a recent call by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development(DoJC to consider the balance between legal competence and translation or linguistic competence; and to propose a discourse-analytical method of source text analysis, developed by Bhatia as a simplification strategy, as this may be a powerful tool in the training of legal translators in South Africa. Recent developments in South Africa relating to the Department of Arts and Culture’s obligation to translate legislation into all official languages, have important consequences for legal translation in general and the training of legal translators in particular.

Never let me go : science fiction and legal reality

Abstract: This article offers a law and literary perspective on Kazuo Ishiguro‟s novel „never let me go‟. The article engages with the existentialist themes of the novel and examines various medicolegal issues pertaining to cloning and organ transplants. By examining the contemporary social and legal framework, the article exposes the inadequacies of the current (legal) approach to organ donations, and advances an alternative approach that balances personal autonomy, free choice and the right to self determination.

A historical novelAfstande, Dan Sleigh : reviews

Abstract: Dan Sleigh's novel, Afstande, is a historical novel. It is based on the Anabasis by Xenophon, the Greek soldier-writer who was a pupil of Socrates. Anabasis means "going up" or "advance". This is also the concept around which the story turns. It has been described as one of the greatest adventures in the annals of human history as recounted in any genre. The Anabasis begins in 401 BC and it is the account of human deprivation, endurance, rage, envy, political ambition, bloodthirstiness and power hunger. An army of 10 000 Greek mercenaries under the leadership of Cyrus mustered to dethrone Cyrus's brother, Artaxerxes Mnemon, the former king of the Persian Empire.

Postcolonial travel accounts and ethnic subjectivity: travelling through Southern Africa

Abstract: This article deals with three recent South African travelogues, to wit Sihle Khumalo’s “Dark continent: my black arse” (2007) and “Heart of Africa: centre of my gravity” (2009), and Steven Otter’s “Khayelitsha: umlungu in a township” (2007). It argues that the authors are engaged in a postcolonial quest to find out what makes them African: the one, a black corporate employee, by following the footsteps of white nineteenth century explorers; the other, a white journalism student, by living in one of South Africa’s largest black townships.

Animals and nature: mapping storylines and metaphors in David Kramer’s narratives

Abstract: This article discusses the representation of animals and nature in selected lyrics from the oeuvre of singer, songwriter and producer David Kramer and considers his engagement with historical and contemporary discourses about human-animal and human-nature interaction in relation to ecological awareness within a South African context. I trace the socio-political commentary voiced through his depiction of animals in the folksongs he wrote during apartheid, especially in lyrics from the album “Baboondogs” (Kramer, 1986). Kramer also employs intertextual references to traditional South African folksongs and tales in his music. Furthermore, the social and environmental significance of Kramer’s representations of nature in a selection of his postapartheid lyrics is investigated. I argue that the pedagogical value of Kramer’s cultural commentary can contribute significantly to the challenge of teaching animal studies and ecocriticism in South African context.

A critical analysis of domestication in Makhambeni's translation of Chinua Achebe's novel 'No longer at ease' (1960)

Abstract: Through translation the target reader is exposed to other cultures. Translators, therefore, have to use the target language to convey the source text message to the target reader. There are various choices at their disposal as to how they wish to convey the source text message. They may choose to adopt the norms and conventions of the source text message, and therefore those of the source language and culture, or choose those of the target language. Commonly, adherence to the target language norms and conventions leads to a strategy in which the foreignness of both linguistic and cultural conventions is reduced. According to Venuti (1995) this is domestication. Since translations are rarely equivalent to the original, this article seeks to examine how Makhambeni uses Venuti‟s domestication as a translation strategy, with the purpose of rewriting the original to conform to functions instituted by the receiving system. The descriptive approach to translation, which advances the notion that translations are facts of the target culture, will be used to support the arguments presented in this article. It will be shown that, although Achebe has used a lot of Igbo expressions and cultural practices in his novel, Makhambeni has not translated any of the Igbo expressions and cultural practices into Zulu. Instead Makhambeni used Zulu linguistic and cultural expressions such as similes, metaphors, idioms, proverbs and of cultural substitutions to bring the Igbo culture closer to her audience. It will be concluded that through the use Zulu linguistic and cultural conventions Makhambeni has effectively minimised foreign culture and narrowed the gap between the foreign and target cultures. She has successfully naturalised the Igbo culture to make it conform more to what the Zulu reader is used to.

