Thesis (MA (English))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores masculinity and sexuality, hegemonic and “deviant” in the nation state of the
old apartheid South Africa, by addressing aspects of fatherhood, boyhood and motherhood in
white, predominantly Afrikaans family narratives. In doing this, I explore the ways in which the
young boys in texts such as The Smell of Apples (1995), by Mark Behr, and moffie (2006), by
André Carl van der Merwe, are systematically groomed to become the ideal stereotype of
masculinity at the time: rugged, intelligent, successful and heterosexual.
The main focus of this thesis is to explore the ideologies inherent in constructing the white,
Afrikaner man, his woman and their family. This will be done with specific reference to the time
frame between the early 1970s to the fall of the apartheid regime in the early 1990s, focussing on
the young white boys who are sent to do military training and oftentimes, a stint on the border
between Angola and the then South-West Africa, in order to keep the so-called threat of
communism at bay. I explore what happens when this white-centred patriarchal hegemony is
broken down, threatened or resisted when “deviance” in the form of homosexuality occurs.
A second focus of this thesis is that of “deviance” in the army. I analyse “deviance” in three
novels, moffie (2006) by André Carl van der Merwe, The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs (1991) by
Damon Galgut and Kings of the Water (2009) by Mark Behr. These novels foreground
“deviance” and I make use of them in exploring the punishment, or “consequences” of being
homosexual or “deviant” in the highly masculine environs of the South African National
Defence Force (SANDF) army. I also examine the muted yet, I argue, resistant voices of female
characters in these novels. This thesis concludes by briefly noting the aftermath of this war, the after-effects of a white,
hegemonic, conservative ruling party at the helm of a divided, war-faring country on its soldiers,
who are now middle-aged men. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek manlikheid en seksualiteit, hegemonie en “afwykings” in die staat van ou
apartheid Suid-Afrika deur te verwys na aspekte van vaderskap, seunwees en moederskap in
blanke, oorwegend Afrikaanse gesinsvertellings. Eerstens sal daar ondersoek ingestel word na
die wyses waarop jong seuns in tekste soos The Smell of Apples (1995) deur Mark Behr en moffie
(2006) deur André Carl van der Merwe stelselmatig gekweek word tot die ideale stereotipe van
manlikheid in die era: ongetem, intelligent, suksesvol en heteroseksueel.
Die hoofklem van hierdie tesis is om die denkwyses onderliggend aan die konstruksie van die
blanke Afrikaner man, sy vrou en hulle gesin, te verken. Dit sal bewerkstellig word deur na die
tydperk vanaf die vroeë 1970s tot en met die ondergang van die apartheidsbewind in die vroeë
1990s te verwys, met spesifieke klem op jeugdige blanke seuns wat gestuur is vir militêre
opleiding en dikwels ook diensplig aan die grens tussen Angola en destydse Suid-Wes Afrika
om die oënskynlike kommunistiese aanslag af te weer. Daar word verken wat plaasvind
wanneer hierdie blank-gesentreerde, patriargale oorwig afgebreek, bedreig of teengestaan
word deur “afwykings” soos die voorkoms van homoseksualiteit.
‘n Tweede fokuspunt van hierdie tesis is die “afwykings” in die weermag. Die volgende drie
“afwykingsromans” word ontleed: moffie (2006), The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs (1991) deur Damon Galgut en Kings of the Water (2009) deur Mark Behr. Hierdie romans ondervang die idee
van “afwykings” en word gebruik in die ondersoek na die straf of gevolge van homoseksueel of
“afwykend” wees in die uitsluitlik manlike omgewing geskep deur die SANW-opleiding. Daar
word ook ondersoek ingestel na die stilgemaakte; dog, soos aangetoon word, versettende stemme
van vroulike karakters in die romans.
Hierdie tesis sluit af deur vlugtig te verwys na die nasleep van die oorlog en die gevolge van ’n
blanke, heersende, konserwatiewe party aan die stuur van ’n verdeelde, oorlogvoerende land op
sy soldate wat tans middeljarige mans is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5451 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Rees, Jennifer |
| Contributors | Viljoen, Shaun, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 128 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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