J.M. Coetzee and the Idea of Africa

David Ivan D'Arcus Attwell

doi:10.1080/02564710903226684

J.M. Coetzee and the Idea of Africa

David Ivan D'Arcus Attwell

English and Related Literature

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The debate over representations of Africa in J.M. Coetzee's fiction tends to collapse into two irreconcilable positions: (a) he is either uninterested in the African subject or represents it as diminished, or (b) this accusation is naïve and oblivious to the autotelic qualities of Coetzee's fiction. This article seeks to move beyond these positions by looking at moments in Coetzee's writing when he actually does deploy Africa as sign. Analysis of these moments reveals that the sign of Africa in Coetzee is frequently rendered potent, mysterious and obscure – occulted – in order to achieve certain aesthetic effects. These effects are consistent with his efforts to enable fiction to reprise prevailing historical discourses.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	67-83
Journal	Journal of Literary Studies
Volume	25
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/02564710903226684
Publication status	Published - 2009

Bibliographical note

Appeared in Special Issue:J.M. Coetzee and His Doubles.

Access to Document

10.1080/02564710903226684

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02564710903226684

Cite this

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