Maal
Master Thesis
2009
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University of Cape Town
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Maal, a collection of short stories, addresses the displacement and state of being of individuals in different cities in Africa and Europe. These individuals often experience nutrition and food as a metaphor of psychological angst, loneliness or consolation. Food is invoked in the title as it can be seen in the actions of, for instance, a character using intravenous drugs, a character literally eating earth, or a character not being able to eat at all. On the other hand, food in its many sophisticated forms can be found in the upper class spaces of Cape Town, Paris, Zurich and other cities, whilst elsewhere it is tellingly absent. It is further investigated as a ritual - both in a familial and social sense - and as a forming and shaping force in the characters' lives, often paradoxically. Maal also refers to the way in which these characters are hurled about by their own existence, by experiences of migration, illness, family intrigue and death. Therefore life becomes a meal and characters themselves are being eaten and ground.
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Reference:
Strauss, N. 2009. Maal. University of Cape Town.