The master thesis Identity and location in the novel about South Africa explores the relation between identity of a person, group, culture or nation and location. The objective of this study is to determine how this mutual relation is reflected in the literature. To formulate the main research question: In how far the location where a man is located can determine his identity in the novel about South-Africa? How the relation between identity and location is reflected in Etienne van Heerden's novel Kikoejoe? The theoretical part of the thesis describes the status quaestionis about the topics of identity and location. It determines the meanings that are attributed to those two concepts in the postcolonial discourse. This master thesis makes use of cultural analysis, imagology and deconstruction. The practical part of the thesis applies those theories on the novel Kikoejoe (1996) by the South African author Etienne van Heerden. The analysis explores the relation between plaas, the traditional South African farm, and the Afrikaner identity. Furthermore, this study uses the concept of hybrid identity introduced by the postcolonial theorist Homi K. Bhabha.

The farm in South Africa is an ideologically laden but also ambivalent concept, associated with pastoral ideals and the hierarchy of the colonial past; but also with fear and insecurity. The representation of the farm in the South African farm novel has been subjected to larger processes of development, dissolution and replacement in accordance with changing socio-historical contexts. Accordingly, the farm novel's contribution to the conceptualization of space, place and identity within the South African and postcolonial literary context, needs to be traced and related to the pastoral tradition as well as its mutations and deviations. This dissertation investigates how Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm (1883) and J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace (1999) as anti-pastoral farm novels, in different ways and degrees, rewrite and transcend the pastoral farm novel tradition by rejecting and subverting the inherent ideological assumptions and pastoral values exemplified by this genre. Specific focus is given to the role of space and place in the identity formation of the female protagonists and the conceptualization thereof in a postcolonial society. / Thesis (M.A. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005

The farm in South Africa is an ideologically laden but also ambivalent concept, associated with pastoral ideals and the hierarchy of the colonial past; but also with fear and insecurity. The representation of the farm in the South African farm novel has been subjected to larger processes of development, dissolution and replacement in accordance with changing socio-historical contexts. Accordingly, the farm novel's contribution to the conceptualization of space, place and identity within the South African and postcolonial literary context, needs to be traced and related to the pastoral tradition as well as its mutations and deviations. This dissertation investigates how Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm (1883) and J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace (1999) as anti-pastoral farm novels, in different ways and degrees, rewrite and transcend the pastoral farm novel tradition by rejecting and subverting the inherent ideological assumptions and pastoral values exemplified by this genre. Specific focus is given to the role of space and place in the identity formation of the female protagonists and the conceptualization thereof in a postcolonial society. / Thesis (M.A. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005

This dissertation examines the way in which South African colonial texts may be read for the historical signs they inadvertently reveal. The history of land acquisition in South Africa may be read through the representation of burial and illegitimate pregnancy in South African farm novels. Both burial and illegitimate pregnancy are read as signifiers of illegitimacy in the texts, surfacing, by indirection, the question of the illegitimacy of land acquisition in South Africa. The South African farm novel offers a representational form which seeks (or fails) to mediate the question of land ownership and the relationship between colon and indigene. In the four texts under discussion, Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm, Florence Ethel Mills Young's The Bywonner[sic], Pauline Smith's The Beadle and Daphne Rooke's Mittee, the representation of burial and illegitimate pregnancy is problematic and marked by narrative displacements and discursive breakdowns. KEY TERMS burial, colonial discourse, farm novel, illegitimacy, illegitimate pregnancy, land, postcolonial theory, representation / English / M.A. (English)

Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The writing and publishing of the novel, Dieper water (Deeper water), was the primary aim of this study. This novel was published by Human & Rousseau in October 2007. The plot of the novel is divided into three eras, the Anglo Boer War and thereafter, the Second World War and thereafter and the late nineties of the twentieth century. As a complementary aim, the study examines the realisation and analysis of image of reality or Zeitgeist, in the novel Dieper water. A consideration of the general theoretical and theoretical writing principles follows. These theoretical writing principles are specified in order for the writing process of the novel Dieper water to be examined according to these principles. Thereafter attention is paid to the method applied for the writing of the novel, Dieper water. The writing process is explained according to different writing phases, focussing on the role of the narrative elements to realise or embody the abstract concept of Zeitgeist. Zeitgeist can be explained as the general spirit of a specific period. The description of the writing process is followed by an intensive and heuristic view of the creation of Zeitgeist in the novel Dieper water. The focus is placed once more on the essential role that the narrative element, as well as the search for identity play in the creation of image of reality at a specific time, also known as Zeitgeist or time spirit. The core of this study is the writing of an extensive novel incorporating three eras. Complementary to this is the summarised study of the realisation of different forms of Zeitgeist. Conclusions and recommendations regarding the writing process and the creation of Zeitgeist in the novel, Dieper water, are proposed. This study is an attempt to closely examine the creation of image of reality in a novel, and indicate writing techniques that can possibly make a contribution to the practical process of creative writing. The conclusion of this study is that Zeitgeist, or the spirit of the times, as well as identity can be realised in a novel, by applying the narrative elements. The published novel, Dieper water, and a list of publications of the writer, are included as appendixes. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The writing and publishing of the novel, Dieper water (Deeper water), was the primary aim of this study. This novel was published by Human & Rousseau in October 2007. The plot of the novel is divided into three eras, the Anglo Boer War and thereafter, the Second World War and thereafter and the late nineties of the twentieth century. As a complementary aim, the study examines the realisation and analysis of image of reality or Zeitgeist, in the novel Dieper water. A consideration of the general theoretical and theoretical writing principles follows. These theoretical writing principles are specified in order for the writing process of the novel Dieper water to be examined according to these principles. Thereafter attention is paid to the method applied for the writing of the novel, Dieper water. The writing process is explained according to different writing phases, focussing on the role of the narrative elements to realise or embody the abstract concept of Zeitgeist. Zeitgeist can be explained as the general spirit of a specific period. The description of the writing process is followed by an intensive and heuristic view of the creation of Zeitgeist in the novel Dieper water. The focus is placed once more on the essential role that the narrative element, as well as the search for identity play in the creation of image of reality at a specific time, also known as Zeitgeist or time spirit. The core of this study is the writing of an extensive novel incorporating three eras. Complementary to this is the summarised study of the realisation of different forms of Zeitgeist. Conclusions and recommendations regarding the writing process and the creation of Zeitgeist in the novel, Dieper water, are proposed. This study is an attempt to closely examine the creation of image of reality in a novel, and indicate writing techniques that can possibly make a contribution to the practical process of creative writing. The conclusion of this study is that Zeitgeist, or the spirit of the times, as well as identity can be realised in a novel, by applying the narrative elements. The published novel, Dieper water, and a list of publications of the writer, are included as appendixes. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

This dissertation examines the way in which South African colonial texts may be read for the historical signs they inadvertently reveal. The history of land acquisition in South Africa may be read through the representation of burial and illegitimate pregnancy in South African farm novels. Both burial and illegitimate pregnancy are read as signifiers of illegitimacy in the texts, surfacing, by indirection, the question of the illegitimacy of land acquisition in South Africa. The South African farm novel offers a representational form which seeks (or fails) to mediate the question of land ownership and the relationship between colon and indigene. In the four texts under discussion, Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm, Florence Ethel Mills Young's The Bywonner[sic], Pauline Smith's The Beadle and Daphne Rooke's Mittee, the representation of burial and illegitimate pregnancy is problematic and marked by narrative displacements and discursive breakdowns. KEY TERMS burial, colonial discourse, farm novel, illegitimacy, illegitimate pregnancy, land, postcolonial theory, representation / English / M.A. (English)

