According to Chiwome, ' ... a writer's social vislon is a soclo-spiritual and historical product. A response to a complex process of Indoctrination' (1996: 16).The response can be a reaction depending on whose interests the issue is considered. The Ndebele novelist finds himself caught in the crossfire between two great traditions. He tries to be true to his background while still having to do justice to his newly acquired skill of graphically presenting his thoughts, feelings, and experiences He is a Victim of socio-political systems bent on giving education which moulds the mind to built-in- choices. Both poilitical eras use the printed word to further their ideologies . The Ndebele novelist finds himself having to remould his artistic genius if he is to fit in. In the process the goals of novelistic practice are missed. The novel will not communicate effectively since it has to answer to particular external forces. These forces derive,' ... from the urge of power to protect itself, to perpetuate itself, to prevail' (Chiwome 1996 :22). On the threshold of the two eras, the novel becomes a political statement. It Is this political aspect of the novel which continues to create what Chiwome (1996) has called creative timidity and mediocrity. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

The novel-criticism of Henry James has been allowed to overshadow the achievement of his English contemporaries, whose essays, letters, and periodical-articles show a highly articulate concern with many of the most fundamental problems of novel-writing. This study examines the whole body of critical opinion over the years 1860-1900, both in its detailed expression and in its general movements. The status of the novel as a genre is hotly debated during the first fifteen years or so from a predominantly moral view-point, and critics show themselves urgently concerned with its vast dominance over the literary scene and its influence on the behaviour of society. The old Evangelical suspicions remain, and those who defend fiction are usually obliged to do so in a utilitarian way, emphasing its provision of noble exerapla and strengthening maxims, and its effect on the imagination and the sympathies, which are the key to a virtuous life. After 1880, the moral respectability of novel-reading is fairly assured, in spite of continuing traces of doubt, and argument over the novel's general position is now concentrated on its claims to offer more than mere relaxation, many holding, to the end of the century, that this is the form's main function, but a growing number (especially among the novelists themselves) stressing, on the contrary, its "seriousness", its philosophic scope, and the imaginative heights to which it can attain. At the same time, the aesthetic status of the novel is slowly changing by the attempts of critics to define it vis-à-vis the other arts, to describe its history and its categories, and to enunciate its own laws, despite the opposition of many who continued to believe in spontaneity and informality. The new devotion by some to craftsmanship and the artistic conscience is the final factor in a status for the novel that remains, even in 1900, controversial and insecure. The central question of the novel's realism or non-realism is resolved for many critics in terms of a simple correspondence with life, a mirroring of normal experience without exaggeration or convention, and, above all, a portrayal of characters which affect the reader as if alive. This is widely challenged, however, sometimes only unconsciously, by the modifications necessary in order to give pleasure, the exclusion of dull or sordid subject-matter, the selection of "agreeable" characters, and an artistic treatment that is generally optimistic and consoling. More consciously, Idealism reveals itself in accounts of the novelist's temperament and imagination as a valid distorting medium, his subjectivity, "vision", or sympathy; and, again, in thoroughly non-Realist descriptions of a transcendental realm of Beauty, or Truth, or Essence, which the novel should represent, sometimes by use of the Type or the Symbol. The structural nature of the form is also used to distinguish it from life, especially with reference to the non-mimetic quality of artistic illusion, vraisemblance and compression. All of these traits, Realist and Idealist, are crystallized in the great disputes of the 'eighties and 'nineties caused by the advent of French Naturalism and the supposedly Realist school of Henry James and W. D. Howells; and proponents of Idealism, an unexpectedly numerous band, express their ideas with enthusiasm in their reactions to the revival of the Romance-form in the last two decades. The novel's representation of reality is also modified in various ways by its embodying various value-judgments, and the necessity for moral didacticism dominates many accounts, especially in the earlier years. The nature of the moral code to be observed by novelists is generally of more interest to critics than the specific manner of its implementation in aesthetic terms, and the values prove to be either vaguely Transcendental - the enshrining of the Moral Ideal - or more Empirical, based on social convention and the Christian tradition. The operation of values and ideas in fiction is usually examined by critics from the standpoint of their effect on the "moral sense" or the emotions of readers, or their origins in the moral nature of the artist himself, and comments on how the novelist's judgments are embodied in his Characterisation or in his use of the convention of Poetic Justice take us only a little nearer to the heart of the problem. Didacticism is also