Editorial: Introduction: Dogs in every corner

No Abstrac

Chaos, of Op soek na Superman.

Hans Pienaar. Melville: Altoviolet, 2012. 258 pp. ISBN 978-0-620-54118-3

Vaarwel klein soldaat.

Vaarwel klein soldaat.Piet van Rooyen. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis, 2012. 190 pp. ISBN 978-1-8691-9723-0

'n Kulturele entomologiese ondersoek na insekte in Willem Anker se Siegfried

In this paper I investigate the function of the references to insects in Willem Anker's debut novel Siegfried (2007) from a cultural entomological perspective. My focus is on the character Wilhelm (Willem) Smit. Smit, a failed writer, gains his entomological knowledge from the books on insects that was left behind by the previous tenant of the house he rents on the farm of Jan Landman and his mentally disabled son Siegfried Landman. His engagement with insects goes beyond a scientific interest: he compares people and human society to insects and has a habit of eating insects. It therefore falls in the realm of cultural entomology. Since cultural entomology deals with the relationship between humans and insects, I furthermore tie my discussion to the field of Human-Animal Studies (HAS) in which the intertwinement of human and non-human animals is explored. I analyse the following three aspects in Siegfried: Smit's entomophagy (the eating of insects), Smit's general musings on the connection between humans and insects, and the comparison of the homeless people of Cape Town to insects in the novel. I investigate whether the portrayal of insect and human interaction is indicative of a posthuman interweavement or not. My conclusion is that Smit's consumption of insects is an act of desperation rather than a liberating intertwinement of human and animal. The comparison of humans to insects mainly relates to the negative perception of insects in Western culture and does not point to a posthuman transformation of human and animal

Oswald Pirow’s Ashambeni (1955): a “history” of dogs, humans, werewolves

In this paper I explore the human-dog interaction in Oswald Pirow’s Ashambeni (1955). I focus on the position of the dog in Pirow’s depiction of a world where the lives of animals and humans, and the natural and supernatural world, are entangled. In the novel, there are references to real historical figures and particulars of Portuguese East Africa and the South African Lowveld around 1850. The historical context sketched in the novel is from Pirow’s far-right, racist perspective. While most critics place Pirow’s work in the folkloric tradition, Ashambeni is more than a folkloric tale since it promotes Pirow’s offensive views. In Ashambeni the role of the dog ranges from valuable possession to loving companion to hunting and fighting tool. It shows that a dog history cannot be separated from a human history, and that dogs are part of the social and cultural life of humans. The depiction of human-dog interaction in Ashambeni points to a historical anthropocentric entanglement rather than the boundary-crossing entanglement between human and animal proposed by contemporary human-animal studies. The human characters control the dog characters’ status in the human society. Even more problematic, the description of the dogs is tied up with Pirow’s racist ideology and subjective account of history

Dystopian future visions in Afrikaans novels published after 1999: A relationship between past and future

 Viljoen identifies an engagement with history and “dystopic views” as separate trends in recent Afrikaans literature. In investigating characteristics of recent Afrikaans dystopian futurist novels it becomes apparent that the past also plays an important role in the visions of the future that is created. The past is an important premise in dystopian literature in general. It can be linked to the protagonist’s search for identity and meaning in the dystopian space. This article explores the relationship between the past and future in Afrikaans dystopian futurist novels published after 1999. Specific reference is made to the following dystopian novels by established Afrikaans writers: Oemkontoe van die nasie (2001) by P. J. Haasbroek, Raka die roman (2005) by Koos Kombuis and Horrelpoot (2006) by Eben Venter. The self-published dystopian novels Die Nege kerse van Magriet (2006) by Barend P. J. Erasmus and Beslissing in die Karoo (2011) by Sebastiaan Biehl, which lie outside the mainstream of Afrikaans literature, are also discussed. These novels by Erasmus and Biehl are written from an extreme right-wing perspective and differ from the more mainstream novels in their portrayal of a future South Africa. In this paper I explore the role of references to South African history in the construction of the future in the Afrikaans dystopian novels published after 1999. I discuss how the Afrikaner characters use the past in their search for identity in a postcolonial and post-apartheid context.  &nbsp

