Thesis (M.A. (African languages))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic format.

The main objective of this study is to explore the literariness in JRL Rafapa's novels published between 1979-1991. This study was prompted by views of literary scholars who claim that post-0.K. Matsepe writers such as Rafapa were all influenced by Matsepe's writings to such an extent that they actually emulate his themes, settings, characters, plots and so on. This kind of emulation is said to have put the Northern Sotho Novel in a cul-de-sac. The modus operandi in this study is as follows: Chapter one deals with the aim of study, critical comments on the post-Matsepe writers, biographical sketch on Rafapa, literary approaches and method as well as the scope. The second chapter concentrates on the relationship between the writer and characters as his creations. It also deals with conventional character stereotypes such as the hero, the opponent and the supporter. Narrative strategies such as self-display or exteriorization, the narrative voice and the creation of an autobiographical narrative are also looked into. Chapter three explores Rafapa's themes. The main themes discussed are: social decay, madness and vengeance, as well as protest and conflict. We conclude the chapter by examining Rafapa's titles. Chapter four focuses closely on "place" and "time" in Rafapa's novels. The two mentioned aspects of setting are discussed separately according to: place as a space of action and place as acting space. convoluted time and chronological time. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the functions of setting. Rafapa's idiolect is dealt with in chapter five. Here, we consider the word as the writer's main tool of communication. The use of words in different types of sentences as well as in various types of paragraphs come into focus. Chapter six looks into Rafapa's use of non-prose forms such as the interior monologue, the dialogue and the praise poems as the writer's means of extending meaning. Chapter seven is the recapitulation of the main findings in the thesis. It also touches on aspects which may form bases for future research. It is followed by a bibliography and an Appendix. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The aim of this research is to investigate the nature and development of the detective narrative in Northern Sotho from its beginnings in the 1960s up to its present level in the 1990s. . Due to the peculiarities of each text under study, different literary approaches, viz. Marxism, Feminism and lntertextuality have been utilized in an attempt at getting the best out of each text. The basic requirements of a detective narrative as legislated by the Detective Club in Britain and Ronald Knox have been used as a scale on which to weigh this product in Northern Sotho. The study investigates also how the detective narrative in Northern Sotho reflects the social history of the society out of which it originates. The differences in the texts of the 1970s with those of the 1990s is highlighted and the accurate way in which they are mirrors of the socio-political developments is revealed. The study finally reveals the achievements and failures of writers of this genre in Northern Sotho. Different areas which need research by future scholars are suggested. By way of conclusion the most important observation made is the need of being guided by a text under discussion whenever a literary approach is to be chosen. Also, more of vmodern literary approaches need to be experimented on in relation with African literature written in indigenous African languages so as to assist in finally deciding upon the need of a home-brewed approach. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

M.A. (African Languages) / During the past few decades the short story as a literary genre has attracted much attention. Languages such as Russian, English, French, German and later Afrikaans have produced outstanding writers in this genre, whereas writers in relatively younger languages such as Northern-Sotho are- still grappling with complexities such as form and structure in this art-form. Up to the present, the North-Sotho writer I.T. Maditsi has produced three short story collections, namely Mogologolo, Monyane and Dipheko. A number of selected short stories were selected from the three anthologies for a literary analysis, with special emphasis on characterization, which is one of the most important elements of. a successful short story. Few similar attempts have been made so far in Northern-Sotho. Therefore this study will hopefully make a valuable contribution to a better understanding of the short story in general and the Northern-Sotho short story in particular.

Dissertation (MA (Sepedi))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / African Languages / unrestricted

Dissertation (MA (Sepedi))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / African Languages / unrestricted

The aim of this research is to give a literary accountable description of the development of the short story in Sepedi. In order to achieve this, the descriptive as well as the expository and comparative method are used, while the short story is seen as a unit consisting of a content layer, a structural layer and a stylistic layer. With these three layers as focus points in the research, the researcher is not to include the socio-cultural circumstance in which the work has its origin, as final criterium in his research. Firstly, the modus operandi of English and American researchers in their descriptions of the history and development of their literatures is reviewed (or traced). The division here into development periods, is based to a large extent on pragmatic grounds, although literary merit was considered too. In the case of the literature in Sepedi, Mokgokong, Serudu and Groenewald separately gave an overview of the history of this literature and divided it into development periods (or periods of development). They, however, do not indicate the grounds (basics) on which these periods are based. The historical and socio-cultural circumstances of the Bapedi are taken into consideration, but how they lead to a literary accountable division, is not indicated. A short overview of the history of the short story in Sepedi is given as introduction to this study. Thereafter the development of the short story in Sepedi is divided into three phases, namely: (a) The moralizing or didactical phase. (b) The experimental phase. (c) The phase of growth. In the first period the works of Ramaila, who is a skilled writer, dominate. He was a teacher and a man of the church, and was moved by the fate of his people when the Western lifestyle in the process of urbanization left them without anchors in life. The stories from this period therefore have a strong moralising and didactical flavour (tendency) which detracts from the merit of the work. Works from the second period place less emphasis on the clash between the traditional and Western philosophies of life. The stories are mostly constructed untidily, the characterization is one-sided and unconvincing, while the conclusions are not motivated satisfactorily. The short stories from the third period portray a reconciliation between the traditional and Western lifestyles. This phase includes short stories which are structurally and stylistically rounded. The detective stories, for example, have highly complex structures which lead to surprising solutions to the story problems, while an ironic situation in life is described with the greatest ease and skills especially in the stories of (N.S) Nkadimeng and Mpepele. The chief merit of these works lie in the characterization and building of atmosphere. In the final or summarising chapter there is reflection on the importance of Ramaila as short story writer, while the possibilities of the short story in Sepedi in the future are touched upon. / Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Pretoria, 2000. / African Languages / unrestricted

