Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Landskap met vroue en slang, Lettie Viljoen's fifth novel, differ substantionally from her
previous novel Karolina Feirrera. Landskap met vroue en slang concentrates on the
inner processes of the main character rather than a series of external happenings.
Because of the fragmentary presentation, wide reference field and many intertexts critics
saw the novel as difficult, complex and challenging. It is clear that the title and cover of
Landskap met vroue en slang "landscape," emphasize. In my opinion this serve as a
point of orientation for the reader. Landscape not only plays an important roll in the text
but also functions as a medium to make the text more accessible. With this research I
focus on the function of the different landscapes in the novel.
Almost all the reviews of Landskap met vroue en slang focus on the input of Nicolas
Poussin, a seventeenth century artist, within the novel. On the cover of the novel is an
illustration of two landscape paintings of Poussin. The title also call to mind one of
Poussin's landscape paintings, "Landscape with two nymphs and a snake". By looking
into the sublime landscape paintings of Poussin, one can come to a better understanding
of Lena Bergh, the main character's, inner development. In addition to the sublime
landscape as found in landscape paintings of Poussin, the domesticated landscape of
gardens and parks, and the body as a landscape also plays an important roll to make the
text more accessible. Lena's development during her psychological journey is clearly
portrayed through her perception of and association with her garden while in parks and
cemeteries she is confronted with issues of her past which she has to work through
during her psychological journey. She uses bodily metaphors to get a better
understanding of the landscape. The opposite also takes place. Lena uses the landscape
to get a better understanding of her own changing body and sexuality. Her psychological
journey is completed during the autopsy. Furthermore, one can draw interesting
conclusions with regards to Lena's development by looking as how the colonel, a
character that can be seen as the opposite of Lena, experience the landscape. In my
opinion by focusing on landscape readers can gain a better understanding of this
challenging and complex text. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Landskap met vroue en slang (1996), Lettie Viljoen se vyfde roman, verskil grondig van
sy voorloper Karolina Feirrera, deurdat die roman eerder op die hoofkarakter se
innerlike prosesse as 'n reeks uiterlike gebeure konsentreer. Dit, tesame met die
fragmentariese aanbod en wye verwysingsvelde en intertekste wat deur die teks opgeroep
word, het veroorsaak dat die roman deur verskeie resensente as moeilik, kompleks en
uitdagend beskou is. Uit die titel en buiteblad van Landskap met vroue en slang is dit
duidelik dat "landskap" in hierdie roman vooropgestel word. Volgens my bied die titel
en buiteblad 'n oriëntasiepunt vir die leser: landskap speel nie net 'n belangrike rol in
die roman nie, maar dien ook as sleutel om die teks te ontsluit. In hierdie ondersoek
fokus ek op die funksie van landskap in die roman en probeer sodoende die teks vir die
leser meer toeganklik maak.
In byna al die resensies oor Landskap met vroue en slang, word gewys op die belangrike
rol wat Nicolas Poussin, 'n sewentiende eeuse skilder, binne die roman speel. Op die
buiteblad van die roman is 'n afbeelding van twee landskapskilderye deur Poussin. Die
titel herinner ook aan een van Poussin se landskapskilderye, Landskap met twee vroue en
'n slang. Deur die sublieme landskapskilderye van Poussin te ondersoek, kan belangrike
insigte ten opsigte van die hoofkarakter Lena Bergh se innerlike ontwikkeling verkry
word. Behalwe die sublieme landskappe soos dit in Poussin se landskapskilderye
voorkom, speel die gedomestikeerde landskap van tuine en parke en die liggaam as
landskap ook 'n belangrike rol om die teks meer toeganklik te maak. Lena se
ontwikkeling tydens haar psigiese reis word duidelik uitgebeeld in haar persepsie van en
omgang met haar tuin terwyl sy in parke en begraafplase met inhoude uit haar verlede
gekonfronteer word wat sy op hierdie psigiese reis moet deurwerk. Sy gebruik liggaammetafore
om 'n beter begrip van en greep op die vreemde Natalse landskap te kry. Die
omgekeerde vind egter ook plaas: Lena gebruik die landskap om 'n beter begrip van
haar eie veranderende liggaam en seksualiteit te kry. Haar psigiese reis word voltrek
deur haar konfrontasie met die liggaam as landskap tydens 'n lykskouing. Deur verder
die landskapsbelewing van die kolonel te ondersoek, 'n karakter wat as keersky van Lena
beskou kan word, kan insiggewende kommentaar op Lena se beskouing van die landskap en psigiese reis gelewer word. Deur die verskillende landskappe te ondersoek, kan die
leser myns insiens 'n beter greep op hierdie uitdagende en komplekse teks kry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52772 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Victor, Madri |
| Contributors | Viljoen, L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans & Dutch. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 157 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
Page generated in 0.0015 seconds