Currently, in the period of Poststructualism literature is widely approached as a cultural and social phenomenon and the aims of literary studies as the illuminating of social codes, ideology etc. embedded in literature. This study evaluates the contribution of specific critics working within the so-called "New paradigm". The concept "New paradigm" is used as an umbrella term covering a number of distinct developments, referring to literature as a system of literary "actions" rather than as a canon of books. In recent years several Afrikaans critics have embraced or adapted current theories in the domains of Deconstruction, Ideology Criticism, Literary, Sociology, Recepticm Aesthetics, Semiotics and Feminism. This study explores and evaluates the application of such theoretical paradigms to their work in the field of practical criticism. This study also explores the relationship between current theories of literature and their antecedents. The notion of current literary theory and practice not only as a broadening of scope and content of the notion of the "literary" but on the other hand as a liberation of theory and practice from an over-deterministic thrust (i.e. the approach of literature as no more than a set of social documents) is also evaluated in this study. A twofold aim of this study can thus be defined: a. to determine the extent to which the shift from the "old" to "new" theories was made necessary by the developing literary and social scene; b. to examine the links beween theory and practice in the work of specific, key figures in Afrikaans. Is it possible for theory and practice to be separated? Is there an important consistence in the relationship between the two in the work of the figures chosen?

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1990. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this investigation was to provide a theoretical overview of the predominant feminist literary movements and their theoretical theses. I concentrated specifically on providing an historical overview of the major theories and by doing so accumulating them into one theoretical model. Concommitantly theories coined by post-structuralist thinkers such as Derrida and deconstruction are also employed in furnishing the reading model with a deconstructivi i-.>"": base. It proved appropriate to analyse postmodernist poetry ~<ch as that of Joan Hambidge by means of this strategy. In the second chapter I focused specifically on the poetry of Antj ie Krog until her latest volume of poetry, Lady Anne. From the latter texts dealing especially with the husband and wife relationship within the traditional marriage were selected and analysed. I focused on the three main female figures in the text, viz. Lady Anne Barnard, Mrs. Van Reenen, and Antjie Krog herself. I indicated what the implications of the marital relationship were on the lives of the characters. Often there is also a prevalent sexual rivalry within the realms of the patriarchal marriage. In the case of Lady Anne Barnard the relationship reveals the tension inherent to their situation at large. Andrew Barnard is regarded as a weak man who is subj ected to his powerful wife. This is evident from their marital relationship too. The man as instigator and head of the household within the patriarchy wishes to establish himself as bearer of that power and by doing so comes in conflict with his wife. In the third chapter I analysed the Lesbianfeminist poems of Joan Hambidge and especially those in her third volume of poetry. The codes of a Lesbian relationship are subversive in that it questions the morality of society at large. Lesbian love affairs are regarded as "strange" and immoral by the rUling patriarchal hegemony. This is the result of its undermining attitude towards sexism in society at large. In my conclusion I indicated that a feminist reading model is feasible for the reading of literary texts in that it aims to deconstruct the predominant sexist binary oppositions in our society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om in die inleidende teoretiese gedeelte In oorsig te gee van die belangrikste feministiese teoretici se bevindings. Daar is veral gekonsentreer op In historiese oorsig van die feministiese teoriee en hieruit is probeer om een teoretiese model daar te stel, waarvolgens literere tekste in die besonder gelees kon word. In aansluiting by die post-strukturalistiese teoriee van Jacques Derrida is aan die feministiese leesmodel In dekonstruktivistiese basis gegee. Dit het veral geblyk van pas te wees, by die lees van die postmodernistiese poesie soos in die geval van Joan Hambidge. In die tweede hoofstuk is veral gefokus op die poes1e van Antjie Krog en is die eiesoortige kenmerke van haar poesie eers uitgelig. Daarna is veral gekonsentreer op haar mees onlangse digbundel Lady Anne. Uit die bundel is veral tekste geselekteer wat pertinent fokus op uitbeelding van die man-vrou-verhouding binne die huwelik. Daar word veral gekonsentreer op die drie bel~ngrikste vrouefigure in die bundel, naamlik Lady Anne Barnard, Mev. Van Reenen en die digteres Antjie Krog self. Daar is veral aangetoon wat hulle verhoudings met hulle mans was en die huweliksrelasie is met behulp van In feministiese leesmodel beskou en gedekonstrueer. Dikwels is daar sprake van In seksuele magstryd in die huwelik aan die gang. In die geval van Lady Anne Barnard weerspieel die huweliksverhouding tussen man en vrou die spanning wat inherent aanwesig is, veral omdat Barnard so In swakkeling is en hy onderdanig aan sy vrou staan. Hierdie magsbalans wat versteur word, kern ook voor in die verse oor Antjie Krog en haar man. Die man as verteenwoordiger van die patriargale waardesisteem, sien dit as sy plig om oor die vrou te heers. In die derde hoofstuk word veral gekonsentreer op Joan Hambidge se Lesbiesfeministiese verse en wel uit haar derde digbundel, Die anatomie van melancholie. Die kodes van die Lesbiese verhouding tussen twee vroue is ondermynend van aard en dit gee aanleiding tot kontroversiele bevraagtekening van die heersende ideologie binne die same1ewing. Die heersende seksistiese ins1ag van die patriargie het tot gevolg dat Lesbiese liefde as IIvreemd" bestempel word en gevolglik strydig is met die wese van die ideologiese apparatuur in so 'n staat. Ten slotte word aangetoon, dat In feministiese leesmodel weI sinvol is vir die lees van tekste en dat dit veral daarop gemik is am die seksistiese binere opposisies binne ' n seksistiese denksistee~ te ondermyn.