Creolization and the Production and Negotiation of Boundaries in Breyten Breytenbach's Recent Work

Authors

  • Hein Viljoen Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1483

Keywords:

Nine landscapes of our time bequeathed to a beloved (Nege landskappe bemaak aan 'n beminde, 1993), Paper flower (Papierblom, 2002), The wind-catcher (Die windvanger, 2007), creolization, boundaries, freedom, abrogation, appropriation

Abstract

Much of the South African poet Breyten Breytenbach's work has been concerned with borders. In this article I examine borders and creolization in three important poems from Nine landscapes of our time bequeathed to a beloved (Nege landskappe bemaak aan 'n beminde, 1993), Paper flower (Papierblom, 2002) and The wind-catcher (Die windvanger, 2007). The link between creolization and boundaries is the poet's conception of identity and freedom. As is often the case the boundaries of the self are questioned as the poet permutates the central concepts. Crossing boundaries entails entering into dialogue not only with the self but also with the mother tongue itself and with a variety of other artists and writers. In other words, in Breytenbach's work an abrogation and appropriation of the own tradition ("erfgoed") as well as of material from others, other places and other traditions occur. In these three case studies in particular it is clear how the poet stretches and deforms boundaries as part of his poetic project to concretize a dynamic freedom.

Author Biography

Hein Viljoen, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University

Hein Viljoen is Professor of Afrikaans and Dutch Literature at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University, South Africa. He has published widely on Afrikaans literature and literary theory, including a joint volume with Chris N. van der Merwe on methodology and representation and an introduction to literary theory. He has edited two collections of essays on South African literature: Beyond the Threshold: Explorations of Liminality in Literature (Hein Viljoen and Chris N. Van Der Merwe 2007) and Storyscapes: South African Perspectives on Literature, Space & Identity (Hein Viljoen, and Chris Van Der Merwe 2004), both published by Peter Lang. His current research interests are identity and hybridity in recent
Afrikaans and South African literature.

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Published

2009-03-01

How to Cite

Viljoen, Hein. 2009. “Creolization and the Production and Negotiation of Boundaries in Breyten Breytenbach’s Recent Work”. Nordlit, no. 24 (March):109-31. https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1483.