A "Spirit" of Home and Exile: A Re-Evaluation of Breyten Breytenbach's Memory of Snow and of Dust/'n "Gees" Van Tulste En Ballingskap: 'N Herevaluering Van Breyten Breytenbach Se Memory of Snow and of Dust

Abstract: This article notes the emergence of a global consciousness that recognises the need to move beyond well-worn categories of interpretation. In exploring the concepts of home and exile in Breyten Breytenbach's novel, "Memory of snow and of dust" (1989), the article examines how fresh perspectives in postcolonial studies--identified as a 'spiritual turn'--allow one to gain access to new insights into the exilic condition. The author captures and conveys the experience of exile, and envisages through the exile's 'double vision' a more complicated notion of home. The distressing journey into a new awareness of what constitutes home is examined. Furthermore, the article considers the restless, yet regenerative condition of exile that--although characterised by mental anguish--makes possible a more fluid response to spatiality. The renewed interest in (and legitimation of) the spiritual in postcolonial studies lends further insight into an alternative response to the search for a place/ space to call home. This article concludes with an affirmation of the relevance of "Memory of snow and of dust", as a novel that challenges one to cultivate an expanded awareness--that moves beyond the material--in times during which the overlapping boundaries of home and exile are becoming a global condition. Opsomming Hierdie artikel dui 'n globale bewussyn aan die behoefte erken om afgeslete kategoriee van interpretasie agter te laat. Die konsepte van tuiste en ballingskap in Breyten Breytenbach se roman "Memory of snow and of dust" (1989) word in hierdie artikel ondersoek asook die manier waarop vars perspektiewe in postkoloniale studies--beskryf as 'n "geestelike wending"--nuwe insigte bied in die toestand van ballingskap. Die skrywer beeld die ervaring van ballingskap uit en vertolk dit deur middel van die banneling se 'dubbele visie'. Sodoende skep hy 'n ingewikkelder begrip van 'n tuiste te skep. Die ontstellende reis na 'n nuwe bewussyn van 'tuiste' word ondersoek. Verdet beskou die artikel die onrustige, maar vemuwende toestand van ballingskap wat--hoewel gekenmerk deur geestelike angs--'n meer veranderlike reaksie op ruimtelikheid moontlik maak. Die hemude belangstelling in (en legitimering van) die geestelike in postkoloniale studie bied verdere insig in 'n alternatiewe antwoord op die soeke na 'n plek/ruimte om in tuis te voel. Ten slotte bevestig hierdie artikel die relevansie van "Memory of snow and of dust" as 'n roman. Dit daag die leser uit om 'n uitgebreide bewustheid te kweek--wat verby die grense van die materiele beweeg--in 'n tyd waarin die oorvleueling van die grense van tuiste en ballingskap 'n globale toestand word. 1. Introduction We live in an age in which boundaries are dissolving and new global maps are emerging. In his eloquently titled Cosmopolitanism: ethics in a world of strangers (2006), Anthony Appiah discusses our responsibility as "global citizens"; a responsibility that involves entangled concepts of home and exile. One author whose writing embodies the condition of the cosmopolitan, whose critical and aesthetic stance is shaped by alertness to the exilic experience, is the South African Breyten Breytenbach. He is an Afrikaans poet and genre-crossing novelist/essayist, painter, political dissident, or social goad, and--less easily categorisable--spiritual voyager. The multifaceted Breytenbach is captured in the book Memory of snow and of dust (1989). This novel is also a poetic drama, and a metaphysical disquisition (exposition). When the book appeared, it was received in the context of opposition to apartheid. What is being argued here is that this novel has pertinence beyond its initial climate of reception. Its difficult passage of exploration through the double vision of "home and exile"/"home in exile"/"exile at home" increasingly captures the temper of global times, migrancy, movement, malleable identities that characterise what has come to be called a "post"-condition, whether post-apartheid, or more broadly speaking, post-colonial. …

"Gestures of Approach": Aspects of Liminality and labyrinths/"Wyses Tot Toenadering": Aspekte Van Liminalitelt En Labirinte

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explore some matters of liminality relevant to labyrinths. To this end, the discussion opens by considering some implications of the way liminality is defined before moving on to an examination of labyrinths in terms of their two- or three-dimensionality. The liminal implications of these labyrinths as designs and structures are then discussed in some detail, together with their symbolic/metaphorical aspects. In the course of this discussion, a taxonomy of the labyrinth-walking process is presented. The article concludes with a brief consideration of the liminal significance of the Knossos Labyrinth's location on the island of Crete. Key concepts: Knossos Labyrinth labyrinth-walking process labyrinths liminality Opsomming Die doel van hierdie artikel is om etlike kwessies rondom liminaliteit met betrekking tot labirinte te ondersoek. Ten einde hierdie oogmerk te bereik, word die implikasies van die definisie van liminaliteit eers bespreek. Vervolgens word labirinte in terme van hulle twee- en driedimensionaliteit ondersoek. Daama word die liminale implikasies van hierdie labirinte as ontwerpe en strukture tesame met hulle simboliese/metaforiese aspekte in meer detail bespreek. 'n Taksonomie van die labirint wandelproses word in die loop van die bespreking aangebied. Die artikel sluit af met 'n kort oorweging van die liminale beduidenis van die Knossos Labirint se ligging op Kreta. Kernbegrippe: Knossos Labirint labirint-loopproses labirinte liminaliteit 1. Introduction We live out our lives on earth in a border area defined by birth, on the one hand, and by death, on the other. Within this living area, we find innumerable other boundaries, exits, and entrances: the fences surrounding our gardens, the walls defining our dwelling and the rooms within it; the speeds at which we may travel along roads delineated by pavements, yellow lines, and the mechanisms--traffic lights, for instance, or various forms of speed traps--by which those speeds are controlled. There are limits to, and in, human existence in individual terms; these are predominantly physiological and psychological. In society, they take the form of the laws and norms defining permissible and non-permissible behaviours. Some boundaries are external, physical, tangible, manifested to the senses, enforced by barriers and guards. Others are internal, metaphorical, symbolic, imperceptible to the senses but no less powerful and equally enforceable through various systems of penalty and punishment. This multiplicity of boundaries, visible and invisible alike, create the areas and spaces within which, or beyond which, we live out our lives. 2. Areas and spaces In the literal sense at least, matters of liminality are matters of area and space. "Space is an emptiness that embraces everything, but it is the foundation of all existence and the nourishing ground of being." (Conty, 2002:261.) Conty explains a little later: "space can ... be defined by light, by sound, or even by the wind". Bachelard (1994:43) concurs when he suggests: Sounds lend color to space, and confer a sort of sound body upon it. But absence of sound leaves it quite pure and, in the silence, we are seized with the sensation of something vast and deep and boundless. Conty (2002:264) agrees, albeit less poetically: "[l]ike emptiness, space does not exist in itself and cannot be described or conceived by itself". In another sense, matters of liminality raise concerns about ritual processes and rites of passage as well as symbolic meaning, as Van Gennep (1960) and Turner (1969) have explained so pertinently, as we shall see. The purpose of this article is to explore some preliminary matters of liminality in labyrinths. However, we shall also need some definitions because they serve not only to provide clarity about the terminology used in what follows but also because, when unravelled or deconstructed, they offer connotative meanings of the entities to which we shall be paying attention. …

