Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1995. / Blose, in the drama Uqomisa Mina Nje Uqomisa IIiba, seems to portray many things, especially love at various levels among people. The idea of love appears to be the central theme of the drama whereby the dramatist shows how different kinds of love are intertwined. The dramatist goes on a step further to unfold the extremes of love when it is blocked and redirected by forces which stand against it. One important aspect that requires a thorough investigation is how blocking and redirection affect individuals and their relationship with the community. 1.2 MOTIVATION OF THE STUDY Blose in his drama Uqomisa Mina Nje Ugomisa IIiba depicts various kinds of love. Among them, there is patriotic love, parental love and love as shown by the behaviour of young people. These kinds of love are somehow intertwined. The analysis will, among other things, investigate the influence of one on another. 1.3 AELD OF RESEARCH The field of research is restricted to the work of Blose, Uqomisa Mina Nje Uqomisa IIiba. Blose is the author of two books, namely Inkondlo KaNobantu and Ugomisa Mina Nje Ugomisa lIiba. The former is a poetry book and the latter is a drama. The field of research is basically in the drama book Ugomisa Mina Nje Ugomisa lIiba. In this book, only the themes of love will be critically investigated, analysed and evaluated.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, South Africa,1985. / In the first chapter we are given the biography of Joyce Jessie Gwayi, including a section on her domestic position, her present occupation and her state of health. It is her state of health that has made it impossible for her to undertake any further literary work. This has been the worst drawback to the budding Zulu historical novelist. Here also a few writers of various Zulu books are reviewed. Most of these books found their way into the classroom because there had been no Zulu literature except the Holy Bible. This was so chiefly because, for a long time, schools belonged to missionaries whose primary aim was to bring the Christian Gospel to the Black people. Moses Ngcobo, Gwayi's husband, inspired her because, as a novelist, he had already written the historical work on the Xhosa National Suicide. Gwayi wanted to write about Dingiswayo Mthethwa, her ancestor, after discovering through research that the names Gwayi and Mthethwa were synonymous, used in the Transkei and Natal respectively. She discovered that Shaka Zulu grew up under the guidance of Dingiswayo Mthethwa and that after uniting the Zulu and the Mthethwa Tribes, he initiated a period of conquest. Gwayi seems to have been interested in this period which is known as "Difaqane" and thus used the Tlokoa Tribe, with its 'warrior queen', as the subject of her first novel Bafa Baphela, It was after the completion of this novel that she wrote Shumpu after which she wrote the third book Yekanini. The theme, structure and plot in each novel conform to the pattern as has been diagrammatically represented in the dissertation. There is exhibited a very well developed sunrise, noontide and sunset trend in each novel. /To To achieve this the novel must have a variety of characters. We find Gwayi's heroes and heroines behaving realistically, especially in view of the fact that some of them are real historical people. Both her simple and complex characters behave very much like ourselves or our acquaintances. There are characters central to the plot and also those who are included simply to enrich the setting of the story. Gwayi even has characters who are ancestors of living people. In Chapter Four, the milieu of Gwayi's books is discussed. Ancient people have a different culture from modern people so that as her characters lived prior to westernization, they conform to their environment. This aspect is obtained from traditional and oral history because Zulus were, up to then, illiterate. Attire, food and religion, however, remained largely unchanged for a long period of time. Ancestor worship, it is true, has been disturbed by the introduction of Christianity. On the military side it was Dingiswayo Mthethwa who regimented his warriors and Shaka Zulu who revolutionized the method of fighting by introducing a short spear (Iklwa). It is the style, language and technique that disclose the fact that the novels have been written by two people. (Gwayi confirmed this fact to the author.) The language in the first two books leaves much to be desired. For example, some expressions are used in such a manner that a non-Zulu reader may be confused. This is regrettable since Gwayi cannot now do anything about it. The language of the third book is good. The structure could have been Gwayi's, but Ngcobo so deftly manipulated the language that this book proves to be the best of the three. Ngcobo ends the book so conveniently that the reader becomes anxious to know what happened to Zwide Ndwandwe and Shaka Zulu when Dingiswayo had gone. It leaves the reader with a wish to read his next book, which deals with the conflict between Zwide and Shaka. It is unfortunate that Gwayi and Ngcobo do not revise and edit the books to the advantage of the future Zulu reader.

Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, 1998. / In this research work an attempt is made to clear certain misconceptions and generalizations which prevail amongst certain literary critics, viz that characterization in the Zulu novel is static and should be modelled on the Eurocentric canon. Investigation into this problem shows the opposite. Particular attention is devoted to demonstrating that characterization in the Zulu novel is evolutionary. And it is indeed so. Characterization in the Zulu novel has changed over the changing times under changing circumstances. The study shows that factors such as folktale residual material, traditional beliefs, christianization, urbanization, industrialization, etc. all have in one way or another impacted on the art of characterization in the Zulu novel. For this purpose we have divided the Zulu novel into three different developmental periods. These literary periods are: the period of Zulu narrative which is mostly dominated by folktale material and traditional beliefs. The second period is characterized by traditional beliefs and historical material. This manifests itself mostly in the historical novel. The third period is dominated by the social or psychological novel. Characterization during this period is characterized by such factors as christianisation, acculturation, urbanization, apartheid laws, industrialization which forced people to move to big cities like Johannesburg. During this period social adjustment problems manifest themselves in antisocial, criminal behaviour and maladjustment on the part of the characters who find themselves in this strange environment. It is, however, important to note that these periods are not watertight entities. But research has shown that a progression - retrogression tendency is found amongst the Zulu novel writers. A case in point is the impact of ancentral beliefs which transcends the three periods of the novel investigated. This means one cannot divorce entirely a literature from its past, which is why we accept lyesere's theory that the modern writer is to his indigenous oral tradition trapped as a snail is to its shell. Even in foreign habitat, a snail never leaves its shell behind, (The Journal of Modern African Studies 1975: 107-119). The study shows that characterization in the Zulu novel follows a definite pattern of development. Therefore the Zulu novel is a literature in its own right. The research shows that the present Eurocentric tools of criticism have grown alongside western literacy tradition, but definitely outside the African milieu. It is noted that characterization in the Zulu novel has been, to a very large extent, influenced by the cultural and traditional background of the Zulu people. The study shows that while using general laws of literary criticism scholars must be mindful of the fact that the Zulu novel is a novel in its own right and has peculiar characteristics of its own.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This study explores the theoretical work in articulating the motivations and conditions for account-giving in Isizulu. In this situation, accounts are similar to narratives and can be retained at the level of private reflections or written as diary entries or for others to read and refer to from time to time. The importance of the intelligibility of accounts is established with reference to Schank and Abelson (1977) who contend that people construct accounts based on their knowledge structure approach, causal reasoning and text comprehension. Thus, for an account to be honored, it has to be goal-oriented and coherent. In this study, the social-interactive aspects of account-giving are investigated and it is discovered that severe reproach forms involving personality attacks and derogatory aspects, elicit defensive reactions that result in negative interpersonal and emotional consequences. Narrative accounts based on McIntyre (1981) form the basis of moral and social events and as such, stories have two elements from which they are explored. They are explored firstly in the way in which they are told and secondly, on the way they are lived in the social context. These stories follow a historically or culturally based format and to this effect, Gergen (1994) suggested narrative criteria that constitute a historically contingent narrative form. Narrative forms are linguistic tools that have important social functions to satisfactorily fulfill such as stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative. According to Gergen (1994), self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are realized on the personal perspective or experience, and as such their emotions are viewed as constitutive features of relationship. The self-narratives used and analyzed in this study portray the contemporary culture-based elements or segments of a well-formed narrative.

The condition of women in African societies has always been object of intense discussion The present research takes its move from an analysis of four main literary works in Zulu, and a number of supporting texts, to monitor, as it were, the development of attitudes towards women during the second half of the 20th century. Literature is considered, in fact, a mirror of society. Traditional Southern African society is strongly patriarchal and conservative. A woman's role is generally viewed as the life-giver and the nurturer of the new generation of her husband's offspring. She is in charge of the gardens, where she grows the family food, while her husband is busy with his wars, cattle raiding ventures and politics. Patriarchy may reach severe forms of women oppression through the systems of ilobolo (bride-wealth) and of polygamy, but is also expressed by the exclusion of women from the economic, artistic and legal fields. Forms of freedom - of movement, or sexual or economic - allotted to men are never considered for women. Each of the four chosen texts emphasises one or more aspect of women oppression by the male dominated society, as reflected in popular life at the time of writing. So Uvalo Lwezinhlonzi, written in 1956, is a manifesto for freedom in the choice of a life partner, which is generally obstructed by the father's greed for ilobolo cattle and his ambition to be recognized among the notables of the district. Inkinsela YaseMgungundlovu (1961) fights for women's equal rights in the financial field. NguMbuthuma-ke Lowo (1982) is a desperate cry in the face of abuses in polygamous families. And Ikhiwane Elihle (1985) fights aspects of the new morality that accepts sexual freedom for women, since men also claim such freedom. The thesis is topical, and, to render it even more so, it often avails itself of ideas of feminist writers and critics, although such theories have not touched the nerve of the Zulu public as yet. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2002.

