The portrayal of memory, trauma and therapy in post-apartheid south african plays: a study of lara foot newton’s reach! and craig higginson’s dream of the dog

Project Abstract

<p> <em>Using</em>&nbsp;<em>Lara</em>&nbsp;<em>Foot</em>&nbsp;<em>N</em><em>ewton’s</em>&nbsp;<em>Reach!</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>Craig</em>&nbsp;<em>Higginson’s</em>&nbsp;<em>Dream</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>Dog,</em>&nbsp;<em>this</em>&nbsp;<em>study</em>&nbsp;<em>explores</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>manner</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>which</em>&nbsp;<em>this</em>&nbsp;<em>selected</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>playwrights</em>&nbsp;to <em>deploy</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>themes</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>memory,</em>&nbsp;<em>trauma</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>therapy</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;<em>works</em>&nbsp;<em>as</em>&nbsp;<em>a</em>&nbsp;<em>means</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>recounting</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>horrific</em>&nbsp;<em>experiences</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>apartheid</em>&nbsp;<em>regime,</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>effects</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>these</em>&nbsp;<em>experiences</em>&nbsp;<em>on</em>&nbsp;<em>personal,</em>&nbsp;<em>social</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>political</em>&nbsp;<em>life</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>relationships</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>post-apartheid</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>Africa.</em>&nbsp;<em>Since</em>&nbsp;<em>Literary</em>&nbsp;<em>themes</em>&nbsp;<em>are</em>&nbsp;<em>sometimes</em>&nbsp;<em>burdened</em>&nbsp;<em>with</em>&nbsp;<em>open-ended</em>&nbsp;<em>meanings</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>motifs.</em>&nbsp;<em>They</em>&nbsp;<em>are</em>&nbsp;<em>therefore</em>&nbsp;<em>always</em>&nbsp;<em>open</em>&nbsp;<em>to</em>&nbsp;<em>interpretations</em>&nbsp;<em>guided</em>&nbsp;<em>by</em>&nbsp;<em>concepts</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>theories</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>literature.</em>&nbsp;<em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>study</em>&nbsp;<em>proceeds</em>&nbsp;<em>on</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>assumption</em>&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>selected</em>&nbsp;<em>plays</em>&nbsp;<em>like</em>&nbsp;<em>other</em>&nbsp;<em>Post-apartheid</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>plays</em>&nbsp;<em>embody</em>&nbsp;<em>sensitive</em>&nbsp;<em>issues</em>&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;<em>relate</em>&nbsp;<em>to</em>&nbsp;<em>memory,</em>&nbsp;<em>trauma</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>therapy.</em>&nbsp;<em>This</em>&nbsp;<em>is</em>&nbsp;<em>achieved</em>&nbsp;<em>through</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>use</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>Freudian</em>&nbsp;<em>psychoanalytic</em>&nbsp;<em>perspective</em>&nbsp;<em>which</em>&nbsp;<em>facilitate</em>&nbsp;<em>an</em>&nbsp;<em>affinity</em>&nbsp;<em>between</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>influence</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>memory</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>trauma</em>&nbsp;<em>on</em>&nbsp;<em>an</em>&nbsp;<em>individual’s</em>&nbsp;<em>social</em>&nbsp;<em>behaviour</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>literary</em>&nbsp;<em>creativity.</em>&nbsp;<em>It</em>&nbsp;<em>also</em>&nbsp;<em>investigates</em>&nbsp;<em>how</em>&nbsp;<em>interiorities</em>&nbsp;<em>motivate</em>&nbsp;<em>actions</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>characters</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>selected</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>post-apartheid</em>&nbsp;<em>plays.</em>&nbsp;<em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>study</em>&nbsp;<em>argues</em>&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;<em>playwrights</em>&nbsp;<em>occupy</em>&nbsp;<em>a</em>&nbsp;<em>central</em>&nbsp;<em>position</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>not</em>&nbsp;<em>only</em>&nbsp;<em>locating</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>experience</em>&nbsp;<em>within</em>&nbsp;<em>literary</em>&nbsp;<em>discourse</em>&nbsp;<em>but</em>&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;<em>plays</em>&nbsp;<em>illustrate</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>therapeutic</em>&nbsp;<em>approach</em>&nbsp;<em>to</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>study</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>experiences.</em>&nbsp;<em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>study,</em>&nbsp;<em>therefore,</em>&nbsp;<em>finds</em>&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;<em>psychoanalysis</em>&nbsp;<em>offers</em>&nbsp;<em>a</em>&nbsp;<em>unique</em>&nbsp;<em>perspective</em>&nbsp;<em>to</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>study</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>characters</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>plays.</em>&nbsp;<em>It</em>&nbsp;<em>also</em>&nbsp;<em>finds</em>&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;<em>memory,</em>&nbsp;<em>trauma</em>&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;<em>therapy</em>&nbsp;<em>influence</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>inner</em>&nbsp;<em>working</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>characters</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>some</em>&nbsp;<em>post-apartheid</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>plays.</em>&nbsp;<em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>study</em>&nbsp;<em>thus</em>&nbsp;<em>concludes</em>&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;<em>psychoanalytic</em>&nbsp;<em>criticism</em>&nbsp;<em>is</em>&nbsp;<em>relevant</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>delineating</em>&nbsp;<em>how</em>&nbsp;<em>interiorities</em>&nbsp;<em>motivate</em>&nbsp;<em>actions</em>&nbsp;<em>in</em>&nbsp;<em>post-apartheid</em>&nbsp;<em>South</em>&nbsp;<em>African</em>&nbsp;<em>plays.</em> <br></p>