Beckett and Coetzee: alternative identities

Abstract: Coetzee’s scholarly interest in Beckett, and his aesthetic interest in the same (which carries a strong measure of readily acknowledged influence), diverge in the case Coetzee presents in a recent mini-biography cum autobiography, “Samuel Beckett in Cape Town – an imaginary history” (Coetzee, 2006:74-77), where both he and Beckett are imagined as having experienced alternative pasts in South Africa. Considering this acknowledged influence, which Coetzee (1992b) mentions in an interview with David Attwell in “Doubling the point”, one might assume that it followed an initial scholarly interest in Beckett(Coetzee’s Ph.D. was on Beckett, and was completed years before he himself became a creative writer). However, in the case at hand this causal sequence is broken, because the doubled Coetzee, though under the spell of Beckett’s prose, does not wish to do scholarly work on the doubled Beckett. What is it about Coetzee’s imagined Beckett that has this effect on him? And why is it that Coetzee engages in such metafictional blurred doubling when it comes to himself and Beckett? This article attempts to shed light on the problems that surround Coetzee’s crafted interaction between authors who are also (in this rather odd context) characters.

Bende-biografie gee 'n blik op Afrikanerjeug-psigeBiografie van 'n bende: die storie van Fokofpolisiekar, Annie Klopper : resensies

Abstract: Fokofpolisiekar, of soos hulle soms na verwys word as Polisiekar of FPK, het reeds met hulle naam 'n groep mense ongemaklik gehad. Radiostasies wou, weens die vloekwoord in hulle naam, aanvanklik nie aan die groep se musiek raak nie.

Three protagonists in B.W. Vilakazi's "Ezinkomponi" ("On the mine compounds")

Abstract: In this poem the great Zulu poet BW Vilakazi is preoccupied with the surreal scene of a gold mine compound in the 1940s Johannesburg, and reflects on the three protagonists of the drama that plays out in front of him: the miners, mine magnates and the heavy machinery, all things that drive the entire enterprise of enslaving the workers Feelings flood his imagination: about the terrible status of the miners (with whom he identifies); what they have left behind, their dreams and the reality they battle with; the unfeeling and overwhelming spectre of industrialisation, and distant capitalist interests; and the instruments of oppression: the deafening mine machines These three protagonists(especially the first and the third,) assume human characteristics and fight to justify their respective roles in the conflict Vilakazi’s famous protest poem becomes a cry for help in the face of destructive industrial advancement as everpresent human drama, which pits values of gold/ and money against what is more fully human and worth living for; possibly unachievable present prosperity against a vision of future happiness and fulfilment

Bende-Biografie Gee 'N Blik Op Afrikanerjeug-Psige

Abstract: Fokofpolisiekar, of soos hulle soms na verwys word as Polisiekar of FPK, het reeds met hulle naam 'n groep mense ongemaklik gehad. Radiostasies wou, weens die vloekwoord in hulle naam, aanvanklik nie aan die groep se musiek raak nie.

