South African Literature Research Papers (original) (raw)

The South African education system is still letting down a vast number of South Africans. And it is questionable whether a satisfying solution is to be realised by the government in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the finding of alternatives, which might prove viable in bridging the given disparities and shortcomings of the system, is crucial. Thus, the overall aim of this analysis is to elaborate in how far literature, as a supplementary form of education, can contribute to such a personal process of empowerment in the course of coming of age, and, at a larger scale, to the desired transformation into a truly equal democracy. As a solid foundation generally forms the core of every growth, supporting learners from an early age on, is of utter significance. Hence, the focus of this study will be contemporary young adult fiction.
In order to fully understand the necessity for this analysis, a snapshot of present- day South Africa will be taken and analysed as an initial step. The paper will shine light on the most important socio-political problems; the country is confronted with today. Attention will be drawn on poverty, its sources and consequences as well as formal and informal education. In the process, the intertwined nature of the two will surface. As there seems to be a tremendous discrepancy between theory, as proposed by the government, and the reality many South Africans find themselves in, the country’s education system will be examined closely.
The results will ultimately point to the importance of other sources of education and empowerment. Hence, the paper will then focus on suitable young adult literature, as a means of compensating the existing circumstances. At first, the genre’s history and core characteristics will be elaborated in a broader sense. Thereafter the genre will be explored in a specific South African context. The transformative power, literature generally holds, will be emphasized. As the aspects of memory, voice and agency form core components to this process, they will be assessed closely.
Subsequently, the previous results will be applied to four examples of contemporary South African young adult fiction, namely Thirteen Cents: A Novel by K. Sello Duiker, Untitled – A Novel by Kgebetli Moele, The Right Thing To Do by Dorothy Dyer and From Boys to Men by Londi Gamedze and Dorothy Dyer. In a close reading of the narratives, each protagonist’s circumstances and development will be investigated. The analysis will focus on how the process is influenced by poverty, education, or the lack thereof, as well as other external impacts. Under the horizon of the paper’s higher aim, attention will also be drawn to the character’s attitude towards art, where applicable. Eventually, it will crystallize that the engagement with fiction can hold a beneficial and cathartic notion and, accordingly, can contribute to a person’s process of empowerment. As a closing note, the question in how far the reading of the previously studied literature can prove valuable for young South Africans in general, will be addressed.