Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The stories and histories of the human race are littered with the remnants of
utopia. These utopias always exist in some "far away" place, whether this place
be removed in terms of time (either as a nostalgically remembered past, or an
idealistically projected future), or in terms of space (as a place that one must
arrive at). In our attempts to attain these utopias, we construct our worlddefinitions
in accordance with our projections of these ideal places and ways of
"being". Our discourses come to embody and perpetuate these ideals, which are
maintained by excluding any definitions of the world that run counter to these
ideals. The continued existence of utopia relies on the subjects of that utopia
continuing their belief in its ideals, and not questioning its construction.
Counter-discourse to utopia manifests in the same space as the original utopia
and gives rise to questions that threaten the stability of the ideal. Questions
challenge belief, and therefore the discourse of the ideal must neutralise those
who question and challenge it. This process of neutralisation requires that more
definitions be constructed within utopian discourse - definitions that allow the
subjects of the discourse to objectify the questioner. However, as these new
definitions arise, they create yet more counter-definitions, thereby increasing the
fragmentation of the aforementioned space. A subject of any "dominant" discourse, removed from that discourse, is exposed
to the questions inherent in counter-discourse. In such circumstances, the
definitions of the questioner - the "other" - that have previously enabled the
subject to disregard the questioner's existence and/or point of view are no longer
reinforced, and the subject begins to question those definitions. Once this
questioning process starts, the utopia of the subject is re-defined as dystopia, for
the questioning highlights the (often violent) methods of exclusion needed to
maintain that utopia.
Foucault's theory of heterotopia, used as the basis for the analysis of the three
texts in question, suggests a space in which several conflicting and contradictory
discourses which seemingly bear no relation to each other are found grouped
together. Whereas utopia sustains myth in discourse, running with the grain of
language, heterotopias run against the grain, undermining the order that we
create through language, because they destroy the syntax that holds words and
things together.
The narrators in the three texts dealt with are all subjects of dominant discourses
sustained by exclusive definitions and informed by ideals that require this
exclusion in order to exist. Displaced into spaces that subvert the definitions
within their discourses, the narrators experience a sense of "madness", resulting
from the disintegration of their perception of "order". However, through embracing
and perpetuating that which challenged their established sense of identity, the narrators can regain their sense of agency, and so their narratives become
vehicles for the reconstitution of the subject-status of the narrators, as well as a
means of perpetuating the counter-discourse. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Utopias spikkel die landskap van menseheugenis as plekke in "lank lank gelede"
of "eendag", in "n land baie ver van hier", en is dus altyd verwyderd van die
huidige, óf in ruimte, óf in tyd. In ons strewe na die ideale, skep ons definisies
van die wêreld wat in voeling is met hierdie idealistiese plekke en
bestaanswyses. Sulke definisies sypel deur die diskoers, of taal, waarmee ons
ons omgewing beskryf. Die ideale wat dan in die diskoers omvat word, word
onderhou deur die uitsluiting van enige definisie wat teenstrydig is met dié in die
idealistiese diskoers. Die volgehoue bestaan van utopie berus daarop dat die
subjekte van daardie utopie voortdurend glo in die ideale voorgehou in en
onderhou deur die diskoers, en dus nie die diskoers se konstruksie bevraagteken
nie.
Die manifestering van teen-diskoers in dieselfde ruimte as die utopie, gee
aanleiding tot vrae wat die bestaan van die ideaal bedreig omdat geloof in die
ideaal noodsaaklik is vir die ideaal se voortbestaan. Aangesien bevraagtekening
dikwels geloof uitdaag en ontwrig, lei dit daartoe dat die diskoers wat die ideaal
onderhou, diegene wat dit bevraagteken, neutraliseer. Hierdie
neutraliseringsproses behels die vorming van nog definisies binne die diskoers
wat die vraagsteller objektiveer. Die vorming van nuwe definisies loop op sy
beurt uit op die vorming van teen-definisies wat bloot verdere verbrokkeling van
die voorgenoemde ruimte veroorsaak. "n Subjek van die "dominante" diskoers van die utopie wat hom- /haarself buite
die spergebiede van sy/haar diskoers bevind, word blootgestel aan vrae wat in
teen-diskoers omvat word. In sulke omstandighede is die subjek verwyder van
die versterking van daardie definisies wat die vraagsteller - die "ander" - se
opinies of bestaan as nietig voorgestel het, en die subjek mag dan hierdie
definisies bevraagteken. Sodra hierdie proses begin, vind "n herdefinisie van
ruimte plaas, en utopie word distopie soos die vrae (soms geweldadige)
uitsluitingsmetodes wat die onderhoud van die ideaal behels, aan die lig bring en,
in sommige gevalle, aan die kaak stel.
Hierdie tesis gebruik Foucault se teorie van "heterotopia" om die drie tekste te
analiseer. Dié teorie veronderstel "n ruimte waarin die oorvleueling van verskeie
teenstrydighede (diskoerse) plaasvind. Waar utopie die bestaan van fabels en
diskoerse akkommodeer, ondermyn heterotopia die orde wat ons deur taal en
definisie skep omdat dit die sintaks vernietig wat woorde aan konsepte koppel.
Die drie vertellers is elkeen "n subjek van "n "dominante diskoers" wat onderhou
word deur uitsluitende definisies in "n utopia waar die voortgesette bestaan van
die ideale wat in die diskoers omvat word op eksklusiwiteit staatmaak. Omdat die
vertellers verplaas is na ruimtes wat hulle eksklusiewe definisies omverwerp,
vind hulle dat hulle aan "n soort waansin grens wat veroorsaak is deur die
verbrokkeling van hul sin van "orde". Deur die teen-diskoers in hul stories in te bou as verteltaal, of te implementeer as die meganisme van oordrag, kan die
vertellers hul "selfsin" herwin. Deur vertelling hervestig die vertellers dus hul
status as subjek, en verseker hulle hul plek in die opkomende diskoers deur
middel van hulle voortsetting daarvan.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50382 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Pieterse, Annel |
| Contributors | Goodman, R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of English. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 87 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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