Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores how Justin Cartwright’s perspective on Englishness, as a South Africanborn
writer living and writing in England, is played out in his novels. Four of Cartwright’s
novels with English settings are analysed: In Every Face I Meet (1995), The Promise of
Happiness (2004), To Heaven by Water (2009) and Other People’s Money (2011).
Cartwright’s position as a self-conscious observer of English life is revealed as eliciting a
nuanced critique of Englishness. It is argued that Cartwright adopts something of an
anthropological approach towards his English subjects, and that this troubles the traditional
gaze of the Western anthropologist upon the “other”. At the same time, his protagonists are
represented with humane sympathy, though this is often tempered with irony. Drawing on
Paul Gilroy’s ideas about race and multiculture in England and Robert J.C. Young’s The Idea
of English Ethnicity, this thesis discusses Cartwright’s presentation of Englishness as both
potentially inclusive and exclusive. Cartwright also sets England against America, and more
significantly, against Africa. Cartwright’s portrayal of Africa is shown to reveal his somewhat
ambivalent attitude towards his birthplace. Throughout the thesis, Cartwright’s novels are
discussed with an awareness of the influence that the social philosopher Isaiah Berlin has had
on the author, particularly with regard to his critique of idealism and his espousal of value
pluralism and liberal humanism. Yet it is also suggested that Cartwright’s liberal humanism
may be intertwined with his complex and ambivalent attitude towards Africa. Moreover, the
ironic tone and postmodern, metafictional elements of these novels perform Cartwright’s
belief in value pluralism in interesting ways. The relationship between literature, art and
national fictions is furthermore discussed, in conversation with Benedict Anderson’s ideas
about nationalism. This thesis provides a close-reading of the works of this under-researched
author and examines the complexity of his “estranged” position towards Englishness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis verken hoe Justin Cartwright, Suid-Afrikaans gebore skrywer woonagtig in
Engeland, se die siening van Engelsheid (Englishness) in sy romans weerspieël word. Vier
van Cartwright se romans met ‘n Engelse agtergrond word ontleed: In Every Face I Meet
(1995), The Promise of Happiness (2004), To Heaven by Water (2009) en Other People’s
Money (2011). Dit word onthul hoe Cartwright se posisie as self-bewuste waarnemer van
Engelse lewe hom staat te stel om ‘n genuanseerde critique van Engelsheid te lewer. Daar
word aangevoer dat Cartwright ‘n ietwat antropologiese benadering tot sy Engelse
onderwerpe inneem en dat dit die tradisionele siening van die Westerse antropoloog van die
“ander” ondergrawe. Terselfdertyd bied hy sy protagoniste met menslike erbarming aan,
hoewel dit dikwels met ironie getemper word. Deur gebruik te maak van Paul Gilroy se
opvattings oor ras en multikultuur in Engeland en Robert J.C. Young se The Idea of English
Ethnicity, bespreek hierdie tesis hoe Cartwright Engelsheid voorstel as sowel potensieel
inklusief as eksklusief. Cartwright stel ook Engeland teenoor Amerika, en meer
belangwekkend, ook teenoor Afrika. Daar word aangetoon dat Cartwright se uitbeelding van
Afrika sy nogal ambivalente houding teenoor sy geboorteplek verraai. Regdeur die tesis word
Cartwright se romans bespreek met in agneming van die invloed van die sosiale filosoof
Isaiah Berlin op die skrywer, veral ten op sigte van sy critique van idealisme en sy omhelsing
van waardepluralisme en liberale humanisme. Tog word daar ook gesuggereer dat Cartwright
se liberale humanisme verweef mag wees met sy verwikklede en ambivalente houding ten
opsigte van Afrika. Daarbenewens is die ironiese toon en postmoderne, metafiktiewe element
van hierdie romans op interessante maniere ‘n bevestiging van Cartwright se onderskrywing
van waardepluralisme. Vervolgens word die verhouding tussen literatuur, kuns en nasionale
fiksies bespreek in samehang met Benedict Anderson se idees oor nasionalisme. Hierde tesis
bied ‘n noukeurige ondersoek van die werke van hierdie onderverkende skrywer en ondersoek
die kompleksiteit van sy “vervreemde” houding teenoor Engelsheid.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80338 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Buchanan, Andrea Susan |
| Contributors | Graham, Lucy, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 98 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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