Browsing by Subject "Afrikaans literature"

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    Border thinking and the modern Plaasroman: a study of three novels
    (2021) Winfield, Matthew; Garuba, Harry; Chitonge, Horman
    In Afrikaans literature, the farm concept has a history of entanglement with ideals that are racist and nationalist. The early plaasroman (farm novel in Afrikaans) subgenre was a product of the 1920s and the 1930s, a period when Afrikaner nationalism was incipient. Later farm novelists brought new energy to the plaasroman during the second half of the twentieth century. In the modern plaasroman subgenre, challenges to racist-nationalist ideals are exhibited, along with ideals of the early plaasroman. The following study is an attempt to gauge whether, and the extent to which, three modern plaasromans are an expression of border thinking. These novels are Etienne Leroux's Seven Days at the Silbersteins, Etienne van Heerden's Ancestral Voices and Nadine Gordimer's The Conservationist. The paradigm of border thinking is chosen due to the similarities between its objectives, on the one hand, and the critical stance of the modern plaasroman, on the other hand. Both border thinking and the modern plaasroman can be described as a response to racial injustice and inequality. For this reason, it would seem that a study of modern plaasromans is well-suited as a context for the application of border thinking. Given that previous studies addressed challenges by modern plaasromans to racist and nationalist ideals, moreover, a study that deploys border thinking (focusing on racial injustice) is considered to be a valuable critical contribution. In order to determine whether these three novels are expressions of border thinking, this study first formulates three templates of ‘literary border thinking' (border thinking that is expressed in literature). Criteria that are derived from these templates are then used to determine whether, and the extent to which, these novels represent literary border thinking.
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    Die literêre soortlikheid van die fantasie, met spesiale verwysing na die Narnia-verhale van C.S. Lewis, die Huppelkind-reeks van W.O. Kühne en Ken jy die Kierangbos? van Freda Linde
    (1986) Whitfield, Lesley; Snyman, Lydia; Pheiffer, Roy H
    This study is an investigation regarding the nature of the fantasy as a literary form, with special reference to children's literature. In Chapter 1 some recent theories on fantasy are examined in order to establish a theoretical basis for the study. A model is proposed in which the fantasy element is seen as the defining quality of the fantasy tale. This element consists of the depicting of events that are by nature "outside" of reality. In Chapter 2 the theory discussed in Chapter 1 is applied to three literary works traditionally regarded as fantasies. They are: the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis; Huppel en sy maats by W.O. Kuhne and Ken jy die Kierangbos? by Freda Linde. Although these works do not all conform to the theories discussed in Chapter 1, it can be concluded that the fantasy element is central in each one and that they can therefore be defined as fantasies. In Chapter 3 the role of symbolism in the fantasy is considered. It is found that although symbolism is often used in this literary category, it is not a distinguishing quality of the fantasy. In Chapter 4 the specified works are examined as literature for children, with the aim of determining the relation between the fantasy and children's literature. It is concluded that the nature of the fantasy as a literary form makes it especially suitable for children because of the child's perception of reality. Chapter 5 consists of a summary of the findings in the previous three chapters. In conclusion the model proposed in Chapter 1 is re-examined. Fantasy is seen as a comprehensive literary category wi th sub-categories providing for the variety of literary works classified as fantasies according to the definition proposed.
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