Project Overview

<p> </p><div><p><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>1.1</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Background</strong>&nbsp;<strong>of</strong>&nbsp;<strong>the</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Study</strong></p><p>This study explores the manner in which the selected South African playwrights</p><p>deploy the themes of memory, trauma and therapy in their works as a means of</p><p>recounting the traumatic experiences of the apartheid regime, and the effects of these</p><p>experiences on personal, social and political life and relationships in post-apartheid South</p><p>Africa. It is germane to note that the keyword that essentially defines apartheid is</p><p>segregation, segregation of blacks by white folks and foes. Apartheid was a system of</p><p>racial discrimination. According to Mhlauli, End Salani and Rosinah Mokotedi, (2015:</p><p>205) “Apartheid is an almost universally recognized word, defined as “segregation on</p><p>grounds of race. Not only was apartheid a system of racial discrimination, moreover, it</p><p>was also imposed separation or segregation of blacks and whites in the areas of</p><p>government, labour market and residency. It was, thus, pervasive in that it was deeply</p><p>embedded within the economic, social and political structure of the whole country”. The</p><p>apartheid rule which in terms of comparison with colonialism is the most despicable and</p><p>inhuman role that nature abhors, used every means, instruments and structures of the</p><p>society to implement the inordinate segregation of black majority by white minority.</p><p>Accordingly, the resultant consequences of this infamous system is such experience it</p><p>gave birth to: an experience of intolerant, violence, racial prejudice and war-like</p><p>relationships between the blacks and the whites. Therefore, for the blacks, life was nasty,</p><p>brutish and short. For black South Africans as well as white South Africans who survived</p><p>x</p></div><div><p>this era, traumatic memories of this violent and despicable experience is the latent cause</p><p>of their actions and it defines their relationships.</p><p>Consequently, using Lara Foot Newton‟s <em>Reach!</em>&nbsp;and Craig Higginson‟s <em>D</em><em>ream</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em></p><p><em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>Dog,</em>&nbsp;the study investigates the playwright‟s preoccupation with the adverse impact of</p><p>memory and trauma in Post-apartheid South Africa. A critical look into South African</p><p>Literary works reveals that there is a large corpus of critical works aimed at portraying</p><p>the post-apartheid South Africa experiences. For example, researchers like Mekusi,</p><p>Busuyi (2009), Catherine Powell (2010), Clare Stopford (2013), Ibinga Stephane (2007)</p><p>have discussed the Post-apartheid South Africa experiences principally from social,</p><p>political, cultural and historical perspectives. Greg Homann (2009:26) is also of the view</p><p>that the selected plays in this research show “a new confidence in writing plays in which</p><p>the choice of form supports the plot and thematic concerns of the writers. Thus, he</p><p>observes that Foot Newton and Higginson use a realist mode of representation to tell their</p><p>stories”.</p><p>Despite the contributions of these attempts, however, they have not given adequate</p><p>attention to the psychological dimension of post-apartheid experiences that the selected</p><p>plays embody. This study therefore, expands existing approaches by deploying</p><p>psychoanalytical approach to the evaluation of Lara Foot Newton‟s <em>Reach</em>&nbsp;and Craig</p><p>Higginson‟s <em>Dream</em>&nbsp;<em>of</em>&nbsp;<em>the</em>&nbsp;<em>Dog,</em>&nbsp;as examples of Post-apartheid South African plays. This</p><p>research pays attention to the playwrights‟ depiction of interiorities, which entail the</p><p>interplay of conscious and unconscious traumatic memories and the conscious attempts</p></div> <br><p></p>