This dissertation addresses issues of culture, identity and style in Herman Charles Bosman’s bilingual writing, produced during the latter part of his life, in order to reassess his place in South African literature. Although questions pertaining to these issues are constantly debated by Bosman scholars, the focus has in the past mainly fallen on his English literary corpus. The bilingual dimension of his work has not received much academic attention. In fact, literary historiographers in South Africa appear to have been largely oblivious of Bosman’s contribution to this area. This situation may partly be ascribed to the ‘disappearance’ of his Afrikaans stories from the time of their publication, in popular periodicals of that time, until recently. Up until 2001 these stories, sixteen in total, have never been collected in book form. Stephen Gray and Craig MacKenzie decided to assign this project, as part of their Anniversary Edition, to Leon de Kock. This collection, aptly titled Verborge Skatte, contains all the Afrikaans stories which have been traced to their original publications as well as polemical and critical pieces written in or about Afrikaans by Bosman. From a literary-historical point of view, it would be untenable to call for a revaluation of Bosman’s place in South African literature on the basis of the mere existence of his Afrikaans writing – particularly given its rather slim substance. However, regarding Bosman’s Afrikaans stories, Leon de Kock draws the important conclusion that Bosman was ahead of his time by virtue of his metafictional skill, self-reflexive irony and political independence. De Kock goes on to highlight interesting aspects that emerge when Bosman’s Afrikaans short stories are compared to their English equivalents as well as the way in which Bosman makes certain cultural emphasis shifts when translating. The implications for South African literature of De Kock’s assertions are evident. They mean that, in addition to the general confusion about Bosman’s identity and place in South African literature, it would appear that he has not been recognised as an important Afrikaans short story writer, nor as an accomplished bilingual writer. De Kock ends his introduction with a call to researchers: “Much work lies ahead for the writers of dissertations, who will be able to lay out the evidence at greater leisure” (2001: 210). This study, then, represents the laying out of evidence that De Kock calls for. It does so through a detailed analysis of critical aspects of this ‘new’ dimension of Bosman’s oeuvre. To begin with, Bosman’s life is probed for possible motivations for his turning to bilingual writing. Key aspects of his English writing and how they are transposed into Afrikaans are then analysed and finally, his language proficiency is put to the test. In the end it is concluded that Bosman was indeed one of the most progressive writers of his time – in English as well as in Afrikaans – and that a revaluation based on a balanced and inclusive view of the unique impact of Bosman’s diverse corpus has been long overdue. It follows, therefore, that South African literature has been the poorer for the conspicuous absence of his Afrikaans short stories, in particular, and that, on the strength of his extraordinary contribution to both English and Afrikaans literatures, certain adjustments should be made to situate Bosman as a key figure in the South African literary canon.

Thesis (Diploma in Librarianship)--University of Witwatersrand.

Thesis (Diploma in Librarianship)--University of Witwatersrand.

M.A. / Receiving favourable recognition during his life-time, Bosman's short stories have attracted increasing critical attention since his death. With the exception of Professor E. Davis's review of Mafeking Road in Trek, and Lily Rabkin's 'Tribute to Bosman in The Forum after his death, however, much of the early Bosman criticism tends to make sweeping value judgements, with critics' opinions occasionally influenced by the lurid elements in Bosman's personal life; Professor A.G. Hooper, for instance, is recorded as observing that 'Bosman's stories seemed to have a sort of bitterness in them, but this was perhaps due to his hard and bitter life...

Thesis (M.A. (English))--Rhodes University, 2006.

M.A. (English) / The broad scope of this dissertation is the collection, editing and publishing of Herman Charles Bosman’s juvenilia with the purpose of re-introducing these stories into the public domain. The project involves creating a critical edition of Bosman’s juvenilia through careful and diplomatic editorial processes. The resultant typescript is the first presentation of what is now posited as the entire collection of Herman Charles Bosman’s juvenilia. The project adds a total of seven previously un-credited stories to the already published collections of Bosman’s juvenilia. The dissertation extends into an in-depth analysis of what juvenilia is, and focuses on the problems relating to the delineation of works as juvenilia. Additionally, there is a discussion on the theory and practice of textual criticism, where a general background and overview of the history and practice of textual criticism is presented, including the textual history of Bosman’s juvenilia and the processes involved in the production of the critical edition. Beyond this, there is also a general analysis of Bosman’s juvenilia, focusing on themes, narrative modes and point of view, imagery and language.