This study, Social commitment in some Zulu literary works published during the apartheid era, was motivated by what was perceived as arrogant and superficial observations by a number of especially foreign-based critics, that all the literature in South Africa African-languages published during the apartheid period was children stuff, not worth the paper it was written on, and that it did not show any effort at commitment to, or at reflecting on the weighty social problems that civil society in South Africa had to bear. In response to such criticism, the study highlights aspects of social commitment in selected literary works, and it also sketches the committed approach as part of the African literary outlook. It traces commitment in oral traditional literature, where it appears that the great preoccupation of the oral society was that none of the achievements of the human spirit get lost. The proverbs clearly reflect on, and offer directives for, day-to-day problems, while myths represent reflections on the fate of man and the world. Folktales use common problems in life and family as the basis for the conflictual situations to be resolved. Izibongo (praise poems) declaim the heroic deeds of our leaders, trace our history, and demonstrate that, even in moments of glory, the needs of the people must be taken care of on pain of being negatively labelled with invectives that will reverberate through the centuries. In a brief survey on the early 20th century stages of South African literature in African languages (Zulu, Xhosa, S. Sotho) it was noted that our pioneer writers made a gigantic effort to experiment with genres, forms and contents, and, in the process, to reflect on the anxieties caused by the often bewildering encounter of Mrica with the west. Our early writers excel in creating poetry that amalgamates tradition and modernization, but in the narrative genres they seem to be able to be more genial and creative when they deal with historical material, possibly because they feel more at home with an inspiration that imitates the glorious praise poetry and are thus able to deal with the present in terms of past events, without upsetting critics or education authorities. Then the decades of the expected maturity arrived -from the 1960s to the 1990s, but the seeds of vibrant originality sown during the previous period were cruelly trampled over and squashed, possibly by both the apartheid-appointed censors and by the fear that they would object to any 'committed' writing and destine it for the dustbin. Fear, self-imposed censorship, and possibly more than a little laziness hampered vigorous developments of literatures that had appeared very promising at their emergence. Listed here are a number of works in Xhosa, Southern Sotho, Zulu and Shona. The contributions of English and Afrikaans works to South African literary development are also outlined. The fact that most works were meant for schools caused a further restraint on originality and creativity, although it should have spurred the authors on to do their very best, because through the schools they were moulding the future of the nation. But a number of authors were valiantly able to overcome the general self-defeating frustrations and to rise to the challenge of producing excellent material, outstanding in both form and content. Some such works are examined and exemplified in the thesis. One of I.S. Kubheka's novels, Ulaka LwabaNguni, is analysed to show the depth of the conflict between Africa and the west, between country and city life, between western schooled and traditionally educated people. The new ways could become a monster that swallows everything and everybody, specially if one is unable to keep the animal on the chain of ubuntu that allows only as much westernization of the mind as can go hand in hand with the greatest traditional values. Then follows the analysis of three historically based plays and one novel. History offers the opportunity of speaking about the present by describing the past. Msimang and Zondi do exactly this, and offer visions of today's social problems that become clearer when placed on the lips of people such as Mkabayi, Shaka, Cetshwayo, Bhambatha. Each of these works is a clarion call to wake up and be counted, because the new Africa is rising, both soulful and promising, full of expectations if one is able to overcome present day restrictions. The author of this research fervently hopes that this work will produce better understanding among the South African races, and give birth to an era of multilingualism and multiculturalism, where the differences are treatgd115 gifts rather than obstacles. The country is great, and its populations present an extraordinary wealth of life and experience, especially when all is viewed through the prism of the colours of the rainbow, generously reflected in the new South African flag. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This work investigates characterisation in four modern Zulu novels. The objective of the study is to examine whether or not there is development in the portrayal of characters in recently published Zulu novels. The study is prompted by the view that a high number of novels in African languages have inadequate portrayal of characters (Zulu 1998). Focus has been placed on the following four Zulu novels: Izibiba Ziyeqana, Asikho Ndawo 8akithi, Isidleke Samanqe, and Itshwele Lempangele. The novels were published between 1995 and 1998 and all have won literary prizes in recognition of their high literary qualities. It has been found in the study that the way characters are portrayed in the four novels shows some signs of development. All the chief characters are 'round' in the sense that they change and adapt to changes and circumstances. Even though there are serious problems, the characters are seen to be fighting like ordinary human beings to better their lives. It is also found in the study that antagonists in some novels are round characters. It is concluded that this study identifies positive properties about the development of characterisation in the Zulu novel of the late 1990's. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek karakterisering in vier moderne Zulu novelles. Die hoofdoelstelling van die studie is om vas te stel of daar 'n ontwikkeling in die voorstelling van karakters in onlangs-gepubliseerde Zulu novelles is. Die studie is gemotiveer deur die siening wat bestaan dat 'n groot aantal novelles in Afrikatale 'n onvoldoende voorstelling van karakters toon (Zulu, 1998). Die fokus van die studie val op die volgende vier Zulu novelles: Izibiba Ziyeqana, Asikho Ndawo Bakithi, Isidleke Samanqe en Itshwele Lempangele. Hierdie novelles is gepubliseer tussen 1995 en 1998 en het almal literere pryse gewen ter erkenning van hulle uitstaande letterkundige meriete. Die studie het bevind dat die wyse waarop die karakters voorgestel is in al vier novelles verskeie tekens van ontwikkeling ten opsigte van die Zulu letterkunde toon. AI die hoofkarakters is "rond" in die sin dat hulle verander en aanpas na gelang van veranderinge en omstandighede. Selfs onder ernstige omstandighede, veg die karakters soos gewone mense om hulle lewens te verbeter. Daar is ook in die studie bevind dat die antagoniste in sommige novelies ronde karakters is. Die studie identifiseer positiewe kenmerke t.o.v. die ontwikkeling van karakterisering in die Zulu novelle in die laat 1990's. / IQOQO Lomsebenzi ubhekane nokuvezwa kwabalingiswa emanovelini amane wesiZulu. Kubhekwe amanoveli amasha ngenjongo yokuthola ukuthi ngabe kukhona yini ukuthuthuka ngokuvezwa kwabalingiswa. Okwaziwayo okwamanje wukuthi ukuvezwa kwabalingiswa emanovelini amaningi wabomdabu kusezingeni eliphansi (Zulu 1998), yingakho-ke lomsebenzi ubuzama ukuthola ukuthi ngabe luyabonakala yini loguquko Iwemqubekela phambili. Kukhethwelamanoveli alandelayo: Izibiba Ziyeqana, Asikho Ndawo Bakithi Isidleke Samanqe, kanye ne-Itshwele Lempangele lapho kucubungulwa loshintsho lokuvezwa kwabalingiswa ngababhali bemnyaka yabo 1990. Lamanoveli angawoshicilelo olusuka ku-1995 ukuya ku-1998. Kuye kwakhethwa lamanoveli ngoba azuze imiklomelo yokuthi abhalwe ngezinga eliphezulu. Okutholwe kulomsebenzi ukuthi ukuvezwa kwabalingiswa yilababhali balamanovela kubonisa impumela phambili. Bonke abalingiswa abaphambili batholakala beyizindilinga. Umlingiswa nomlingiswa lapho ehlangabezana nezingqinamba uyaguquguquka azifune ebuhleni ngempilo yakhe. Nanoma kunobunzima sibathola ngasosonke isikhathi balwisana nabo bazama izindlela ezizobasa empumelelweni. Kutholakale futhi ukuthi bonke labalingiswaabangabaphikisi (antagonists)babonakala bakhula. Lomsebenzi uphethwa ngokuthi ziyabonakala zrmpewu zokukhula nokuthuthuka ekuvezweni kwabalingiswa emanovelini wesiZulu wababhali bango1990.

