The Past Coming to Roost in the Present - Historicising History in Four Post-Apartheid South African Novels: André P. Brink’s Imaginings of Sand, Zakes Mda’s Ways of Dying, J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, and Phaswane Mpe’s Welcome to our Hillbrow Adrian Knapp

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Knapp, Adrian, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

South African literature--20th century--History and criticism.

South African literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (116 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Hannover ibidem 2012

Language Note:

English

Biography/History:

Adrian Knapp studied English Philology and American Studies and Geography at the Leopold-Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria. His main research interests are postcolonial literatures, in particular contemporary (South) African fiction. He is currently living in Innsbruck and working on a research project on English Literature and Slavery, 1772-1834, at the University of Innsbruck, where he is also writing his PhD thesis.

Adrian Knapp studied English Philology and American Studies and Geography at the Leopold-Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria. His main research interests are postcolonial literatures, in particular contemporary (South) African fiction. He is currently living in Innsbruck and working on a research project on English Literature and Slavery, 1772-1834, at the University of Innsbruck, where he is also writing his PhD thesis.

Summary:

Since the final demise of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has undergone dramatic changes in the political, social, and economic sphere. It is not surprising that these changes have also resulted in contentious reassessments of recent history. Many contemporary South African writers have taken up the challenge and created works offering new ways of critically re-imagining the country’s violent past. While André P. Brink’s Imaginings of Sand and Zakes Mda’s Ways of Dying constitute renegotiations of the past during the period of transition, J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace and Phaswane Mpe’s Welcome to our Hillbrow represent deliberations of a past that has been hampered in its change by a flawed transition. Just as history can never be taken at face value and never constitutes a finite, all-inclusive narration of the past, the 'historical accounts' provided in these texts often present a one-sided picture of history when only considered on their representational level. On the metafictional level, however, these texts often put such 'misreadings' into perspective and, in doing so, open up an otherwise monochrome reflection of South Africa’s rainbow.

Contents:

""Contents""; ""1. Introduction""; ""I. DE-MYTHOLOGISING HISTORY""; ""2. Historicising History""; ""2.1. The Importance of History in Contemporary South African Literature""; ""2.1.1. Stories as a Means for Reconciliation""; ""2.1.2. Stories as a Means for Identity Re-construction""; ""2.2. The Constructed Nature of History""; ""2.2.1. The Historical Construction of the Self: Afrikaner Nationalism""; ""2.2.2. The Historical Construction of the Other""; ""2.3. Counter-Histories: The Novel as an Outlet for the Marginalised""; ""2.3.1. African Nationalism: A United Front against Oppression""

""4. Confronting the Past: Zakes Mda�s Ways of Dying""""4.1. Information on the Author""; ""4.2. Acknowledging the Violence of Violence""; ""4.2.1. The Present in Ways of Dying""; ""4.2.2. The Past in Ways of Dying""; ""4.3. Resistant Form in Ways of Dying""; ""III. FICTIONS OF A FLAWED TRANSITION""; ""5. Personifying the Past: J. M. Coetzee�s Disgrace""; ""5.1. Information on the Author""; ""5.2. Redistributing the Land via the Body""; ""5.2.1. The Present in Disgrace""; ""5.2.2. The Past in Disgrace""; ""5.3. Resistant Form in Disgrace""

""6. Judging the Past: Phaswane Mpe�s Welcome to our Hillbrow""""6.1. Information on the Author""; ""6.2. Refuting Prejudice through Stories""; ""6.2.1. The Present in Welcome to our Hillbrow""; ""6.2.2. The Past in Welcome to our Hillbrow""; ""6.3. Resistant Form in Welcome to our Hillbrow""; ""7. Conclusions""; ""7.1. The Present""; ""7.2. The Past""; ""7.3. Resistant Form""; ""Bibliography""

Notes:

"Andre P. Brink's Imaginings of Sand ; Zakes Mda's Ways of Dying ; J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace ; and Phaswane Mpe's Welcome to our Hillbrow."

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9783838256863

3838256867

Publisher Number:

9783838256863