Trauma in der Nazi & der Friseur by Edgar Hilsenrath/ Trauma in der Nazi & der Friseur Von Edgar Hilsenrath

Abstract: Theory about trauma and trauma representation ran be very useful when interpreting literary texts. The notion of trauma is a complex one and can in general be associated with specific historical experiences, or used as an ontological category to describe fundamental aspects of human existence and identity. From a psycho-analytical perspective the latter refers to a lack within the symbolic order to assimilate and interpret experience in a meaningful way, which consequently leads to a confrontation with the alienating Zizekian real. "Der Nazi & der Friseur" ("The Nazi & the barber") by Edgar Hilsenrath deals, among other issues, with the Holocaust experiences of the main character. The aim of this article is to identify possible signs of trauma, both at the level of narrated events and the narration itself. Besides these signs of historical trauma, it will be demonstrated that the play with identity in the novel can be read against the background of trauma used as ontological category, grounded in the "other", as something existing beyond the boundaries of the symbolic order. Opsomming Die teorie rondom trauma en traumarepresentasie kan met vrug gebruik word by die interpretasie van literere tekste. Trauma is 'n komplekse begrip wat breedweg geassossieer kan word met 'n bepaalde historiese ervaring, of gebruik kan word as 'n ontologiese kategorie om fundamentele aspekte van die menslike bestaan en identiteit te beskryf. Vanuit 'n psigo-analitiese perspektief dui laasgenoemde op 'n leemte binne die simboliese orde om ervaring sinvol te assimileer en te interpreteer en dit lei tot 'n konfrontasie met die bevreemdende Zizekiaanse "real". "Der Nazi & der Friseur" ("Die Nazi & die haarkapper") deur Edgar Hilsenrath tematiseer onder meer die Holocaustervaring van die hooffiguur. In hierdie artikel word gepoog om moontlike tekens van trauma te identifiseer, sowel op die vlak van die handeling, as op die vlak van die vertelling. Buiten tekens van historiese trauma, sal aangedui word dat die spel met identiteit in die roman gelees kan word teen die agtergrond van trauma as ontologiese kategorie, gegrond in die "ander", as gelee buite die grense van die simboliese orde. 1. Einleitung Die Frage nach der literarischen Darstellbarkeit von Trauma gilt schon seit langerer Zeit als wissenschaftlich produktive Fragestellung, weil dabei auf eine grosse Vielfalt von Disziplinen und Problemfeldern Bezug genommen werden muss. Trauma treibt unter anderem die semiotischen Moglichkeiten der sprachlichen Darstellbarkeit auf die Spitze, und ist deswegen nicht als Sonderproblem zu betrachten, das vom philosophischen, sprachlichen, sozialen, psychologischen und literaturwissenschaftlichen Kontext getrennt untersucht werden konnte. Im Roman Der Nazi & der Friseur von Edgar Hilsenrath, ist die Darstellung des Verhaltnisses von Trauma und Identitat des traumatisierten Subjekts thematisch wichtig. Dabei scheint der Begriff der Fremde (Fremdartigkeit, Verfremdung, Befremdung) in diesem Verhaltnis eine wichtige Bruckenfunktion zu erfullen. Im folgenden soll versucht werden, Hilsenraths Roman unter dem Aspekt dieses Verhaltnisses (der Dialektik von Trauma und Identitat) zu deuten, und zu zeigen, inwiefern der Begriff der Fremde fur die Darstellung von Trauma und Identitat in diesem Roman grundlegend ist. 2. Trauma Wie der literarische Begriff Tragodie ist auch Trauma in der allgemeinen Umgangssprache ein mehr oder weniger diffuser Begriff. (2) Im Kontext der vorliegenden Erorterung sind die folgenden theoretischen Uberlegungen wichtig. Trauma ist nicht in einem einzelnen Ereignis lokalisierbar, sondern manifestiert sich dann, wenn das Erlebte die Darstellungsmoglichkeiten einer Person oder Gruppe insgesamt ubersteigt und dieses Erlebte deshalb in seiner vollen Bedeutung nicht mehr zu registrieren, darzustellen und an Dritte zu vermitteln ist. Das will nicht heissen, dass alles, was schwer beschreibbar ist, oder gar (so wie die "Fremde") die Darstellungsmoglichkeiten ubersteigt, unbedingt auch als traumatisch aufzufassen ist. …

Ruimte as tema en metafoor in die poësie van enkele vroulike Afrikaanse digters: 1994-2005

Abstract: Space as theme and metaphor in the poetry of selected female poets in Afrikaans: 1994-2005 This article illustrates that the representation of physical and abstract space is exceptionally prominent in the work of female poets in Afrikaans who published poetry between 1994 and 2005. The possibility that a “female consciousness” influences the use of spatial metaphors is put forward (but not proved).Following the theoretical insights of Pierre Bourdieu, the relationship between society and art is explored, and consequently the importance of the postcolonial context of Afrikaans poetry published between 1994 and 2005 forms part of the analyses of the thematic and metaphorical aspects of the selected poems. Examples of the salient aspects of representations of space,both as theme and as metaphor, in the work of female Afrikaans poets are discussed in more detail before some preliminary conclusions are put forward.

One rainbow, one nation, one tongue singing : whiteness in post-apartheid pulp fiction

Abstract: A certain brand of fiction has become popular in post-apartheid South Africa that accounts for the relative success of Susan Mann‟s “One tongue singing” (2005). This article seeks to examine the implications of narratives such as this in revealing the normative assumptions that might inform text and reception a decade into a new democracy. It begins with an overview of whiteness studies as a post-colonial frame of reference useful in gauging the continued hegemonic normativity of whiteness as a cultural affiliation. This is followed by an analysis of Mann‟s novel. I argue that it is precisely in fiction such as this – massproduced for a white middle-class, mostly female readership both here and abroad – that there is ample evidence of the kinds of normative assumptions that whiteness studies attempts to make visible. I demonstrate that despite the writer‟s liberal and politically correct attempts to negotiate the politics of race, gender and class, her narrative inadvertently reinforces stereotypes that it ostensibly challenges. Thus it exhibits the discursive limits and powers of the most readily available reading matter this country has to offer.

