Ware historie : die verband tussen kuns en die verlede na aanleiding van Die swye van Mario Salviati

In a period that is often characterised by a postmodernist blur of boundaries, it seems that the sharp distinction between historiographic fiction and history has also disappeared. The fussiness of this boundary could, amongst other reasons, be ascribed to, the result of criticism against narrative history (e.g. Hayden White), as well as to the emphasis on local knowledge, the petite histoire (Lyotard). The role of art in society is examined at the hand of Etienne van Heerden's novel, Die swye van Mario Salviati (2000) [The Silence of Mario Salviati]. But like most magic realist fiction, this novel is also a serious engagement with the past. The combination of a focus on art and on history serves as point of departure for this essay. Drawing on this novel and on Paul Ricoeur's Time and Narrative, a case is made for the continuation of a distinction between fiction and history.This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b107695

Postmodernisme : doelgerig of vrolike fuif? 'n Polisieroman en 'n moorddroom

The incredulity towards metanarratives in the postmodernist era holds serious implications for historiography. Two "historiographic meta fictional novels" (Hutcheon's term), one Flemish and one Afrikaans, are discussed in this article. There is a significant difference in the way these two texts react to ontological doubt. On the one hand there is a celebration of the loss of metanarratives in Het beleg van Laken (Walter van den Broeck). On the other hand this loss is used in a very serious way to undermine existing metanarratives in Kroniek uit die doofpot (John Miles). The joyous humour and celebration in Het beleg van Laken is absent in Kroniek uit die doofpot. It is concluded that some historiographic metafiction frivolously celebrates decentring and the incredulity towards metanarratives. In other historiographic meta fiction ontological doubt manifests without humour or celebration and serves to undermine metanarratives. It might be true that the celebration belongs to a late capitalist Western culture whereas it is unsuitable for a developing country.Article digitised using: Suprascan 1000 RGB scanner, scanned at 400 dpi; 24-bit colour; 100% Image derivating - Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Image levels, crop, deskew Abbyy Fine Reader No.9 - Image manipulation + OCR Adobe Acrobat 9 (PDF)This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b1160952nf201

Also sprach Treppie : taal en verhaal as muurpapier in Marlene van Niekerk se Triomf (of "it's all in the mind")

In Marlene van Niekerk's Triomf "wall paper" becomes a central metaphor for the idea that language, narratives, ideologies, religion etc. are lies, because it leads to generalisations. These generalisations deny "reality" and are in Treppie's words "all in the mind". Treppie's efforts to tear down the wall paper could be described in Nietzschean terms as resistance to Apollinian veils (especially the veils of Christian national ideology) in order to expose Dionysian chaos. It is a resistance to any form of generalisation and a distrust of language. In the end Treppie turns to language (poetic language) in order to make sense of life, to lay bare the particular. In poetry (literature) an intersubjectivity is discovered which subverts the possibility to deny the specificity of individuals like the 8enade's of Triomf.Article digitised using: Suprascan 1000 RGB scanner, scanned at 400 dpi; 24-bit colour; 100% Image derivating - Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Image levels, crop, deskew Abbyy Fine Reader No.9 - Image manipulation + OCR Adobe Acrobat 9 (PDF)This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b1160952nf201

"Bolwerk teen tyd en vergetelheid" : Karel Schoeman se outobiografiese aantekeninge

Karel Schoeman's attempt in his "autobiography" as well as in his historical works and fiction, is to create a "bulwark against time and oblivion". By narrating the past, an important contribution is made towards constituting an identity. Utilising Paul Ricoeur's notion of "narrative identity", the way in which Karel Schoeman emplots his life is explored. Although Schoeman does not yield totally to any popular plot provided by the tradition, he seems to utilise the plot of the journey to a large extent. However, in the last chapter he seems to undo the Jungian identity that was created by his narrative in order to reject the idea of a totalizing identity.Article digitised using: Suprascan 1000 RGB scanner, scanned at 400 dpi; 24-bit colour; 100% Image derivating - Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Image levels, crop, deskew Abbyy Fine Reader No.9 - Image manipulation + OCR Adobe Acrobat 9 (PDF)This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b114619

Van "Lag vir die waarheid" tot "Postmodernistiese hoop"

Postmodernisme word dikwels beskou as 'n voortsetting van die Modernisme omdat die rede deur middel van die rede ondergrawe word - dat dit dus nie werklik 'n breuk met die Rede is nie. Dit is waar dat die postmodernisme in hierdie opsig nie werklik 'n breuk met die Modernisme verteenwoordig nie. Die "lag vir die waarheid" in postmodernistiese fiksie Iê die tekortkominge van die Modernisme bloot. In hierdie tyd wat die tekortkoming van die natuuroorheersende rede al duideliker word, word ontologiese vrae, die metafisika (in teenstelling met rasionaliteit) op die voorgrond geplaas. Casspirs en Campari's bly nie alleen by die "lag vir die waarheid" nie. Daar word 'n metafisiese hoop, wat hierdie "lag vir die waarheid" transendeer, gevestig. 'n Gryp van hoop verby die grense van rasionaliteit. Daar is lig voor in die tonnel.Article digitised using: Suprascan 1000 RGB scanner, scanned at 400 dpi; 24-bit colour; 100% Image derivating - Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Image levels, crop, deskew Abbyy Fine Reader No.9 - Image manipulation + OCR Adobe Acrobat 9 (PDF)This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b1120769nf201

“Critique engagee” – literary critcism that can change the world? Literary criticism after theory

