Die funksie van 'landskap' binne Lettie Viljoen se roman 'Landskap met vroue en slang'

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Landskap met vroue en slang, Lettie Viljoen's fifth novel, differ substantionally from herprevious novel Karolina Feirrera. Landskap met vroue en slang concentrates on theinner processes of the main character rather than a series of external happenings.Because of the fragmentary presentation, wide reference field and many intertexts criticssaw the novel as difficult, complex and challenging. It is clear that the title and cover ofLandskap met vroue en slang landscape, emphasize. In my opinion this serve as apoint of orientation for the reader. Landscape not only plays an important roll in the textbut also functions as a medium to make the text more accessible. With this research Ifocus on the function of the different landscapes in the novel.Almost all the reviews of Landskap met vroue en slang focus on the input of NicolasPoussin, a seventeenth century artist, within the novel. On the cover of the novel is anillustration of two landscape paintings of Poussin. The title also call to mind one ofPoussin's landscape paintings, Landscape with two nymphs and a snake. By lookinginto the sublime landscape paintings of Poussin, one can come to a better understandingof Lena Bergh, the main character's, inner development. In addition to the sublimelandscape as found in landscape paintings of Poussin, the domesticated landscape ofgardens and parks, and the body as a landscape also plays an important roll to make thetext more accessible. Lena's development during her psychological journey is clearlyportrayed through her perception of and association with her garden while in parks andcemeteries she is confronted with issues of her past which she has to work throughduring her psychological journey. She uses bodily metaphors to get a betterunderstanding of the landscape. The opposite also takes place. Lena uses the landscapeto get a better understanding of her own changing body and sexuality. Her psychologicaljourney is completed during the autopsy. Furthermore, one can draw interestingconclusions with regards to Lena's development by looking as how the colonel, acharacter that can be seen as the opposite of Lena, experience the landscape. In myopinion by focusing on landscape readers can gain a better understanding of thischallenging and complex text.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University