<p>Denna uppsats handlar om Bosmandomen som trädde i kraft 1995 efter beslut av Europadomstolen. Men den trädde inte i kraft i Sverige först årsskiftet 2004-2005. Bosmandomen uppkom efter spelaren Jean-Marc Bosman. Han ville byta från en belgisk (RC Liège) US Dunkerque) till en fransk klubb, men ansåg att han blev förhindrad på grund av ett för högt pris. Den nya regeln säger att ingen fotbollsklubb vare sig, kan kräva eller erhålla betalningar när någon av dess spelare vars kontrakt löpt ut.</p><p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att försöka få svar på frågan hur Bosmandomen har påverkat fotbollsklubbarnas ekonomi, incitament att ta fram egna talanger samt spelarnas löner.</p><p>Jag skickade ut enkäter till svenska klubbar som har herrlag i Allsvenskan till division 7. Svarsprocenten blev 17 procent varav 10 klubbar från division 2, 10 klubbar från division 3, en klubb från Superettan och två klubbar från division 4, en från division 6 och en från division 7.</p><p>Uppsatsen bygger på fotbollsekonomisk teori med fokus på lagsportens natur, landränta och transfer intäkter. Tidigare studier har använts för att påvisa vad som tidigare gjorts och fungerar som hjälp till min studie.</p><p>Resultatet av studien påvisade inte att man med säkerhet kan säga att det är just Bosmandomen som har gjort att mer pengar är i omlopp vid försäljning och löneförhandlingar. Sverige har följt med utvecklingen i Europa. När det gäller talangutveckling verkar det inte spela någon som helst roll vilka regler som införs då bredden är viktigare än de få udda jättetalangerna vilka kan ses som grädden på moset.</p> / <p>Cette étude a pour sujet l’arrêt Bosman, qui date de l’année 1995 par suite d’une décision de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. Il n’est entré en vigueur en Suède qu’au début de l’année 2005. L’arrêt Bosman a reçu son nom par le footballeur Jean-Marc Bosman. Il a déclaré que son club précédent (RC Liège) l’a empêché de signer un nouveau contrat avec le club français US Dunkerque. Il se croyait empêché par un prix trop élevé. Le nouveau règlement dit qu’aucun club ne peut ni demander ni recevoir des rétributions quand un joueur dont le contrat a expiré veut jouer dans un autre club.</p><p>Le but de cette étude est d’essayer de trouver une réponse comment l’arrêt Bosman a influencé l’économie des clubs, leur incitation à former les talents eux-mêmes ainsi que les salaires des footballeurs.</p><p>J’ai envoyé des enquêtes à des clubs suédois avec des équipes d’homme de « Allsvenskan » jusqu’à la division 7. Le pourcentage des réponses est de 17 pour cent. Il s’est montré qu’il y avait des réponses de dix clubs venant de division deux, dix clubs venant de division trois, un club venant de »Superettan », deux clubs venant de division quatre, un club venant de division six et un club venant de division sept.</p><p>L’étude est basée sur la théorie économique de football. Elle s’est concentrée sur la nature du sport d’équipe professionnel, la rente économique et les recettes transfert. Des études antérieures sur le football européen ont été utilisées pour démontrer ce qui s’est passé et elles forment une base pour mes études.</p><p>Le résultat de cette étude n’a pas démontré que c’est l’arrêt Bosman qui a causé la hausse des sommes en circulation en ce qui concerne la vente et les négociations de salaires. La Suède a suivi le développement en Europe. Quand il s’agit du développement des jeunes, il ne semble pas important quelles sont les règles introduites. La base du club est plus importante que les peu nombreux talents exceptionnels qu’on peut considérer plutôt comme la touche finale.</p>

