Abstract
The point of departure of this investigation was the reality that the practice of ecocriticism varies in different parts of the world. This research was approached against the background of international recognition that the uniqueness of ecocriticism as practised in a particular part of the world does not necessarily reside in its theoretical framework, but in the distinct geographical features of that part of the world as well as the specific associations with those places (Goodbody, in Flys 2010:118; Smith 2022:208).
The investigation was motivated by contemporary research on the unique nature of Afrikaans ecocriticism, specifically in Susan Smith’s article “Op weg na ’n eiesoortige Afrikaanse ekokritiek; ’n ontleding van die gedigreeks ‘werf’ in die bundel Mede-wete van Antjie Krog” (“Towards a distinctive Afrikaans ecocriticism: Analysing the poem series ‘werf’ (‘yard’) in the poetry volume Mede-wete (2014) by Antjie Krog”) (Smith 2022). Smith (2022:220) emphasises that the uniqueness of Afrikaans ecocriticism similarly cannot be found in any theoretical framework, but in the material, social and geographical specificities of this part of the world, and in associations with this place we South Africans live in. In formalising the clearest and most comprehensive definition of Afrikaans ecocriticism available at present, Smith reiterates that our unique geographical characteristics of place and associations with places are crucial in terms of the distinctiveness of Afrikaans ecocriticism versus ecocriticism elsewhere in the world (Smith 2022:208, 220).
The theoretical point of departure is that the practice of ecocriticism in a specific part of the world is determined firstly by geographical conditions unique to that place, then by historical and current collective events and own cultural traditions. Therefore nobody anywhere in the world can write and theorise about South Africa in the way we who experience this unique place daily and experience the nuanced and often problematic context can (Smith 2022:215, 226).
Little literary research on the unique nature and features of South African geographical landscapes as a focal point is available, notwithstanding that various aspects of the Karoo-human relationship and human interaction with nature have already been scrutinised in ecocritical studies about Afrikaans literature. New possibilities for applying the theoretical perspectives of Afrikaans ecocriticism as defined by Smith (2022:220), but different from those used in the second part of her article, are considered here in text analysis. I argue that investigations starting with the defining elements of Afrikaans ecocriticism as methodological points of departure could lead to fresh or wider possibilities for text analysis. This type of analysis should – besides following Smith in applying a post-colonial approach to Afrikaans ecocriticism, as demonstrated in her article – also incisively give an account of the geographical details of South African landscapes depicted in Afrikaans literature.
This investigation comprised looking into the figuring of physical geographical South African characteristics of place– after a clear distinction between physical geography and human geography had been made – as well as into association with place as a key to comprehension of the human-place dynamics in three chosen narrative texts. Two central questions were posed: What does the literary expression of the nature of the South African geographical landscapes in a selection of Afrikaans narrative texts look like? And what is said about our association with our physical geographical landscapes? The theoretical section comprised looking into different semantic associations of the term geography, differentiating between the related terms space, place and landscape as well as distinguishing briefly between a few other earth-oriented theoretical approaches, like bioregionalism and geocriticism.
The Karoo was selected for this study because of its far-reaching influence on South Africans and its strong presence in the Afrikaans prose tradition. The landscapes in the short story “Woede” (Anger) (Abraham H. de Vries), as well as in the novels Die swye van Mario Salviati (The long silence of Mario Salviati) (Etienne van Heerden) and Chinchilla (Nanette van Rooyen) represent different parts of the Karoo.
Selecting the Karoo as the geographical area for my literary research would imply linking this research to a central spatial aspect of the Afrikaans prose tradition. It is said that the history of Afrikaans prose can be described with reference to the development of the Afrikaans farm novel (Roos 2015:99, 111). The Karoo has left a distinct mark on this genre since the 1960s, the era of the writings of Karel Schoeman and F.A. Venter. In recent times this region has been part of the return of the farm novel in post-modern format as found in works like those of Etienne van Heerden and Eben Venter.
The extent and nuances of the literary voice expressing the geographically typical features of the Karoo regions in my selection of narratives were determined. The processes of perception regarding the geographical character of these natural environments create strong perceptions of geographical awareness in the characters. This very geographical awareness in each of several characters promotes support for the formation of links and associations with Karoo landscapes and also influences the ways meanings and semantic values are denoted to place. Perceptions of geographical awareness include sensory, emotive and intellectual elements of geographical awareness as the depicted Karoo regions each obtains an own, varied presence in the selected texts – regarding the wealth of detail, the fine nuances in line, colour and texture, and the almost photographic vividness in the portrayal or shaping of it (Le Grange 2007:11).
An equally important finding is the powerful way in which the depicted associations of the central characters with the Karoo landscape contributes to allocating meaning to place in each text. In Die swye of Mario Salviati and Chinchilla these associations inspire the characters to consider anew damaged self-images and lives that had gone wrong, establishing hope, recovery and expectations in the characters. This resumes in “Woede” where the purposeful continuation of life as well as the return to a life of complete humaneness is coupled with human-landscape associations.
The value of this investigation lies in proffering an example of where the definition and elements of Afrikaans ecocriticism found in Smith’s research (2022:220–5) can guide the methodology of the researcher. Against the background of globalisation and the increasing interest in the literature of the Global South, the relevance of research highlighting the manifestation of distinct physical geographical place associations in Afrikaans literature and in South African context stands without doubt.
Keywords: Afrikaans ecocriticism; Chinchilla (Nanette van Rooyen); Die swye van Mario Salviati (Etienne van Heerden); geographical landscape; Karoo; place-human association; “Woede” (Abraham H. de Vries)
- This article’s featured image was created by Juanita Swart and obtained from Unsplash.