widely attacked, on the grounds that it causes unnaturalness and that values should be in some way dramatised and made inherent, but again, few details are given of this proper method, most accounts, like Leslie Stephen's and Saintsbury's, returning to the moral quality of the writer's imagination. Even enemies of traditional morality, like Pater, Swinburne, Henley, Moore, and Havelock Ellis, confine themselves to demanding fewer moral restrictions for the novel, and none denies - or satisfactorily explains - its essential moral or philosophical relevance. Lastly, novel-critics prove to have much to say on questions of technique, centered on the antinomy between the Novel of Plot and the Novel of Character, the organic unity of a novel, and the various problems of narrative-method. After the early favour given to "Character", a reaction occurs against the excessive character-analysis of the French and American schools, and 'plot' becomes a desirable and much-sought quality. The novelty of Henry James' methods is unappreciated, and the conservatism of novel-theory in this respect is most marked. Constructive unity, on the other hand, is a concept that receives much valuable elaboration, and, under various interpretations, is a reviewers' fetish at all times. The question of Point of View is also well-known to the period, the advantages and disadvantages of Omniscience and Autobiography being fully gone into, and, in one remarkable essay by Vernon Lee, is the subject of a full and intelligent discussion. The ageis criticism of fiction, then, despite its limitations, gives an impression of some width and insight, and, with its many unexpected characteristics, must be regarded as an important sector of Victorian literary theory.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines gender and culture in L.L. Ngewu's novel, Koda kube nini na? The aim is to examine the influence of culture on how women and men as characters are portrayed. The study is motivated by the fact that despite the new democratic dispensation in South Africa since 1994, there is still a lot of gender discrimination in the Xhosa society. This is the result of the old traditional practices that severely discriminated against women on the bases that they are women. Chapter 2 of the study presents theoretical aspects of gender and culture. Chapter 3 analyses character and space in Ngewu's novel, Koda kube nini na? It is found that the characters of the novel are well-rounded. They are complex and dynamic. Space in the novels is concrete, but it also assumes symbolic significance in the way it represents a bigger picture: South African that is still in the legacy of apartheid. Chapter 4 deals with gender, and the concentration is on male and female characters. It is observed from the analyses that men dominate women. Women are subordinates of men by virtue of being women. In Chapter 5 we examine culture and find that culture can be used as an instrument in the patriarchal Xhosa society to oppress women. Our conclusion is that Ngewu's novel, Koda kube nini na? does not present democratised images of men and women. The images still depict in traditional Xhosa culture. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek gender en kultuurvraagstukke in L.L. Ngewu se novelle Koda kube nini na? Die doelstelling is om die invloed te ondersoek van hoe mans en vroue as karakters voorgestel word. Die studie is veral gemotiveer deur die feit dat afgesien van die nuwe demokratiese bestel in Suid-Afrika sedert 1994, bestaan daar steeds aansienlike genderdiskriminasie in die Xhosa gemeenskap. Dit is die resultaat van ou tradisionele praktyke wat teen vroue diskrimineer op grond van hulle geslag. Hoofstuk 2 van die studie gee 'n oorsig van relevante teoretiese perspektiewe oor gender en kultuur. Hoofstuk 3 ontleed die aspekte van karakter en ruimte in Ngevu se novelle Koda kube nini na? Daar word bevind dat die karakters van die novelle afgerond is. Hulle is kompleks en dinamies. Die ruimte in die novelle is konkreet, maar dit neem ook simboliese betekenis aan daarin dat dit 'n groter beeld bied. Suid-Afrika bevind hom steeds in die nagevolge van apartheid. Hoofstuk vier ondersoek gender, en daar word aandag gegee aan manlike sowel as vroulike karakters. Daar word aangetoon uit die analises dat mans tot 'n groot mate vir vroue domineer. Vroue is ondergeskik aan mans op grond van hulle geslag. In hoofstuk 5 word aandag gegee aan kultuur. Daar word bevind dat kultuur as 'n instrument gebruik kan word in 'n patriargale Xhosa gemeenskap om vroue te onderdruk. Die bevinding is dat Ngevu se novelle Koda kube nini na? nie 'n gedemokratiseerde uitbeelding van mans en vroue gee nie. Die uitbeelding reflekteer steeds tradisionele Xhosa kultuur.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines space and characterization in Sesotho novels focussing on three main categories such as the space of travelling characters; the space of migrating characters; and the space as an abstraction. CHAPTER 1 introduces the aims of study as well as the theoretical framework which forms the basis on which the study is analysed. The notions of space and character are discussed within the theoretical framework of structuralism, and the focus is placed on narratology. CHAPTER 2 studies the travelling characters, focus is on Mofolo's novels, Moeti wa botjhabe/a and Pitseng which depict two types of space where one space is presented as traditional, and the other as a westernized space. The traditional and westernized spaces are symbolized by means of bad and good characters respectively. The good characters are depicted as angels, and the bad characters as monsters. CHAPTER 3 