Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aims at highlighting a crucial aspect of Xhosa drama: The portrayal of the role
women have been forced culturally to assume in society. A selection of Xhosa plays from
three periods (1958 - 1965; 1974 - 1982; and 1988 - 1997) is examined. In the process
of the study, the analysis and the interpretation of these dramas as well as the depiction
of women characters is examined.
Authors of the ten dramas under study advocate change through the powerful forces of
gender stereotypes and culture distortions.
The attributes that the authors commonly ascribe to women characters are passivity,
irrationality, compliancy and incorrigibility. An examination of the reasons behind this
proliferation of these female stereotypes and the lack of realistic women characters is
undertaken.
The study posits reasons why particular stereotypes appear in the works of several
authors over a period of time. The women characters are products of social conditioning,
that is, ideals or counter-ideals of the prevailing values of the authors' culture. They are a
symbolic fulfillment of the writers' needs.
The broad cultural perspectives of the authors also shape the texts they produce. These
dramas treat issues and themes, which become central to the formal and structural
ordering of the drama. Such themes have an impact at times on form and structure. In
each case the ideology of the class represented by authors under study is indeed reflected
in the text, to its detriment.
The dominating themes in the ten dramas are forced marriages and women abuse. The
authors are so preoccupied with injustices against women that they distort certain cultural
aspects by, for example, exaggeration. Women are constantly depicted as victims, while
there are no indications in the authors' depictions of women that perceptions of their
cultural role and status are in reality undergoing changes. The thesis is arranged as follows:
Chapter 1 introduces the aim, the scope, the theories and the methods of the study.
Chapter 2 deals with the development of plot within episodes in the dramas of the first
literary period (1958 - 1965). These episodes depict the different phases of the dramas.
A critical evaluation of the dramas by motivating their positive and negative aspects is
undertaken.
Chapter 3 deals with the development of plot within episodes in the dramas of the second
literary period (1974 - 1982). As in the first literary period, a critical evaluation of the
dramas by motivating their positive and negative aspects is examined.
Chapter 4 deals with the development of plot within episodes in the dramas of the third
literary period (1988 - 1997). A critical evaluation of the dramas by motivating their good
and bad points is undertaken.
Chapter 5 deals with woman as character in Xhosa dramas under study. A detailed
analysis of the main woman character in each drama is undertaken. Furthermore, a
critical summary of how the woman has been portrayed in the dramas is presented.
Chapter 6 presents depiction of Xhosa culture in the Xhosa dramas. From each drama,
certain selected aspects of culture are explored and an investigation of the portrayal of
these aspects is undertaken.
Chapter 7 summarizes the findings of the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling van hierdie studie is om 'n kern aspek van Xhosa drama te belig: die rolle
wat vroue kultureel gedwing is om te vervul in die gemeenskap. 'n Seleksie Xhosa dramas
vanuit drie tydperke (1958 - 1965; 1974 - 1982; en 1988 - 1997) word ondersoek. In die
loop van die studie, ontleding en interpretasie van hierdie dramas word die uitbeelding
van vroue karakters ook ondersoek.
Die skrywers van die tien dramas wat bestudeer word, betoog vir verandering deur middel
van die sterk kragte van stereopites en kultureelverwronge voorstellings. Die eienskappe
wat die skrywers algemeen toeskryf aan vroue karakters is passiwiteit, irrasionele optrede,
gehoorsaamheid en deugsaamheid. 'n Ondersoek na die redes vir die proliferasie van
hierdie vroulike stereotipes en die tekortkoming aan realistiese vroue karakters in Xhosa
dramas word uitgevoer in die studie.
Die studie voer redes aan waarom bepaalde stereotipes in die werk van verskeie skrywers
oor 'n tydperk verskyn: hulle vrouekarakters is die produk van sosiale kondisionering, dit
wil sêm ideale of teen-ideale van die heersende waardes van die skrywer se kulturele
agtergrond en 'n simboliese vervulling van die skrywer se behoeftes.
Die algemene kulturele perspektiewe van die skrywers beïnvloed en vorm ook die tekste
wat hulle lewer. Hierdie dramas behandel naamlik vraagstukke tematies wat sentraalook
bepalend is ten opsigte van die vorm en struktuur van die drama. Sodanige temas het
gevolglik in bepaalde gevalle 'n invloed op die vorm en struktuur van die drama. Voorts
word die ideologie van die klas verteenwoordig deur die skrywers in elke geval
gereflekteer en die teks tot bepaalde nadele daarvan.
Die prominente temas in die tien dramas is gedwonge huwelike en vrouemishandeling.
Die skrywers is so gepre-okkupeer met die ongeregtighede teenoor vroue dat hulle
bepaalde kulturele aspekte verwring deur, byvoorbeeld, buitensporige voorstellings.
Vroue word voortdurend voorgestel as slagoffers, terwyl daar feitlik geen aanduidings is in
die skrywer se voorstelling van vroue, dat persepsies oor hulle kulturele rol en status
inderwaarheid besig is om veranderinge te ondergaan. Die proefskrif is soos volg gestruktureer:
Hoofstuk 1 gee die doelstellings, omvang, teorieë en metodes wat in die studie gevolg
word.
Hoofstuk 2 behandel die ontwikkeling van intrige binne verskillende episodes in die
dramas van die eerste literêre periode (1958 - 1965). Hierdie episodes gee 'n uitbeelding
van die verskillende fases van die dramas wat in die studie ondersoek word. 'n Kritiese
evaluering word van die dramas gedoen deur die positiewe en negatiewe aspekte daarvan
te motiveer.
Hoofstuk 3 behandel die ontwikkeling van intrige binne die episodes van die dramas van
die tweede literêre periode (1974 - 1982). Soos vir die eerste literêre periode, word 'n
kritiese evaluering gedoen van die dramas deur onder andere die positiewe en negatiewe
literêre aspekte daarvan te motiveer.
Hoofstuk 4 ondersoek die ontwikkeling van die intrige binne die episodes in die dramas
van die derde literêre periode (1988 - 1997). Die kritiese evaluering van hierdie dramas
sluit, soos vir die vorige periodes, 'n gemotiveerde beskouing in van die positiewe en
negatiewe aspekte.
Hoofstuk 5 ondersoek die vrou as karakter in die Xhosa dramas wat bestudeer word. 'n
Gedetaileerde analise van die hoof-vroue karakters in elke drama word gedoen. Daarna
word 'n kritiese oorsig aangebied van hoe die vrou voorgestel word in die dramas wat
bestudeer is.
Hoofstuk 6 bied 'n uitbeelding van Xhosa kultuur in die dramas wat ondersoek is.
Bepaalde aspekte van kultuur word vir elke drama ondersoek en die uitbeelding van
hierdie kultuur aspekte word behandel.
Hoofstuk 7 bied 'n opsomming van die belangrikste bevindinge van die studie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52615 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Satyo, Priscilla Nomsa |
| Contributors | Du Plessis, J. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 327 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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