The study addresses the reasons why Buthelezi is regarded as a post-apartheid writer. Among other reasons that are discussed in this study is that in his novels, he touches on some of the issues that were not dealt with in the apartheid period. It also looks at the didactic elements that are conveyed in Buthelezi's novels as far as the post-apartheid period is concerned. Advantages and disadvantages of the post-apartheid period to South Africans are also examined, one of the very important disadvantages being the loss of the spirit of ubuntu among the African people while they try to move on with times. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

This study aims to investigate how isiZulu literary texts that are prescribed at secondary schools perpetuate and reinforce gender stereotypes. Situated within the interpretive paradigm, the study is a qualitative case study of one secondary school at Nkandla area, in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. Semi-structured interviews with teachers at the school as well as the Department of Education official were used to collect data. The DoE official that was interviewed is one of the personnel responsible for the selection of isiZulu literary texts for schools. Teachers interviewed were also responsible for the selection of isiZulu literary texts in the school for grades eight to ten. A semi structured interview schedule was developed as a research instrument. Content analysis was used to analyse selected literary texts as well as the Department of Education guidelines document for the selection and prescription of isiZulu literary texts. Pharr's (1988) theory of oppression as well as two of the five faces of oppression formulated by Young (1990) were used to develop a conceptual framework for the study. Findings of the study indicate that in ten out of the eleven books that were analysed, both males and females are stereotypically represented. In these books women are portrayed as nurturers, housewives, dependent, and so on. On the other side, men are portrayed as heads of families, independent, successful, artful, business people, strong, and so on. Only one book was found to challenge the stereotypes about women and men. Recommendations were formulated. Among others, it is recommended that further research be conducted to explore gender issues during the process of selection and prescription of isiZulu literary texts to be used in schools. Lolu cwanmgo luWose ukuhlola ukuthi imibhalo yobuciko yesiZulu efundwa ezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu iyigqugquzela kanjani imibono emlswe ngokobulili. Ngaphansi kwepharadaymu yomhumusho (interpretive paradigm) lolu lucwaningo lwesimo sotho (qualitative case study) lwesikole esisendaweni yaseNkandla, enhla nekwaZulu-Natali. Kusetshenziswe inhlololwazi esakuhleleka ukuqoqa ulwazi kothisha nasesikhulwini soMnyango WezeMfundo. Isikhulu soMnyango WezeMfundo esahlanganyela kulolu cwanmgo slymgxenye ekuqokweni kwemibhalo yobuciko yesiZulu efundwayo ezikoleni. Othisha abangabahlanganyeli (ababebambe iqhaza) kulolu cwaningo bayingxenye futhi ekuqokweni kwemibhalo yobuciko yesiZulu yamabanga esishiyagalombili kuya kweleshumi esikoleni abafundisa kuso. Kusetshenziswe isheduli yenhlololwazi esakuWeleka ukuthola ulwazi esikhulwini soMnyango WezeMfundo kanye nakothisha. Kuphinde kwasetshenziswa uhlaziyo lokuqukethwe (content analysis) ukucubungula imibhalo yobuciko kanye nomhlahlandlela woMnyango WezeMfundo olawula ukuqokwa kwezincwadi (imibhalo yobuciko. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

The condition of women in African societies has always been object of intense discussion The present research takes its move from an analysis of four main literary works in Zulu, and a number of supporting texts, to monitor, as it were, the development of attitudes towards women during the second half of the 20th century. Literature is considered, in fact, a mirror of society. Traditional Southern African society is strongly patriarchal and conservative. A woman's role is generally viewed as the life-giver and the nurturer of the new generation of her husband's offspring. She is in charge of the gardens, where she grows the family food, while her husband is busy with his wars, cattle raiding ventures and politics. Patriarchy may reach severe forms of women oppression through the systems of ilobolo (bride-wealth) and of polygamy, but is also expressed by the exclusion of women from the economic, artistic and legal fields. Forms of freedom - of movement, or sexual or economic - allotted to men are never considered for women. Each of the four chosen texts emphasises one or more aspect of women oppression by the male dominated society, as reflected in popular life at the time of writing. So Uvalo Lwezinhlonzi, written in 1956, is a manifesto for freedom in the choice of a life partner, which is generally obstructed by the father's greed for ilobolo cattle and his ambition to be recognized among the notables of the district. Inkinsela YaseMgungundlovu (1961) fights for women's equal rights in the financial field. NguMbuthuma-ke Lowo (1982) is a desperate cry in the face of abuses in polygamous families. And Ikhiwane Elihle (1985) fights aspects of the new morality that accepts sexual freedom for women, since men also claim such freedom. The thesis is topical, and, to render it even more so, it often avails itself of ideas of feminist writers and critics, although such theories have not touched the nerve of the Zulu public as yet. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2002.