Distopiese toekomsromans in die Afrikaanse literatuur na 1999

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates the increase in Afrikaans novels set in the future at the time of publication in the period after 1999. The following seven Afrikaans futuristic novels were published in this time: Oemkontoe van die nasie (2001) by P.J. Haasbroek, Hotel Atlantis (2002) and Raka die roman (2005) by Koos Kombuis, Miskruier (2005) by Jaco Botha, Die nege kerse van Magriet (2006) by Barend P.J. Erasmus, Horrelpoot (2006) by Eben Venter and Wederkoms – Die lewe en geskiedenis van Jannes Hoop (2009) by Louis Krüger. These novels are discussed within the framework of dystopian literature since they all portray a future South Africa that is worse off than it was at the time of the novels’ publication. It is discussed whether the socio-political climate in South Africa after 1999 contributed to the increasing popularity of the dystopian genre in Afrikaans in this time. Dystopian literature in general comments on the present rather than the future. The social commentary in these novels is therefore also discussed. The following aspects of dystopian literature, as identified by critics such as Raffaella Baccolini, Fredric Jameson, Tom Moylan, Lyman Tower Sargent and Brian Stableford, is focused on in the analysis of the seven novels: the typical narrative in dystopian works; the distinction between the classical dystopia, critical dystopia and pseudo-dystopia; the connection between dystopian literature and apocalyptic literature, and common themes within dystopian literature (for example the control of language and the media, history and ecological issues). This dissertation highlights the similarities to as well as differences between the seven Afrikaans dystopian novels and typical dystopian works. It is also discussed how the context of a postcolonial and post-apartheid South Africa makes these novels unique.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die toename van Afrikaanse romans in die tydperk ná 1999 wat ten tyde van publikasie in ʼn toekomstige Suid-Afrika afspeel. Die volgende toekomsromans verskyn in hierdie tyd: P.J. Haasbroek se Oemkontoe van die nasie (2001), Hotel Atlantis (2002) en Raka die roman (2005) deur Koos Kombuis, Miskruier (2005) deur Jaco Botha, Eben Venter se Horrelpoot (2006), Die nege kerse van Magriet (2006) deur Barend P.J. Erasmus en Louis Krüger se Wederkoms – Die lewe en geskiedenis van Jannes Hoop (2009). Dié sewe romans word binne die raamwerk van distopiese literatuur bespreek omdat hulle voldoen aan Lyman Tower Sargent se definisie van ʼn literêre distopie: hulle beeld almal ʼn toekomstige Suid-Afrika uit waarin dit slegter gaan as die tyd waarin die romans gepubliseer is. Daar word ondersoek of die sosio-politiese konteks waarin die toekomsromans van ná 1999 verskyn, moontlik ʼn bydrae gelewer het tot die toename van hierdie tipe roman in die tydperk. Toekomsvoorstellings binne distopiese literatuur lewer dikwels eerder kommentaar op die tyd waarin die werke verskyn as op die toekoms. Daar word ondersoek of dit ook die geval is met die Afrikaanse distopiese toekomsromans van ná 1999. Na aanleiding van teorieë rondom distopiese literatuur deur kritici soos Raffaella Baccolini, Fredric Jameson, Tom Moylan, Lyman Tower Sargent en Brian Stableford word daar op die volgende aspekte van distopiese literatuur gefokus in die analise van die sewe romans: die handeling in tipiese distopiese werke; die onderskeid tussen die klassieke distopie, kritiese distopie en pseudo-distopie; die verband tussen apokaliptiese en distopiese literatuur en algemene temas binne distopiese literatuur (byvoorbeeld die beheer van die taal en media, die geskiedenis en ekologiese vraagstukke). In die bespreking word daar gewys op die ooreenkomste, maar ook die verskille, tussen die sewe Afrikaanse distopiese romans en tipiese distopiese werke. Daar word ook bespreek hoe die konteks van ʼn postkoloniale en postapartheid Suid-Afrika ʼn uniekheid verleen aan dié werke

Die "grense van menswees" en insekwording in Willem Anker se Samsa-masjien (2015)

CITATION: Barendse, J.-M. 2016. Die "grense van menswees" en insekwording in Willem Anker se Samsa-masjien (2015). LitNet Akademies, 13(3):1-25.The original publication is available at http://www.litnet.co.zaIn hierdie artikel ondersoek ek die rol van insekte in Willem Anker se toneelstuk Samsa-masjien (2015). Anker se stuk handel oor ’n bejaarde demensielyer, Gregor Samsa, wat saam met sy vrou Josefine by hulle dogter en skoonseun woon. Gregor en Josefine ondergaan albei ’n tipe insekwording waarin hulle al hoe meer soos insekte begin optree. Deel hiervan is dat hulle met klanke en geraas in plaas van taal kommunikeer. Samsa-masjien eindig met die dood van Gregor en Josefine. Ek maak gebruik van die raamwerk van mens-dier-studies (MDS), waarin die fokus op die verweefdheid van mens en dier is. MDS is ’n interdissiplinêre veld wat insigte uit denkrigtings soos die filosofie en posthumanisme betrek. In my bespreking maak ek dan ook gebruik van Deleuze en Guattari (2005) se konsep van dierwording en Derrida (2002) se stelling dat taal die grootste skeiding tussen mens en dier is. Ek verwys verder na Diamond (2008) se uitgangspunt dat die grens tussen mens en dier oorskry word as die mens bewus word van sy/haar liggaamlikheid en weerloosheid. My gevolgtrekking is dat Samsa-masjien, ’n verhaal wat uiteindelik oor mense gaan, wel die grens tussen mens en dier afbreek. Die oorskryding van grense strek selfs verder deurdat die skeiding tussen mens, dier en masjien opgehef word. Gregor en Josefine ondergaan ’n posthumanistiese wording waarin die humanistiese subjek nie meer bestaan nie. Hulle verset hulle teen ’n kunsmatige, kliniese hedendaagse verbruikerskultuur deur vuil te word, “dier” te word, liggaam te word. Die grens tussen mens en dier word finaal oorskry deur Gregor en Josefine se weerloosheid en dood: dit wat mens en dier met mekaar verbind. Die dood is egter nie ’n einde nie, maar net nog ’n wording in die voortdurende verandering en beweging van die versplinterde nomadiese subjek.http://www.litnet.co.za/die-grense-van-menswees-en-insekwording-willem-anker-se-samsa-masjien-2015/Publisher's versio