How cool is Nietzsche - an aid to remove the fear of great philosophers : essay

Abstract: The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is far more accessible than many of his contemporaries. He has a tremendous sense of humour, plays with words and expressions,and he is not scared of attacking other philosophers like Hegel and Schopenhauer. Nietzsche’s use of figures is very significant thanks to the variations of these figures. The result of his style is a sort of inclusiveness towards the reader. Nietzsche seduces the reader to become a member of the select group of chosen thinkers. His central work “Thus spoke Zarathustra”, shows this strategy of conquering the reader or listener in a clear way. Nietzsche’s courage to ask other philosophers or “Geisteswissenschaftler” what their essence is can encourage us to ask essential questions. However, Nietzsche’s central value of life is too vague to be acceptable and caused a lot of political confusion during the previous century.

"Man Muss Die Dinge Sich Vor Augen Halten ...": Goethe's and Adorno's Aesthetic Programmes as a Critique of modernity/"Man Muss Die Dinge Sich Vor Augen Halten ...": Goethe En Adorno Se Estetiese Programme as 'N Kritiek Van Moderniteit

Abstract: Early on in his acquaintance with Goethe, Schiller criticised Goethe's 'philosophy' as too subjective. 'It takes too much from the world of [the] senses, whereas I take from the soul.' Today, subjectivity is the opposite to the 'objective' world experienced via the senses--a view that can be traced back to the early Scotist thinking on subjective versus objective truth. In the first part of this article, close textual analysis of Goethe's Farbenlehre ('On the theory of colour') and Wahlverwandtschaften ('Elective affinities'), demonstrates how Goethe aligns the cognition of truth with a subjective function of participatory observation, which he sees as truly empirical. These texts from very different genres execute the same aesthetic programme, in which the narrator withdraws to invite the reader to see for him-/ herself. In the second part, Goethe's concept of participatory truth-finding is compared to Adorno's aesthetic theory--Adorno claims that only the non-identical appears momentarily in artwork. The comparison between Goethe's 'Apercu' and Adorno's 'Apparition', Goethe's 'zarte Empirie' and Adorno's incommensurable insight of art, supports the argument that Adorno's dilemma in grappling with the absolute can be overcome by using Goethe's relativising stance. This approach interprets knowledge as a set of cultural-historical concepts, emphasising the pivotal position and relevance of literary studies. Opsomming Kort na hulle kennismaking het Schiller Goethe se 'filosofie' as te 'subjektief' afgemaak: 'Dit neem te veel uit die waarneembare wereld, terwyl ek uit die siel neem.' Vandag beskou ons subjektiwiteit as die teenoorgestelde van die 'objektiewe' wereld, wat ons sintuiglik waameem--'n beskouing wat teruggevoer kan word na vroee Skotiese denke oor subjektiewe in teenstelling met objektiewe waarheid. In die eerste gedeelte van die artikel word 'n gedetailleerde teksontleding van Goethe se 'Farbenlehre' asook sy 'Wahlverwandtschaften' gebruik om te demonstreer hoe Goethe die kognisie van die waarheid verbind met 'n subjektiewe funksie van deelnemende waameming wat hy as waadik empiries beskou. Hierdie tekste uit heeltemal verskillende genres gee uitvoering aan dieselfde estetiese program. In die program onttrek die verteller homself van die vertelling om die leser te nooi om self te kyk. In die tweede gedeelte word Goethe se konsep van deelnemende waameming vergelyk met Adorno se estetiese teorie--Adorno meen dat die nie-identiese slegs kortstondig in kunswerke verskyn. Die vergelyking tussen Goethe se 'Apercu' en Adorno se 'Apparition', Goethe se 'zarte Empirie' en Adorno se begrip van die onmeetbare insig deur die kunste, ondersteun die argument dat Adorno se dilemma met betrekking tot dit wat absoluut is deur Goethe se relativiserende standpunt oorbrug kan word. Hierdie benadering interpreteer kennis as 'n stel kultuur-historiese konsepte wat die sleutelposisie en relevansie van literere studies beklemtoon. I. Introduction In 1789, early in his association with Goethe, Schiller wrote: Ihm ist die ganze Philosophie subjektivisch, und da hort dann Uberzeugung und Streit zugleich auf. Seine Philosophie mag ich auch nicht ganz: sie holt zuviel aus der Sinnenwelt, wo ich aus der Seele hole. Uberhaupt ist seine Vorstellungsart zu sinnlich und betastet mir zuviel. For him, all of philosophy is subjectivist, and it is at that point that both conviction and argument end. I also don't fancy his philosophy much: it takes too much from the world of the senses, whereas I take from the soul. All in all, his understanding of reality is too sensory and is too tactile for me. (Staiger, 1987:10; translation--SM.) (1) From a 21st century perspective, there seems to be, from Goethe's side, a focus on an object-oriented empiricism and an emphasis on the sensory as a source for perception and creativity. Schiller, as an idealist, scathingly opposes to this the soul. …

"Hell's View": Van De Ruit's Spud-Changing the Boys' School Story tradition?/"Hell's View": Van De Ruit Se Spud-'N Omwenteling in Die Tradisionele Skoolverhaal Vir Seuns?

