Stem van die gemarginaliseerde : 'n ondersoek na die konstruksie van die identiteite van die vroulike figure in die werk van E.K.M. Dido
Date
2010-03
Authors
Colyn, Tania
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: E.K.M. Dido publiseer in 1996 haar eerste roman, Die storie van Monica Peters, en word so een van die eerste bruin vrouens wat ‟n bydra tot die Afrikaanse letterkunde lewer. In Dido se romans word daar altyd ‟n vrou as hooffiguur gestel, en dit is van belang om na die konstruksie van die identiteite van die vroulike hooffigure ondersoek in te stel. Die romans lig invloede op, en aspekte van, identiteit uit en demonstreer hoe kwessies soos identiteitsmerkers ‟n rol in die konstruksie van identiteit speel. Die konstruksie van die vroulike figure se identiteite wys op die veranderende aard van identiteit, en die stemme van die gemarginaliseerdes van die verlede word in twee van hierdie romans deur hierdie figure gehoor.
Dido self skryf vanuit die posisie van die voorheen gemarginaliseerde. Deur die konstruksie van die hooffigure vind die gemarginaliseerdes van die verlede ‟n geleentheid om hul eie verhale te vertel, en so verbreek Dido die stiltes wat in die verlede geskep is. Die postkoloniale aard van Dido se romans speel ‟n ondermynende rol binne ‟n letterkunde wat steeds verteenwoordigend is van die magstrukture van die verlede. Die konsep van hibriditeit word uitgelig as een wat positief eerder as negatief is. So word daar byvoorbeeld ‟n nuwe perspektief op wit mense gegee, soos gesien deur die oë van die historiese ‟Ander‟.
Die posisie van swart skrywers in die huidige Afrikaanse letterkunde is een wat ondersoek moet word en uiteindelik moet hierdie posisionering van swart skrywers herevalueer word. Daar is ‟n vraag na ‟n literêre geskiedenis wat verteenwoordigend is van al die stemme wat in die Afrikaanse geskiedenis teenwoordig is. Uiteindelik is dit nodig om te bepaal waar presies Dido in hierdie literêre sisteem geposisioneer is, en of haar stem as swart vroueskrywer werklik gehoor word.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: E.K.M. Dido published her first novel, Die storie van Monica Peters (The story of Monica Peters) in 1996 and so doing became one of the first brown women to make a contribution to Afrikaans literature. The central character in Dido‟s novel is always a woman and this study will focus on the methods of construction of the identities of the female characters. The novels highlight the influences of external factors such as markers of identity on the construction of identity. The changeable nature of identity is demonstrated through the construction of the identities of these female characters. The voices of the marginalised figures from the past are heard through these characters in two of Dido‟s novels. Dido writes from the position of a previously marginalised woman. She breaks the silences of the past by the construction of the female characters‟ identities in such a way that they are able to tell their stories. The postcolonial nature of her work acts to undermine a literature which still reflects the power relations of the past. Dido‟s novels look at the concept of hybridity and see it as a positive, rather than negative, state of being. The white characters in the novels undergo a process of “Othering” which gives a new perspective on race relations from colonial times. There is a need to investigate and rethink the position of black writers within the Afrikaans literary system. Critics have expressed a desire for a literary history which is representative of all voices in Afrikaans. Dido‟s position in the literary system has to be investigated and it needs to be determined whether her voice as a black Afrikaans woman writer is being heard.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: E.K.M. Dido published her first novel, Die storie van Monica Peters (The story of Monica Peters) in 1996 and so doing became one of the first brown women to make a contribution to Afrikaans literature. The central character in Dido‟s novel is always a woman and this study will focus on the methods of construction of the identities of the female characters. The novels highlight the influences of external factors such as markers of identity on the construction of identity. The changeable nature of identity is demonstrated through the construction of the identities of these female characters. The voices of the marginalised figures from the past are heard through these characters in two of Dido‟s novels. Dido writes from the position of a previously marginalised woman. She breaks the silences of the past by the construction of the female characters‟ identities in such a way that they are able to tell their stories. The postcolonial nature of her work acts to undermine a literature which still reflects the power relations of the past. Dido‟s novels look at the concept of hybridity and see it as a positive, rather than negative, state of being. The white characters in the novels undergo a process of “Othering” which gives a new perspective on race relations from colonial times. There is a need to investigate and rethink the position of black writers within the Afrikaans literary system. Critics have expressed a desire for a literary history which is representative of all voices in Afrikaans. Dido‟s position in the literary system has to be investigated and it needs to be determined whether her voice as a black Afrikaans woman writer is being heard.
Description
Thesis (MA (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Keywords
Gender identity in literature, Feminism and literature -- South Africa, Women in literature, Dido, E. K. M. -- Criticism and interpretation