Over the last few decades postmodernist literature and criticism have rejected the idea of a white, western, male monoculture. Elements of Derridean and Foucauldian thought have penetrated to every level of literary criticism, resulting in a characteristic incredulity towards universal truth claims and evaluative judgement. The humanist concepts of universal timeless qualities of the good, the truth and the beautiful inherent in good literature have been undermined. Every discourse is a historically situated narrative amongst other narratives – each with its own characteristics and effects. In these circumstances the task of literary criticism was often reduced to merely showing how each text is merely a narrative and that each word gets its meaning as a result of its place in the structure. Critics are “deconstructing” in order to show how a specific discourse excludes (and thus wields power). The deconstruction of presuppositions and certainties eventually leads to a cynical relativism, an ironic way of living where nothing is real and where “anything goes”. The author and critic underwriting these ideas indeed rid us from an obsolete cultural ideal but in the process render themselves irrelevant. In these circumstances, it is argued that there is a need for “engaged criticism”: a kind of criticism (deduced from the idea of “littérature engagée”) that appeals to the reader to take full responsibility for his/her own being in the world, an evaluative criticism that does not return to superseded humanistic beliefs but that values literature that enables us to share our most important questions and our deepest emotions.Postmodernistiese literatuur en -kritiek het oor die afgelope paar dekades afgereken met die idee van ’n wit, westerse, manlike, monokultuur. Die idees van Derrida en Foucault het deurgesyfer tot op elke vlak van die literatuurkritiek en -studie met ’n gevolglike agterdog jeens algemeengeldende waarheidsaansprake en waardeoordele. Die humanistiese beskouing dat daar universele kwaliteite geld waarvolgens goeie kunswerke die goeie, ware en skone sou bevat, is ondermyn. Elke diskoers is ’n histories-ontstaande verhaal tussen ander verhale – met elk hulle eie kenmerke en wetmatighede en ook hulle eie praktiese magseffekte. In hierdie omstandighede het die taak van literatuurkritiek geword om daarop te wys hoedat alle tekste eintlik verhale is: hoedat terme na mekaar verwys en hulle betekenis verkry van hulle plek in die gestruktureerde geheel. Kritici is dus besig om te “dekonstrueer” ten einde aan te dui hoedat die bepaalde konstruksie uitsluitend is (en dus mag uitoefen). Die dekonstruksie van vooronderstellings en sekerhede versand uiteindelik tot ’n siniese relativisme, ’n ironiese lewenshouding waarin niks meer “werklik” is nie en waarin alles aanvaarbaar is: “anything goes”. Die skrywer en kritikus wat hierdie idees onderskryf, raak wel ontslae van ’n uitgediende kultuurideaal, maar is dan self ook irrelevant. In hierdie omstandighede ontstaan die noodsaak vir “betrokke kritiek” – ’n soort kritiek wat (n.a.v. die idee van “betrokke literatuur”) ’n aanspraak op die leser maak om volle verantwoordelikheid vir sy/haar eie menswees in die wêreld te aanvaar, ’n evaluerende kritiek wat nie terugkeer na uitgediende humanistiese opvattings nie maar wat wel waarde heg aan letterkunde wat ons belangrikste vrae en diepste emosies onderling deelbaar maak.Willie Burger is professor in letterkunde en hoof van die Departement Afrikaans aan die Universiteit van Pretoria. Willie se navorsing is tans gefokus op modernisme. Hy resenseer gereeld in verskeie publikasies en tree op as rubriekskrywer in die populêre media.Willie Burger is professor in literature and head of the Afrikaans Department at the University of Pretoria. His research is focused on Modernism. He often reviews literature for various publications and is also a columnist in the popular media.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_akgees.htmlnf201

Reis as ondergrawing van meesterverhale : die reise van Ratkas en Isobelle

Travelling usually leads to changed perspectives. The traveller becomes aware that his/her own perspective on reality is not the only valid perspective. In this article two Afrikaans novels in which travel is of central importance are examined to determine the manner in which these travels serve to undermine master narratives. Travels do not necessarily lead to a proliferation of perspectives and a postmodernist distrust of master narratives. In Die ryk van die rawe the traveller does not succeed in gaining a new perspective at all, while in Die reise van Isobelle, one master narrative is replaced by another - corresponding with Caren Kaplen's idea that master narratives are needed in order to change society.Article digitised using: Suprascan 1000 RGB scanner, scanned at 400 dpi; 24-bit colour; 100% Image derivating - Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Image levels, crop, deskew Abbyy Fine Reader No.9 - Image manipulation + OCR Adobe Acrobat 9 (PDF)This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b1160952nf201

Van helde en boewe en ander clichés

No abstract availableArticle digitised using: Suprascan 1000 RGB scanner, scanned at 400 dpi; 24-bit colour; 100% Image derivating - Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Image levels, crop, deskew Abbyy Fine Reader No.9 - Image manipulation + OCR Adobe Acrobat 9 (PDF)This article was written by Prof. Willie Burger before he joined the University of Pretoriahttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b112076

“Ons kan maar net versin. En aan ons versinsels glo. Glo wat ander aan ons versin”: Die herinnerde verlede in Elsa Joubert se Die reise van Isobelle.

The experience of the passage of time and our attempts to remember the past is central in Elsa Joubert’s Die reise van Isobelle (1995) (translated in English as Isobelle’s Journey). In this novel memory and the importance of remembering is contemplated. The novel starts with the end of an era (the Victorian era – described as an era of “innocence” of which we can only recognise the “pattern” afterwards) and closes with the end of an era (the end of apartheid). The ending of two eras draws attention to the passage of time. Remembering the past is a flawed process, often brings a sense of loss, but also contributes finding a way of looking towards the future. In this article the problems with remembering and forgetting is traced in the novel, but also how memory brings new possibilities to confront an uncertain future of which the patterns are not yet discernable. The novel deals specifically with autobiographic memory and the way in which this kind of memory contributes to morality. Ways in which memory can be employed to engage meaningfully with the current situation are indicated