published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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In spite of the growing interest of Russian and Western scholars in Sergei Dovlatov and his art, his place in Russian literature has not yet been clearly defined. His position as a writer in Russia in the 1960s and early 70s was ambiguous due to his opposition to the traditional Soviet canon and rejection by the current literary establishment. However, he later gained recognition and popularity as an emigre writer in the United States. The concept of 'marginality' colours his biography and art, for his life itself was a succession of marginal experiences and marginality is the key topic of his writings. / Marginality unifies Dovlatov's art. This is evident in his marginal status as a writer in and outside the Soviet Union, and in his writing which uses the underappreciated short form of narration (the novella and short story), develops a non-traditional conversational style, pursues the themes of non-conventional behaviour and introduces eccentric characters. / However, it is not possible to discuss Dovlatov's status as a marginal writer without contextualizing his life and art in the ambience of the entire generation of Leningrad writers of the sixties. Writers and poets such as Brodskii, Goliavkin, Gubin, Vakhtin and Ufliand do not only represent the culture of Leningrad's artistic non-conformists, they are also Dovlatov's prototypes and protagonists. Apart from their marginal status, all these writers shared the determination to make independent choices in life and in art. They refused to be viewed as marginal authors by the dominant canon, which disregarded their works as insignificant. Here as well marginality emerges as a literary concept and a behavioural model, shaped by societal norms (the positive type of citizen or official Soviet writer) and traditional canons (the Russian didactic tradition or Soviet ideological writing). This literary concept includes an orientation towards American literature, the creation of marginal characters and themes as well as an exploration of different styles. / The works of writers of the Leningrad circle laid the foundation for the emergence of a literary phenomenon such as Dovlatov. It is in delineating this context that this dissertation demonstrates Dovlatov's original approach to marginality, as well as the way he turned his life experience into literature and became a spokesman for neglected fellow writers and citizens.

Elsa Joubert has been a prominent author of Afrikaans novels since the 1950's and has received several important literary prizes. This dissertation is a study of issues of identity and the experience of the female characters in the following five novels by Joubert: Ons wag op die Kaptein, Die Wahlerbrug, Bonga, Die swerfiare van Poppie Nongena and Die reise van lsobelle. It is clear from the analyses of the novels that geographical. ideological and political matters greatly influence the identity of the characters. Interpersonal relations within the family and with a loved one, also play a crucial role in the development of a personal identity. Theoretical concepts from feminism and female writing, postmodernism, New Journalism and travel literature as genre are used as points of departure for the discussion of the novels. A brief overview of Joubert's oeuvre is provided. The main focus of the study is the way in which the main characters in the selected novels (Leonora, Agnes, Isobelle, Leo, Lottie, lnacia Maria, Ana-Paula and Poppie) experience a sense of identity. It becomes clear that there is a close relation between identity and space and therefore it is necessary to analyse cultural contexts, spatial relations (the country and the continent as place) and the love of travel in the novels. The lives of all these female characters are influenced deeply by experiences of love and falling in love often brings about a radical change in their sense of identity. Most of the female characters in the selected novels many men from other cultures. Often they experience an identity crisis as a consequence of being confronted with a strange culture. They might long for the comfort of what is well-known and loved, but they also want to accept and conform to the new circumstances as is expected from them by a beloved. The emotional pain resulting from being tom between their cultural inclination and love, affect their self-esteem and sense of identity. Initially the love relationship is a way to develop a new self-contained identity and is part of a personal rebellion and a quest for freedom. Often however, they have to conform to the norms of society and of the cultural context. It is remarkable that many of these characters never experience true love and they are torn between their own cultures and the 'love' for a man who expects them to conform to a new way of living and a new identity. Therefore many of these characters experience themselves as outsiders. The women in Elsa Joubert's novels do not have easy lives. They have to struggle against odds, they have to make difficult choices, they have little power and fulfillment often evades them. Joubert, however, does not present a pessimistic view of either the prospects of women in general or of life in Africa. Die reise van lsobelle ends in a positive way as the character Leo takes control of her life and makes her own decisions. She is not a victim, but a liberated woman, a victor. She is the personification of the new, emancipated woman who will survive and find a place in Africa. / Thesis (MA (Afrikaans en Nederlands))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

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