examines the space of migrating characters that leave their rural spaces for the urban spaces. Their characters are shown by means of changes that they experience at different spaces. In most of the novels examined, characters are motivated by certain desires to act in a particular way, and the change in them is the result of a crucial situation in life, hence we say characterization and space in those novels are reconciled in an appropriate way. CHAPTER 4 deals with the space as an abstraction which shows how the characters' personalities are affected by the political, psychological and socio-economic factors. Characterization in these novels is good except in Makappa's novel, Thatohatsi. In CHAPTER 5 we look as to whether the novels are good or bad in terms of literary appreciation and conclusion is drawn to the effect that it is not heredity that makes up a character, but the social environment. This is achieved through the literary aspects such as the way conflict is handled, types of characters and the portrayal of the space in which the characters live. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing wat hierdie proefskrif gedoen is het die soeklig op ruimte en karakterisering in Sesotho novelles laat val. Klem is op drie hoof-kateqorie gele. uimte wat deur rondreisende karakters ingeneem word, die ruimte wat deur nomadiese of rondtrekkende karakters beslaan word, en ruimte as n bepaalde begrip. Hoofstuk 1 stel die leser voor aan die doelwitte van die navorsing, sowel as die teoretiese raamwerk wat die grondslag waarop die studie berus, vorm. Die begrippe 'ruimte' en 'karakter' word binne die teoretiese raamwerk van die strukturalisme bespreek en die fokus word in hierdie geval op die vertelkunde geplaas. Hoofstuk 2 Ie klem op rondreisende karakters en ondersoek Mofolo se novelles Moeti wa botjhabela en Pits eng waarin twee soorte ruimtes uitgebeeld word; naamlik, tradisionele ruimte en verwesterse ruimte. Tradisionele en verwesterse ruimtes word onderskeilik deur slegte en goeie karakters versinnebeeld. Die goeie karakters word as engele uitgebeeld, terwyl die slegte karakters as monsters voorgestel word. In Hoofstuk 3 word die ruimte van die nomadiese karakters wat hulle plattelandse ruimte vir 'n stedelike ruimte verruil, ondersoek. Hierdie karakters word deur middel van veranderinge wat in verskillende ruimtes plaasvind, voorgestel. In die meeste novelles wat ondersoek is, het die karakters op n sekere manier opgetree omdat hulle deur bepaalde begeertes daartoe gedryf is. Die verandering in die lewens van hierdie karakters as gevolg hiervan, kan dan beskou word as die direkte gevolg van sekere deurslaggewende gebeurtenisse. Karakteriseering en ruimte word dus in hierdie novelles op n geskikte wyse met mekaar verbind. Hoofstuk 4 neem die begrip 'ruimte' onder die loep om sodoende aan te dui hoe die karakters se persoonlikhede deur politieke, sielkundige en sosio-ekonomiese faktore beinvloed word. Karakterisering in hierdie novelles is geslaagd, behalwe in Makappa se novelle Thatohatsi. In Hoofstuk 5, word aandag geskenk aan die beoordeling van die novelles in terme van die hulle literere waarde en daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat dit nie oorerflike eienskappe is wat gestalte aan 'n bepaalde karakter gee nie, maar veel eercer sy omgewing. Oit word veral duidelik as gelet word op bepaalde literere aspekete soos die manier waarop konflik uitgebeeld word, asook die beskrywing van die ruimte waarin die karakters hulle bevind.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Comparative Literature / Master / Master of Philosophy

The idea of the North, codified since the Old Testament as an empty space, also appears with this distinctive feature in the context of the northern border of New Spain. This notion of an empty space to the North presents a negative/positive signification that is homologous to the pair North/South. The process studied here involves the inversion that occurs on the northern border of New Spain. The study begins with the negative codification of the North expressed in the voyages of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, and follows its transmutation into its opposite in the optimistic hyperbole of Eusebio Francisco Kino. The processes of inversion in the systems of the fictionalization of the border territory to the north of New Spain are analyzed between these two extremes. The analysis begins with the naming of the first islands discovered by Columbus, where the analogical transportation of an East-West hierarchal system appears. Later in New Spain Hernan Cortes' foundation of Segura de la Frontera delimits a border zone to the south that carries the negative connotation of his failed journey to Honduras. There follows a process of inversion toward the North that is made concrete in the significant "California", the name given to an island of fabulous riches in Las Sergas de Esplandian. When the cortesian expression is later inverted in Cabeza de Vaca's Naufragios, the expression precipitates into a wholly fictitious character. This course continues later in Fr. Marcos de Niza with his journey to Cibola. Then in Gaspar de Villagra there is a movement from the profane to the sacred. Ultimately in Kino we find a utilitarian concept that annuls the previous mythical codes, thus determining a restructuring of the word. Within the tempo-spacial framework established in this dissertation, the process that appears in the texts is shown systematically, fulfilling the objective of this work, i.e., the study of the formation of the system of expression of the northern border from the sixteenth century to the beginning of the eighteenth.