Denna uppsats handlar om Bosmandomen som trädde i kraft 1995 efter beslut av Europadomstolen. Men den trädde inte i kraft i Sverige först årsskiftet 2004-2005. Bosmandomen uppkom efter spelaren Jean-Marc Bosman. Han ville byta från en belgisk (RC Liège) US Dunkerque) till en fransk klubb, men ansåg att han blev förhindrad på grund av ett för högt pris. Den nya regeln säger att ingen fotbollsklubb vare sig, kan kräva eller erhålla betalningar när någon av dess spelare vars kontrakt löpt ut. Syftet med uppsatsen är att försöka få svar på frågan hur Bosmandomen har påverkat fotbollsklubbarnas ekonomi, incitament att ta fram egna talanger samt spelarnas löner. Jag skickade ut enkäter till svenska klubbar som har herrlag i Allsvenskan till division 7. Svarsprocenten blev 17 procent varav 10 klubbar från division 2, 10 klubbar från division 3, en klubb från Superettan och två klubbar från division 4, en från division 6 och en från division 7. Uppsatsen bygger på fotbollsekonomisk teori med fokus på lagsportens natur, landränta och transfer intäkter. Tidigare studier har använts för att påvisa vad som tidigare gjorts och fungerar som hjälp till min studie. Resultatet av studien påvisade inte att man med säkerhet kan säga att det är just Bosmandomen som har gjort att mer pengar är i omlopp vid försäljning och löneförhandlingar. Sverige har följt med utvecklingen i Europa. När det gäller talangutveckling verkar det inte spela någon som helst roll vilka regler som införs då bredden är viktigare än de få udda jättetalangerna vilka kan ses som grädden på moset. / Cette étude a pour sujet l’arrêt Bosman, qui date de l’année 1995 par suite d’une décision de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. Il n’est entré en vigueur en Suède qu’au début de l’année 2005. L’arrêt Bosman a reçu son nom par le footballeur Jean-Marc Bosman. Il a déclaré que son club précédent (RC Liège) l’a empêché de signer un nouveau contrat avec le club français US Dunkerque. Il se croyait empêché par un prix trop élevé. Le nouveau règlement dit qu’aucun club ne peut ni demander ni recevoir des rétributions quand un joueur dont le contrat a expiré veut jouer dans un autre club. Le but de cette étude est d’essayer de trouver une réponse comment l’arrêt Bosman a influencé l’économie des clubs, leur incitation à former les talents eux-mêmes ainsi que les salaires des footballeurs. J’ai envoyé des enquêtes à des clubs suédois avec des équipes d’homme de « Allsvenskan » jusqu’à la division 7. Le pourcentage des réponses est de 17 pour cent. Il s’est montré qu’il y avait des réponses de dix clubs venant de division deux, dix clubs venant de division trois, un club venant de »Superettan », deux clubs venant de division quatre, un club venant de division six et un club venant de division sept. L’étude est basée sur la théorie économique de football. Elle s’est concentrée sur la nature du sport d’équipe professionnel, la rente économique et les recettes transfert. Des études antérieures sur le football européen ont été utilisées pour démontrer ce qui s’est passé et elles forment une base pour mes études. Le résultat de cette étude n’a pas démontré que c’est l’arrêt Bosman qui a causé la hausse des sommes en circulation en ce qui concerne la vente et les négociations de salaires. La Suède a suivi le développement en Europe. Quand il s’agit du développement des jeunes, il ne semble pas important quelles sont les règles introduites. La base du club est plus importante que les peu nombreux talents exceptionnels qu’on peut considérer plutôt comme la touche finale.

M.A. / This mini-dissertation deals with Herman Charles Bosman's depiction of racial prejudice among the different racial groups in South Africa in the period of the 1930s and 40s. The overarching issue of the narrator's racism forms the focus of discussion. Oom Schalk Lourens's storytelling techniques are a matter of cardinal importance that colours the entire interpretation of Mafeking Road. The introductory section of this study provides some biographical details about the author himself. This is followed by an exploration of Bosman's treatment of race and racial issues in three stories. Bosman's exploration of race relations involving blacks, Indians, whites as well as other minority groups is a reflection of his genuine concern for South Africa's future society as a whole. In the course of this study a brief analysis is also made of the author's portrayal of female characters. In the conclusion Bosman's overall achievement in terms of the major theme, race relations, is assessed. It is argued that the overt racism of Bosman's narrator Oom Schalk Lourens cannot be ascribed to the author himself; that it is the case, rather, that the author manipulates his narrator to achieve an ironic effect. In the final analysis, Bosman is critical of the racist attitudes his characters display, but his method is to satirise and debunk these attitudes gently and obliquely.

Herman Charles Bosman's Oom Schalk stories have made him one of the most popular writers in South Africa, and the rural Marico District in which the stories are set a popular tourist destination. This popularity is largely due to the storytelling figure of Oom Schalk, the likeable old boer raconteur, who tells the stories and ironically pokes fun at his Marico community. This image of Oom Schalk and the Oom Schalk stories is one which was created and nurtured by Lionel Abrahams who was almost single-handedly responsible for the collection and republication of many of these stories after Bosman's death. The image of Schalk, and therefore the intention of Bosman in creating this fictional narrator, as a benign figure has been contested by some literary critics and defended by others. The debate has revolved around the extent to which Bosman's use of irony in the stories addresses the explicitly racist attitudes of Schalk and the Marico community. Unfortunately the debates around irony have been hampered by a lack of attention to the nature and functioning of irony. In my introduction I look at the problems that many critics have in trying to define the diverse body of writing that Bosman produced and the way in which this has defined a particular critical approach to Bosman. In Chapter 1 I discuss how the history of publication of Bosman's Oom Schalk stories and literary criticism has defined an approach to these stories which is often inappropriate. I also discuss some of the literary critical implications of the recent recollection and republication of Bosman's work in The Anniversary Edition. In Chapter 2 I address the issue of irony in the Oom Schalk stories. I deal with the way in which irony is constructed in the Oom Schalk stories. This discussion includes an analysis of the narrative structure of the short stories and the way in which the figure of Oom Schalk is used to create different levels of irony. In Chapter 3 I examine some of the Oom Schalk stories in detail in order to demonstrate the way in which Bosman's deployment of irony produces an identifiable pattern which establishes a basis for a discussion of Bosman's ironic intent in writing these stories. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2003.