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‘The man I could have been’: masculinity and uncanny doubles in selected novels of Damon Galgut

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I examine the portrayal of masculinity in selected works of Damon
Galgut. Masculinities are read through the lens of the double and the uncanny as
conceived by Freud and other scholars. The selected novels include The Beautiful
Screaming of Pigs (1991), The Quarry (1995), The Good Doctor (2004), The
Impostor (2008) and In a Strange Room (2010). In the introduction theoretical issues
relating to masculinities, the double and the uncanny are discussed and a broad
framework for the thesis is outlined. Subsequently each chapter discusses the
representation of men and masculinities in the selected novels. Issues such as
masculinity in the military, friendship amongst men, relationships with women,
masculinity and apartheid, masculinity and whiteness and heterosexuality and
homosexuality are discussed and explored through the lens of the double and the
uncanny. Questions that emerge from this study are: What perspectives does Galgut
offer of masculinities before and after apartheid? How do the men experience their
political and social environment? How do the male characters in the novels interact
with the female characters? What obligations do men and women have towards
each other?: / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis ondersoek ek die uitbeelding van manlikheid in geselekteerde werke
van Damon Galgut. Manlikhede word gelees deur die lens van die dubbelganger en
die Unheimliche soos deur Freud en ander teoretici gekonsipieer. Die geselekteerde
romans sluit in The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs (1991), The Quarry (1995), The
Good Doctor (2004), The Impostor (2008) en In a Strange Room (2010). In die
inleiding word teoretiese kwessies met betrekking tot manlikhede, die dubbelganger
en die Unheimliche bespreek en ʼn breë raamwerk vir die tesis word uiteengesit.
Daarna bespreek elke hoofstuk die voorstelling van mans en manlikhede in die
geselekteerde romans. Kwessies soos manlikheid in die weermag, vriendskap
tussen mans, verhoudings met vroue, manlikheid en apartheid, manlikheid en
witheid, en heteroseksualiteit en homoseksualiteit word deur die lens van die
dubbelganger en die Umheimliche bespreek en verken. Die volgende vrae word in
die studie aangepak: Watter perspektiewe bied Galgut op manlikhede voor en ná
apartheid? Hoe ondervind die mans hulle politieke en sosiale omgewing? Hoe gaan
die manlike karakters in die romans met die vroulike karakters om? Watter
verpligtinge het mans en vroue teenoor mekaar?

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97100
Date03 1900
CreatorsBeyer, Carola
ContributorsMbao, W., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format99 pages, en
RightsStellenbosch University

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