Li Fung Kwan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-98). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- On slash and De Certeau --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- The Pleasure of Escape --- p.30 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- The Fan Community --- p.58 / Chapter Chapter Five: --- Conclusion --- p.86 / Reference --- p.92

李婉薇. / "2003年6月". / 論文(哲學碩士)--香港中文大學, 2003. / 參考文獻(leaves 241-268). / 附中英文摘要. / "2003 nian 6 yue". / Li Wanwei. / Lun wen (zhe xue shuo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2003. / Can kao wen xian (leaves 241-268). / Fu Zhong Ying wen zhai yao. / Chapter 第一章 --- 緒論 --- p.9 / Chapter 第一節 --- 硏究動機 --- p.9 / Chapter 第二節 --- 前人硏究槪述 --- p.11 / Chapter 第三節 --- 硏究目的和意義 --- p.17 / Chapter 第四節 --- 硏究圍範和方法 --- p.20 / Chapter 第二章 --- 釋名與定位 --- p.26 / Chapter 第一節 --- 引言 --- p.26 / Chapter 第二節 --- 槪念辨析：筆記小說和筆記 --- p.27 / Chapter 第三節 --- 文體辨析：筆記體 --- p.31 / Chapter 1. --- 「體」的槪念 / Chapter 2. --- 從「傳奇體」看「筆記體」 / Chapter 第四節 --- 當代筆記體小說定義述評 --- p.39 / Chapter 第五節 --- 當代筆記體小說的敘事方式 --- p.42 / Chapter 1. --- 敘述者的參與度 / Chapter 2. --- 敘述者的客觀度 / Chapter 3. --- 敘述時間 / Chapter 4. --- 場景及心理描寫 / Chapter 第六節 --- 當代筆記體小說的其他特點 --- p.51 / Chapter 1. --- 語言風格 / Chapter 2. --- 紀實精神 / Chapter 第七節 --- 結語 --- p.55 / Chapter 第三章 --- 出現和發展 --- p.57 / Chapter 第一節 --- 引言 --- p.57 / Chapter 第二節 --- 出現的原因 --- p.57 / Chapter 1. --- 老作家的開端和啓發 / Chapter 2. --- 尋根思潮的帶動 / Chapter 3. --- 小說體裁的分化 / Chapter 4. --- 短篇小說的文體自覺 / Chapter 5. --- 現實主義與民族形式 / Chapter 第三節 --- 發展的形態 --- p.80 / Chapter 1. --- 始終的標記 / Chapter 2. --- 非線性的啓示 / Chapter 第四節 --- 結語 --- p.92 / Chapter 第四章 --- 汪曾祺：重鑄筆記精神 --- p.93 / Chapter 第一節 --- 引言 --- p.93 / Chapter 第二節 --- 寫作筆記體小說的原因 --- p.94 / Chapter 1. --- 筆記文學 / Chapter 2. --- 明人小品 / Chapter 3. --- 京派師承 / Chapter 4. --- 創作道路的轉向 / Chapter 第三節 --- 題材思想 --- p.104 / Chapter 1. --- 營生的艱苦 / Chapter 2. --- 美好的消逝 / Chapter 3. --- 越軌的性愛 / Chapter 4. --- 文革的戲謔和反思 / Chapter 5. --- 生命的寂寞和溫暖 / Chapter 第四節 --- 敘事特點 --- p.114 / Chapter 1. --- 存真的樸實 / Chapter 2. --- 紀實的留白 / Chapter 3. --- 簡約和稚拙的語言 / Chapter 4. --- 風俗烘托的手法 / Chapter 5. --- 線性、圓形、網狀的結構 / Chapter 第五節 --- 結語 --- p.126 / Chapter 第五章 --- 孫犁：實錄文革見聞 --- p.128 / Chapter 第一節 --- 引言 --- p.128 / Chapter 第二節 --- 「芸齋小說」及其實錄精神 --- p.130 / Chapter 第三節 --- 寫作筆記體小說的原因 --- p.136 / Chapter 1. --- 信念崩潰和風格突變 / Chapter 2. --- 老年的趣味 / Chapter 3. --- 唐代古文 / Chapter 4. --- 信仰現實主義 / Chapter 第四節 --- 題材思想 --- p.146 / Chapter 1. --- 文革的記錄和反思 / Chapter 2. --- 追憶與悼亡 / Chapter 第五節 --- 敘事特點 --- p.150 / Chapter 1. --- 自我之一：平靜的孫芸夫 / Chapter 2. --- 自我之二：激動的「芸齋主人」 / Chapter 3. --- 簡約筆墨與限制視角 / Chapter 4. --- 清晰的時間標記 / Chapter 第六節 --- 結語 --- p.158 / Chapter 第六章 --- 阿城、李慶西：自覺的文體實驗 --- p.160 / Chapter 第一節 --- 引言 --- p.160 / Chapter 第二節 --- 與筆記體小說的關係 --- p.161 / Chapter 第三節 --- 與汪曾祺的關係 --- p.168 / Chapter 1. --- 關懷世俗 / Chapter 2. --- 抗拒濫情 / Chapter 3. --- 淡化故事 / Chapter 第四節 --- 題材思想 --- p.174 / Chapter 1. --- 尷尬的處境 / Chapter 2. --- 無事的悲哀 / Chapter 3. --- 文革的傷痕 / Chapter 4. --- 文革的主角和看客 / Chapter 第五節 --- 敘事特點 --- p.181 / Chapter 1. --- 諷剌手法 / Chapter 2. --- 簡約筆墨 / Chapter 3. --- 敘述者的冷酷和同情 / Chapter 4. --- 多種語言風格和情調 / Chapter 第六節 --- 結語 --- p.188 / Chapter 第七章 --- 其他作家及作品選析 --- p.189 / Chapter 第一節 --- 引言 --- p.189 / Chapter 第二節 --- 馮驥才：《俗世奇人》 --- p.189 / Chapter 1. --- 題材思想 / Chapter 2. --- 敘事特點 / Chapter 3. --- 發揚津味兒 / Chapter 第三節 --- 個別作品選析 --- p.200 / Chapter 1. --- 韓少功：〈史遺三錄〉 / Chapter 2. --- 賈平凹：〈王滿堂〉 / Chapter 3. --- 王阿成：〈人間俗話〉 / Chapter 4. --- 葉兆言：〈五異人傳〉 / Chapter 第四節 --- 「新世說」專欄 --- p.211 / Chapter 1. --- 背景和目的 / Chapter 2. --- 思想價値 / Chapter 3. --- 文體意識 / Chapter 第五節 --- 結語 --- p.217 / Chapter 第八章 --- 總結 --- p.219 / Chapter 第一節 --- 當代筆記體小說的啓示 --- p.220 / Chapter 1. --- 過去：對古典小說的繼承 / Chapter 2. --- 現在：與當代文學的關係 / Chapter 3. --- 將來：對中國小說的期待 / Chapter 第二節 --- 三地作家的貢獻 --- p.228 / Chapter 1. --- 汪曾祺及其他內地作家 / Chapter 2. --- 張大春、董啓章 / Chapter 第三節 --- 硏究方法反思 --- p.237 / 參考書目 --- p.241 / Chapter 一、 --- 當代筆記體小說 --- p.241 / Chapter 二、 --- 作品及評論 --- p.242 / Chapter 三、 --- 當代文學 --- p.254 / Chapter 四、 --- 古典筆記、筆記小說及其他 --- p.262 / Chapter 五、 --- 文學理論 --- p.265 / 附錄 --- p.269 / Chapter 一、 --- 當代筆記體小說主要篇目 --- p.269 / Chapter 二、 --- 當代筆記體小說敘事分析及統計 --- p.281 / Chapter 三、 --- 兩部《新筆記小說選》比較 --- p.314 / Chapter 四、 --- 汪曾祺《〈聊齋〉新義》剖 析 --- p.319 / Chapter 五、 --- 汪曾祺小說之內在指涉 --- p.341 / 後記 --- p.345

"May 2003." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-226). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) -- University of the North, 1997 / Refer to the document