Forms of hypocrisy in the writings of Dambudzo Marechera
| dc.contributor.advisor | Gagiano, A. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Nuttall, S. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Zinaka, Pauls Jonah | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-08-27T11:34:25Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2012-08-27T11:34:25Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1999-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999. | |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY: Perceiving every established notion as inherently entrapping, Dambudzo Marechera rejects and strives to elude all manner of categorisation which tends to submerge one's individuality. His fundamental conviction is that only those whose motive is to exercise power over other human beings insist on fixed notions such asnation, race, culture, religion and ideology. This is because such self-seekers realise that human beings tend to be more susceptible to manipulation if they identify themselves with established categories or discourses. Given the trend in African writing during the anti-colonial period to identify with nationalist discourse, Marechera cuts the figure of a literary funambulist: not only does he refuse to write for a specific nation or race, but he also dismisses fixed notions of nation and race as spurious Machiavellian fabrications aimed at fossilising people's minds for purposes of easier regimentation. Predictably, Marechera invokes the wrath of nationalist critics who see in him a self-deprecating African reactionary or a mere Uncle Tom who affects European avant-gardism. This thesis uses close textual reading to explore Marechera's combative engagement with what he perceives as hegemonic discourses which mask themselves in various deceptive forms. The central theme is Marechera's representation of hypocrisy. His commitment to a vision that transcends evanescent agendas such as political independence is a recurrent motif in this thesis. I also examine the ways in which he deploys complex metaphors and allegories to expose the workings of hypocrisy. Of equal interest is his motivation in deliberately sabotaging the rules of conventional grammar. I consider this in the light of the fact that to Marechera, English - his second language – is also the language of the metropole. | |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Omdat hy alle vooropgestelde idees as inherent beklemmend beskou, verwerp Dambudzo Marechera aile tipes van kategorisering wat die mens se individualiteit verswelg. Dit is sy fundamentele oortuiging dat slegs diegene met die motief om mag oor andere uit te oefen sulke vaste idees soos die van nasieskap, ras, kultuur, geloof en ideologie afdwing. Die rede hiervoor is dat sulke self-bevorderaars besef dat mense meer vatbaar is vir manipulasie indien hulle hulself met vasgestelde kategoriee of diskoerse identifiseer. Gegee die neiging in Afrika-letterkunde van die anti-koloniale periode om met nasionalistiese diskoerse te identifiseer, neem Marechera die rol aan van 'n letterkundige draadloper: nie aileen weier hy om vir enige spesifieke nasie of ras te skryf nie, maar hy verwerp vasgestelde begrippe van nasie of ras as misleidende, Machiavelliaanse versinsels wat daarop gemiik is am mense se gedagtelewens te verstar - met die doel am hulle makliker te regimenteer. Heel voorspelbaar haal Marechera homself hiermee die woede van nasionalistiese kritici op die hals - kritici wat hom of 'n self-neerhalende, reaksionere Afrikaan of 'n blote 'Uncle Tom'- figuur beskou; een met Europese avant-gardistiese pretensies. Hierdie tesis gebruik die metodiek van skerp tekstuele skrutinering om Marechera se veglustige bemoeienis met (wat hy beskou as) hegemonistiiese diskoerse, verskuil onder 'n verskeidenheid van misleidende vorme, te ondersoek. Die sentrale tema is Marechera se voorstelling van huigelary. Sy verbondenheid tot 'n visie wat verbygaande agendas soos by voorbeeld politieke onafhanklikheid transendeer, is 'n herhalende tema van hierdie tesis. Ek ondersoek ook die maniere waarop hy komplekse metafore en allegoriee gebruik om die werking van huigelary aan die kaak te stel. Ewe belangrik is die motivering vir sy selfbewuste ondermyning van die reels van konvensionele grammatika. Dit ondersoek ek in die lig van die feit dat vir Marechera Engels - sy tweede taal - ook die taal van die metropool is. | |
| dc.description.version | Master | |
| dc.format.extent | 53 pages | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51274 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject | Marechera, Dambudzo, -- 1952-1987 -- Criticism and interpretation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertations -- English literature | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Forms of hypocrisy in the writings of Dambudzo Marechera | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
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