Works of piety, works of history

Abstract

Abstract provided by author:

While most of the literature endorses a socio-politically fostered frontierism, post-1975 fiction (adventure writing excluded) registers increasing dissent. The indigenous literature is interpreted as illuminating the silences in the frontier texts, and as a denial of the frontier metaphor in its presentation of Namibia as home

The thesis argues that the frontier theme, expressed through numerous myths and metaphors, emerges as the dominant motif in this writing. The frontier bias reveals itself in the author's attitude towards his subject, his depiction of character, landscape and indigenous Namibians, and in his relationship towards his metropolitan audience

The frontier serves as an elaborate metaphor for each successive group of writers as Namibia is appropriated to serve metropolitan needs. Dutch and British pre-colonial texts, located beyond the frontier, reflect eighteenth century Cape, and nineteenth century Victorian - British concerns. German colonial literature incorporates the frontier within German national sentiment. Early South African writing provides a frontier mythology for an industrializing capitalist state. Pre-1975 Afrikaans fiction employs the trek metaphor, while English historical novels of the late sixties and early seventies, express liberal dilemmas. Writers of the last decade focus on militarization, total onslaught, total strategy and the deconstruction of frontier