Abstract: The article identifies salient features of Van de Ruit's novels "Spud: a wickedly funny novel" (2005) and "Spud--the madness continues" (2007) and compares them with the corresponding motifs commonly found in histoncal British boys' school stories, tracing shifts in discourse to establish the novels' construction of a South African boyhood. The article argues that through his conscious subversion of the imperial model's defining discourses, Van de Ruit's fictional representation of Spud's school experience portrays the previously accepted "ideal" construction of boyhood, with its unmistakably defined principles and uncontested ethical code, as fundamentally challenged by the variety of alternative discourses to which the modem protagonist is exposed. The resultant construction of Spud's South African boyhood is, therefore, characterised by the protagonist's constant struggle to assimilate the frequently incongruous and bewildering discourses (about moral courage and personal integrity, in particular) that compete for his attention. The pivotal component of this particular construction of boyhood may be argued not to be a strict adherence to a clearly defined schoolboy ethic, but as a variable that is ultimately dependent on the boy's choices. Key concepts: imperial construction of boyhood South African school story Spud: a wickedly funny novel Spud: the madness continues traditional British boys' school stories traditional school ethic Van de Ruit, John Opsomming Hierdie artikel identifiseer sentrale eienskappe van Van de Ruit se romans "Spud: a wickedly funny novel "(2005) en "Spud--the madness continues" (2007) en vergelyk dit met die ooreenstemmende motiewe wat algemeen in tradisionele Britse skoolverhale oor seuns voorkom. Die artikel ondersoek ook diskoersverskuiwings om die romans se konstruksie van SuidAfrikaanse seunsjare te bepaal. Die skrywer voer aan dat Van de Ruit, deur middel van sy doelbewuste ondermyning van die bepalende diskoerse van die imperiale model in sy fiktiewe uitbeelding van Spud se skoolwedervarings, die voorheen aanvaarde, "ideale" konstruksie van seunsjare (met sy onmiskenbaar omskrewe beginsels en onbestrede etiese kode) uitbeeld as iets wat fundamenteel bevraagteken word deur die verskeidenheid alternatiewe diskoerse waaraan die hedendaagse protagonis blootgestel word. Die gevolglike konstruksie van Spud se Suid-Afrikaanse seunsjare word derhalwe gekenmerk deur die protagonis se konstante worsteling met die assimilasie van die dikwels lagwekkende diskoerse (oor morele moed en persoonlike integriteit in die besonder) wat hom verwar terwyl hulle meeding om sy aandag. Die slotsom is dat die spil van hierdie spesifieke konstruksie van seunsjare nie soseer streng gehoorsaamheid aan 'n duidelik omskrewe skoolseunetos is nie, maar wel 'n veranderlike is wat uiteindelik van die keuses wat die seun maak, afhang. Kernbegrippe: Britse skoolverhale vir seuns, tradisionele imperiale konstruksie van seunsjare skooletos, tradisionele Spud: a wickedly funny novel Spud: the madness continues Suid-Afrikaanse skoolverhaal Van de Ruit, John 1. Introduction South African author John van de Ruit's Spud: a wickedly (1) funny novel (2005) has enjoyed phenomenal success. (2) Its sequel, Spud--the madness continues ... (2007), (3) follows firmly in its predecessor's footsteps and continues the story of young scholarship student, John Milton (nicknamed "Spud" due to the delayed onset of puberty), at an elite private boys' school in KwaZulu-Natal. The narrative begins in 1990, the year in which Nelson Mandela was released, and one in which--infinitely more important in the novel--Spud tries to adjust to his new life at a posh, upper-class school. Written in the first person, the diary format (4) of the novel allows the reader an (extremely funny but at times also disturbingly) intimate glimpse into the protagonist's inward struggles and the frequently confused thought processes allegedly typical of pre-adolescence, the awakening of a moral consciousness and social awareness. …

Die moderne self as toneelpop in Woyzeck on the Highveld

Abstract: The modern self as puppet in Woyzeck on the Highveld This article undertakes a semiotic investigation of identifications of the self in terms of a specifically South African modernism, via an exploration of an adaptation of Georg Buchner’s “Woyzeck”. William Kentridge’s production of “Woyzeck on the Highveld”(1992; 2009) marks at least three intersections of modernist and modernising discourses. Firstly, it uses as its principal source Georg Buchner’s protomodernist text, with its description of an individual alienated from his social context. Secondly, in making use of the puppets of the Handspring Puppet Company for its central characters, the play employs a style commensurate with modernist aesthetics, in terms of the objectification of subjectivity and the mechanisation of the subject. Thirdly, by re-contextualising Buchner’s German soldier as an African mineworker, the production deals with aspects of modernisation by examining the clash, confusion and concomitant syncretism of rural and urban cultures. The article concludes by identifying the all too human desire to be more than a puppet, more than machine, and the potential consequences of the fragmented modernist self on conceptions of identity and freedom.

