Thesis (DLitt (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the 1980s the narrative prose of male writers in Afrikaans has been characterised by an intensive
questioning of consolidated masculine subjectivity with the (political) father as its primary manifestation.
The growing influence of postmodernism and the greater freedom enjoyed by women and gay authors to
write about gender issues, facilitated the process of paternal emancipation in Afrikaans narrative. This
dissertation is a study of the representation of masculine subjectivity in Afrikaans prose writing from 1980
to 2000 concentrating on the diverse expressions of masculine subjectivity in literary texts with reference to
the work of Luce Irigaray (1980 and 1985) on subjectivity, and the theory of R.W. Connell (1995) on the
plurality of masculinities. The position of the father in conveying political values to the son within the
Oedipal context is examined in a number of texts with specific emphasis on the contrasting processes
regulating the hegemonic masculinity of the white father (Alexander Strachan 1984 and Mark Behr 1993)
and the marginalised masculinity of the coloured father during apartheid (Benjamin 1997). The work of
Alexander Strachan (1994), Piet van Rooyen (1997) and Johann Botha (1997) are examples of texts that
display resemblance to the literature of the “School of Virility” identified by Peter Schwenger (1984: 13).
Unlike the male protagonists in colonial texts, the masculine subjects in the work of Van Rooyen and Botha
can no longer escape the political and historical turmoil of civilisation by finding refuge in “pristine” and
unpoliticised hunting fields. Since 1994 the loss of political power, which for so long conditioned the
masculine subjectivity of Afrikaner men, has also reached the hunting fields of postcolonial southern
Africa. Through the influence postmodernism, a productive tension in literature and theory has developed
between the autonomous, consolidated masculine subject, and the decentered masculine subject. Breyten
Breytenbach’s representation of the fragmented masculine subject opens up the possibility of a move away
from the historical imperatives of the totalising, and often violent, masculine subject. However,
Breytenbach (1998) suggests that, in some instances, the fragmented masculine subject may be co-opted by
the historically persistent discourse of the autonomous (and violent) masculine subject. Gay writers Koos
Prinsloo (1992) and Johann de Lange (1996 and 2000), and to a lesser extent Hennie Aucamp (1981),
devote themselves to a sceptical interrogation of identity and subjectivity as categories that are based on
heterosexist values. Prinsloo and De Lange employ sexuality as a way to give expression to their antihumanist
critique of the subject. The tension between consolidated masculine subjectivity and decentered
masculine subjectivity is also present in the autobiography of Joseph Marble (1999). In Marble’s life
history the discontinuity between the youthful “I” as protagonist and the adult “I” as narrator contributes to
the multiplicity that ultimately characterises Marble as a masculine subject in the text. Finally, this
dissertation presents a view of masculine subjectivity in Afrikaans narrative that emphasises diversity. Yet,
it is noticeable that nearly all the texts under discussion maintain a certain relationship with hegemonic
masculinity. Furthermore, it is only in the work of a small number of writers such as Breytenbach, Prinsloo
and De Lange that the interrogation of masculine subjectivity leads to an exploration of modes of being that
may transcend the historically persistent discourse of masculine domination. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die jare tagtig van die twintigste eeu word die prosa van manlike skrywers in Afrikaans gekenmerk
deur ’n intensiewe bevraagtekening van gekonsolideerde manlike subjektiwiteit soos veral beliggaam deur
die (politieke) vader. Hierdie proses van ontvoogding in die Afrikaanse prosa is gefasiliteer deur die
groeiende invloed van die postmodernisme en die groter vryheid wat vroueskrywers en gay skrywers geniet
het om oor geslagtelike kwessies te skryf. Hierdie proefskrif is ’n studie van die representasie van manlike
subjektiwiteit in die prosa van 1980 tot 2000 en bestudeer die uiteenlopende verskyningsvorms van
manlike subjektiwiteit in literêre prosatekste met verwysing na onder andere die werk van Luce Irigaray
(1980 en 1985) oor subjektiwiteit en die teorie van R.W. Connell (1995) oor manlikheid as ’n meervoudige
verskynsel. Die posisie van die vader in die oordrag van politieke waardes na die seun word in enkele
tekste ondersoek binne die Oidipale familiedrama met aandag vir die kontrasterende prosesse wat ’n rol
speel by die hegemoniese manlikheid van die blanke vader (Alexander Strachan 1984 en Mark Behr 1993)
en die gemarginaliseerde manlikheid van die gekleurde vader tydens apartheid (S.P. Benjamin 1997).
Strachan (1994) se prosa word verder saam met die werk van Piet van Rooyen (1997) en Johann Botha
(1997) bestudeer as voorbeelde van tekste wat toegespits is op viriele manlikheid. By Van Rooyen en
Botha kan die manlike subjek nie meer soos in die koloniale prosa die vermoeiende politiek en geskiedenis
van die beskawing agterlaat deur hom tot die “ongeskonde” en ongepolitiseerde jagveld te wend nie. Die
verlies van politieke mag, wat vir lank die manlike subjektiwiteit van die Afrikanerman bepaal het, is na
1994 ook ’n werklikheid op jagvelde van die postkoloniale Suider-Afrika. ’n Produktiewe spanning in
beskouings van manlike subjektiwiteit bestaan sedert die postmodernisme tussen die outonome,
gekonsolideerde subjek en die gedesentreerde subjek. Breyten Breytenbach (1998) se representasie van die
gefragmenteerde manlike subjek bied op die oog af die potensiaal om manlike subjektiwiteit los te maak
van die geweld en dominasie wat die patriargale orde kenmerk. By Breytenbach blyk dit egter dat die
gefragmenteerde manlike subjek in sommige gevalle gekaap kan word deur die histories standhoudende
diskoers van die outonome (en gewelddadige) manlike subjek. Die gay skrywers Koos Prinsloo (1992) en
Johann de Lange (1996 en 2000), en in ’n mindere mate Hennie Aucamp (1981), is in hulle werk betrokke
by ’n skeptiese vraagstelling oor identiteit en subjektiwiteit as kategorieë wat gegrond is op
heteroseksistiese waardes. Prinsloo en De Lange gryp gay seksualiteit aan as ’n medium om uiting te gee
aan hulle antihumanistiese kritiek teen die subjek. Die spanning tussen gekonsolideerde manlike
subjektiwiteit en gedesentreerde manlike subjektiwiteit is ook aanwesig in Joseph Marble (1999) se
outobiografie. In Marble se lewensverhaal dra die diskontinuïteit tussen die jeugdige “ek” as protagonis en
die volwasse “ek” as verteller by tot die uiteindelike meervoudige beeld wat van Marble as manlike subjek
na vore tree. Hierdie proefskrif bied uiteindelik ’n beeld van manlike subjektiwiteit in die Afrikaanse prosa
wat diversiteit vooropstel, maar dit is nietemin opvallend dat feitlik elke besproke teks ’n sekere
verhouding handhaaf met hegemoniese manlikheid. Dit is verder net by enkele skrywers soos
Breytenbach, Prinsloo en De Lange dat die bevraagtekening van manlike subjektiwiteit lei tot ’n
verkenning van synsvorme wat moontlik die histories deurlopende diskoers van manlike dominasie sou kon
oorskry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/3267 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Visagie, Andries Gerhardus |
| Contributors | Viljoen, Louise, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 286 leaves |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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