The issue of identity is receiving the most attention in recent times. Communities, groups and individuals tend to ask themselves who they are after the colonial period. The dawn of modern democracy and the fall of the Berlin Wall have become important sites of self-definition. In this study, I examine narratives of self-invention and selflegitimisation from a variety of texts ranging from poetic to dramatic voices. The author creates characters who represent his wishes, desires and fears in dramatic form. The other characters re-present the other members of his family. He uses autobiographical voices to re-create and re-present history, particularly his family history which has been dismembered by memory's inability to recover the past in its entirety. Memory, visions and dreams are used as tropes to negotiate the pain of loss. These narratives assist him to recapture that which has been lost dearly, and imaginatively re-members what has been dismembered. The autobiographical I shifts into an autobiographical we where the author uses his poetry to lambast the injustices of apartheid. The study further examines some aspects of postcolonial identity, which include the status of African writing and the role of africalogical discourse, the conception of home in apartheid South Africa as well as the juxtaposition of power between indigenes and settlers. These reflect the problem of marginality as a postcolonial condition and how the marginals can be returned to the centre of power. Marginalisation of the indigenes occurs by coercion, inferiorisation, tabooing certain political and cartographical spaces, harassment, torture and imprisonment. Despite these measures, the poetry of NS Puleng persisted to remove the fetish of apartheid disempowerment and disenfranchisement. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The aim of the study is to survey the usage of closure as it is reflected in Northern Sotho Narratives. Chapter one This chapter introduces the objectives of the research and definition of the concepts narrative and closure. Reference is made to different scholars to substantiate the argument. Chapter two Plot serves as the basis of the study of closure in a novel. The interconnectedness of the elements of plot expressed by the presence of different closural patterns supports this. Major mutual relationships are distinguished, namely between author and reader as well as between author, reader and text. Chapter three The principles of brevity and single effect which differentiate a short story from other narratives play a major role in the study of closure. The five signals of closure and the mode of approaching the end also influence how closure is approached in this genre. Chapter four The study of folktales is divided into traditional and modern approaches. Despite their difference, opening and closing are commonly based on the syntactical position occupied by the opening and closing phrases. In the traditional approach the position is fixed while in the modern approach it is controlled by the presence of motifemes. This chapter embarks on the usage of closure in narrative poetry. The ending is doubly determined, based on structural elements and linguistic principles. Repetition and cessation of the idea expressed in a verse llne, are major poetic devises to illustrate closure. Chapter six This chapter summarizes the findings of the previous chapters and proposals for future research. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The issue of identity is receiving the most attention in recent times. Communities, groups and individuals tend to ask themselves who they are after the colonial period. The dawn of modern democracy and the fall of the Berlin Wall have become important sites of self-definition. In this study, I examine narratives of self-invention and selflegitimisation from a variety of texts ranging from poetic to dramatic voices. The author creates characters who represent his wishes, desires and fears in dramatic form. The other characters re-present the other members of his family. He uses autobiographical voices to re-create and re-present history, particularly his family history which has been dismembered by memory's inability to recover the past in its entirety. Memory, visions and dreams are used as tropes to negotiate the pain of loss. These narratives assist him to recapture that which has been lost dearly, and imaginatively re-members what has been dismembered. The autobiographical I shifts into an autobiographical we where the author uses his poetry to lambast the injustices of apartheid. The study further examines some aspects of postcolonial identity, which include the status of African writing and the role of africalogical discourse, the conception of home in apartheid South Africa as well as the juxtaposition of power between indigenes and settlers. These reflect the problem of marginality as a postcolonial condition and how the marginals can be returned to the centre of power. Marginalisation of the indigenes occurs by coercion, inferiorisation, tabooing certain political and cartographical spaces, harassment, torture and imprisonment. Despite these measures, the poetry of NS Puleng persisted to remove the fetish of apartheid disempowerment and disenfranchisement. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)