Politieke herskrywings van die Ons(e) Vader-gebed in vier Afrikaanse gedigte

Abstract: Political rewritings of the Our Father prayer in four Afrikaans poems . The utilisation of religious elements is a prominent trend in Afrikaans poetry − often in service of the political struggle, for example during the apartheid years. In this article four rewritings of the “Our Father” prayer are examined, using Linda Hutcheon’s theory of parody, as discussed in (among others), her pioneering work, “A theory of parody” (2000). For Hutcheon, parody does not necessarily imply ridiculing a previous text. According to her well-known definition, parody is “ironic transcontextualization, is repetition with difference. A critical distance is implied between the backgrounded text being parodied and the new incorporating work, a distance usually signaled by irony.” The rewritings of the “Our Father” by Jan Blom (Breyten Breytenbach), Ronnie Belcher and Andre Letoit (Koos Kombuis) are distinct examples of ironic inversion, while in Hans du Plessis’s poem (in Griqua Afrikaans) the irony is less obvious and the critique (if any) more subdued. As Hutcheon explains and motivates, parody does not always take place at the expense of the parodied text. Thus the parodical rewritings of the “Our Father” need not necessarily be seen as destructive and belittling of the prayer itself, but as critically constructive vis-a-vis the Christian community.

Iconicity as the key to the poetry of Nelly Sachs (1891-1970)

Abstract: In her poetry Nelly Sachs tried to overcome all obstaclesi in order to speak about the unspeakable. Words that could adequately embody the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps were lacking. Nevertheless, it was necessary to speak about the experience for the sake of both herself and other victims of the camps. Through her poetry Sachs tests the validity and strength of both traditional images and biblical stories about suffering and grace. Words and images enable her to touch the experiences of people. However, she questions the generally accepted meaning of words in German. Her use of language strives to be different and to draw the attention to both the difficulties and risks of writing authentic words with the necessary symbolic strength. Sachs’ mental fragility made her very vulnerable and caused her to walk on the edge of total silence. As a consequence of her vulnerability, she tried with her whole heart to gain Paul Celan’s sympathy for her way of writing and efforts to turn the events in the concentration camps into dignified and true poetry. The relationship between Celan and Sachs reveals that the true meaning of poetry in her life was a manner of survival. The differences between the two poets provide insight into the specific poetic laws at work in the poetry of Nelly Sachs.

Political Rewrittings of the Our Father Prayer in Four Afrikaans poems/Politieke Herskrywings Van Die Ons(e) Vader-Gebed in Vier Afrikaanse Gedigte

Abstract: The utilisation of religious elements is a prominent trend in Afrikaans poetry--often in service of the political struggle, for example during the apartheid years. In this article four rewritings of the "Our Father" prayer are examined, using Linda Hutcheon's theory of parody, as discussed in (among others), her pioneering work, "A theory of parody" (2000). For Hutcheon, parody does hot necessarily imply ridiculing a previous text. According to her well-known definition, parody is "ironic transcontextualization, is repetition with difference. A critical distance is implied between the backgrounded text being parodied and the new incorporating work, a distance usually signaled by irony." The rewritings of the "Our Father" by Jan Blom (Breyten Breytenbach), Ronnie Belcher and Andre Letoit (Koos Kombuis) are distinct examples of ironic inversion, while in Hans du Plessis's poem (in Griqua Afrikaans) the irony is less obvious and the critique (if any) more subdued. As Hutcheon explains and motivates, parody does not always take place at the expense of the parodied text. Thus the parodical rewritings of the "Our Father" need not necessarily be seen as destructive and belittling of the prayer itself, but as critically constructive vis-a-vis the Christian community. Key concepts: critique of ideology Out Father prayer palimpsest parodying Opsomming Die benutting van religieuse elemente is 'n besonder opvallende tendens in die Afrikaanse poesie--dikwels in diens van politieke verset, soos tydens die apartheidsjare. In hierdie artikel (1) word vier herskrywings van die "Ons(e) Vade"-gebed ondersoek, met behulp van Linda Hutcheon se teoretisering, soos onder meer uiteengesit in haar baanbrekende "A theory of parody" (2000). Vir Hutcheon is parodie nie noodwendig 'n bespotting nie, maar 'n herhaling met 'n verskil, waarby daar 'n kritiese afstand is tussen die agtergrondteks, wat geparodieer word, en die nuwe teks. Hierdie afstand blyk dikwels uit die ironiserende aard van laasgenoemde teks. In Jan Blom (Breyten Breytenbach) se "Onse milde god van alles wat soet en mooi is", Ronnie Belcher se "Atta unsar pu in himinam" en Andre Letoit (Koos Kombuis) se "gonse vader" geskied die herhaling met 'n sterk kritiese ingesteldheid--hierdie gedigte is voorbeelde van nabootsing met ironiese inversie. Hierteenoor is die ironie minder opvallend in Hans du Plessis se herskrywing (in GriekwaAfrikaans), en die kritiek (indien enige) is meer getemper. Soos Hutcheon verduidelik en motiveer, geskied parodiering nie altyd ten koste van die geparodieerde teks nie. Die parodiering van die "Ons(e) Vader" kan daarom nie bloot as destruktief of verkleinerend ten opsigte van die gebed self beskou word nie, maar dit lewer wel kritiese, konstruktiewe kommentaar ten opsigte van die Christelike samelewing. Kernbegrippe: ideologiekritiek Ons(e) Vader-gebed palimpses parodiering I. Inleiding Bybelse verwysings en figure kom heel prominent in die Afrikaanse letterkunde voor. Gedurende die apartheidsjare is religieuse elemente dikwels in diens van die politiek benut, veral as kritiek teen die heersende bestel. In baie van hierdie tekste, soos die herskrywings van die Ons(e) Vader-gebed (Matt. 6:9-13), vind daar 'n parodiering van die bybelse gegewens plaas. Volgens teoretici soos Hutcheon (2000), (2) is parodie die kenmerkendste vorm van intertekstualiteit in die era wat algemeen as die postmoderniteit bekend staan. Berry en Wernick (1992:3) meen dat dit nie ongewoon is dat religieuse elemente in postmodernistiese tekste opduik nie. One of the most unexpected results of the changed perspective [of postmodernism] is the revived interest in those once-tabooed aspects of 'otherness' which can broadly be termed spiritual or religious. Indeed, there is an unexpected emergence of religious motifs and themes in both deconstruction and postmodernism. …