AFRIKAANS : Die doel van die navorsing was om vas te stel watter metodes Marlene van Niekerk in haar roman Agaat gebruik om die karakters en hulle omstandighede deur middel van verwysings na musiek te teken. Die verhandeling begin met ’n oorsig oor die interdissiplinêre studiegebied van verwysing na musiek in die letterkunde. Op hierdie terrein het onder andere Fuller, Losseff, Scher en Weliver belangrike rolle gespeel. Die wyse waarop uitsprake van onder andere Bakhtin, Barthes, Blanchot, Eco, Kristeva en Van Wyk Louw op die gebied van verwysing, en dus op Van Niekerk se Agaat, van toepassing gemaak kan word, is ondersoek. Deur ’n onderhoud met Van Niekerk is daar meer oor haar houding oor musiek en verwysings daarna in Agaat uitgevind. Sy voel sterk dat die gebeure en musiekverwysings in Agaat nie op haar as persoon van toepassing gemaak moet word nie. Tog is daar baie van die musiek waarna verwys word wat vir haar ook baie betekenisvol is. Sy luister baie na musiek en gebruik dit as ’n stimuleringsmiddel, maar ook om haar in toom te hou sodat sy nie te “maklik” skryf nie. Van Niekerk beskik oor ’n goeie kennis van musiek en van die repertorium en kan dus ’n wye verskeidenheid verwysings maak na musiekterminologie, musiekinstrumente, musiekmaak, Suid-Afrikaanse kultuur waarin musiek ’n deurslaggewende rol speel, FAK- en Afrikaanse volksliedere, psalms, gesange en hallelujaliedere, ander ligte liedere, en komposisies uit die repertorium van klassieke musiek. Daar word in Agaat ook verskuilde, vertaalde aanhalings van versreëls uit getoonsette gedigte uit die Duitse kunsliedrepertorium ingesluit. In laasgenoemde geval (gedigte getoonset deur Brahms, Mahler, Schubert en Schumann) word die woordteks op ’n komplekse manier geïntegreer. Van Niekerk sluit die woordteks van godsdienstige en volksliedere byna uitsluitlik in om ironiese kommentaar op gebeure te lewer. Dit is selde dat hierdie tekste in hulle gebruiklike omgewing aangewend word. Die intertekstuele integrasie van musiekverwysings in Agaat kan as ’n baie groot prestasie beskou word. ENGLISH : The aim of the research was to establish the methods used by Marlene van Niekerk in her novel Agaat (the Afrikaans version) to paint the characters and their circumstances by means of references to music. The dissertation starts with an overview of the interdisciplinary field of music references in literature. In this area Fuller, Losseff, Scher and Weliver (amongst others) have played a major role. The ways in which pronouncements by (amongst others) Bakhtin, Barthes, Blanchot, Eco, Kristeva and Van Wyk Louw can be applied to the field of references, and therefore to Van Niekerk’s Agaat, were investigated. In an interview with Van Niekerk, her views on music and references to music were clarified. She feels strongly that the events and references to music in Agaat should not be equated to her own life. Nevertheless, much of the music referred to is also significant to Van Niekerk. She listens to music much, using it as a stimulus, but also to keep her in check so that she does not fall into “easy” writing. Van Niekerk possesses a sound knowledge of music and of the repertoire. She can therefore make a variety of references to music terminology, music instruments, music making, South African culture in which music plays a decisive role, Afrikaans folk songs and songs from the FAK song album, psalms and hymns, popular songs, and compositions from the repertoire of classical music. Concealed, translated quotations of lines from German poems set to music as art songs are also included in Agaat. In these cases (poems set to music by Brahms, Mahler, Schubert and Schumann) the word text is incorporated in a complex manner. Van Niekerk includes the word texts of religious and folk songs nearly exclusively in order to comment on events in an ironic way. These texts are seldom presented in their proper circumstances. The intertextual integration of music references in Agaat can be regarded as a great achievement. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Afrikaans / unrestricted

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / The aim of this dissertation is to analyse those poems in which the image of the knife, el cuchillo, appears in the collection El rayo que no cesa, by Miguel Hernandez. The poet manifests his all-encompassing tragic view of life by means of this recurring negative symbol. The poetry of Miguel Hernandez is autobiographical: The universal themes of nature, love and death reveal a close link between the course of his life and the evolution of his poetry. El rayo que no cesa is central to the evolution of Hernandez's poetry: it is the product of the crisis of conscience that propelled the poet toward a radical change of world-view. The book reveals his frustration with love within the rigid norms of the society of his time. The poet expresses his bitterness by means of destructive images such as knife, sword, and ray/flash, images that project the tragic fate that threatened his entire existence. / Met eietydse denkrigtings oor die literere historiografie as uitgangspunt, word 'n deelgeskiedenis aangebied van die plaasroman as deurlopende en prominente genre in die Afrikaanse letterkunde oor 'n tydperk van nagenoeg sewentig jaar (1926 -1993). Ter inleiding word besin oor die geldigheid van kategorisering van romans en oor die aard van die plaasroman as eiesoortige genre. Orie opeenvolgende periodes word onderskei binne hierdie deelgeskiedenis op grond van bepaalde perspektiefverskuiwings wat in die Afrikaanse literere klimaat opvat. Hierdie periodes word deur die volgende noemers getipeer: Die Afrikaanse gedagte (1920-1940), Die internasionale gedagte (1956-1976) en Die Afrika gedagte (1976-1993). Twaalf plaasromans van literer-historiese betekenis word sinchronies, diachronies en binne ekstratekstuele konteks bespreek. Ten slotte word 'n oorsig gebied van die historiese gang sowel as die veranderende betekenis van die plaasroman in die Afrikaanse letterkunde. / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / M.A. (Afrikaans)