"To Say What You Are Trying to Say": Douglas Livingstone's Personae in A Rosary of Bone (1975B & 1983)/"to Say What You Are Trying to Say": Douglas Livingstone Se Persona in A Rosary of Bone (1975B & 1983)

Abstract: This article offers a critical overview of the personae Douglas Livingstone (1932-1996) adopts in two editions (1975b; 1983) of "A rosary of bone". Following a tripartite structure, it deals with the love poems, the translations, and the Giovanni Jacopo-poems respectively, arguing that the collection breaks new ground as Livingstone here begins to explore new voices and techniques with which to write about his thematic preoccupations. Such personae permit the poet more acerbic, satirical, or even angry stances, with voices not to be found in the earlier volumes of his work. A comparative list of contents for both editions is given in an appendix. Opsomming Die artikel bied 'n kdtiese oorsig van die personae wat Douglas Livingstone (1932-1996) in die twee uitgawes (1975b; 1983) van "A rosary of bone" aanneem. 'n Driedelige struktuur word gevolg waarin die liefdesgedigte, die vertalings en die Giovanni Jacopo-gedigte afsonderlik behandel word. Die artikel voer aan dat die versameling bakens verskuif, omdat Livingstone hier met nuwe stemme en tegnieke begin eksperimenteer ten einde sy tematiese belangstellings vanuit 'n skerper, satiriese of seils woedende posisie oor te dra. Hierdie nuwe manier ran uiting word nie in vroeere volumes van sy werk gevind nie. 'n Vergelykende inhoudsopgawe van albei uitgawes word in 'n bylaag verskaf. 1. Introduction In his citation, given when Douglas Livingstone was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature by the then University of Natal in 1982, Horton (1982:11) drew attention to two of the author's major personae--scientist and poet--when he said: "The scientist in him searches for the truth; the poet in him tries to explain it." Several years earlier, when asked whether the scientist and the poet were conflicting or complementary aspects of his life, Livingstone replied: Well, they're sort of two different sphincters! One could phrase it rather pompously as 'Science is man's search for the truth and literature is man's interpretation of the truth'. I think I'd better write that down, it's quite good! (Ullyatt, 1976:45.) In her dissertation on Livingstone's poetry, Stevens (2004:35) takes up Livingstone's argument: Livingstone's rigorously philosophical paper 'Science and Truth' examines how thinkers and scientists have viewed truth and, in concluding, asks 'Is the "truth" attainable?' (Stevens, 2004:105.) Stevens (2004:106) gives the following answer: It is possible we have to reconcile our pursuit of scientific truth--verifying every step of the way, imagining it, longing for it, even dreaming of it, spurring ourselves on with the current theory or available ratiocinative device, alert always for the dissolution of rigidities whose components re-form into new realities which will dissolve in their turn--with never actually attaining it. Einstein's observation: 'The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science', affords not only comfort but enjoyment while the day to day proper business of science ensues, i.e. seeking after truth, however evasive the truth happens to be. In quoting Einstein, Livingstone also points to beauty and truth as the source of both science and art. His much-quoted belief that "Science is humanity's search for truth and art is humanity's interpretation of the truth" (Fazzini, 1990:142) is a further indication of his belief that science and art are not mutually exclusive. Livingstone's 1990 response to Fazzini differs only marginally (in terms of diction) from his response to my question in 1976. He was particularly consistent in a good deal of his thinking; he knew how to wear his personae well. The scientist/poet bifurcation has led to a series of conjunct dualisms to be found throughout the poet's life and work. …