In this dissertation I analyse the last two forest novels by Dalene Matthee, namely Moerbeibos (The mulberry forest) (1987) and Toorbos (Dreamforest) (2003), from the perspectives of postcolonial ecocriticism and specifically whiteness studies. This dissertation firstly investigates the intertwined identity of human subjects in South Africa as portrayed in both novels. Furthermore, the influence of colonialism on nonhuman entities, as well as the representation of various relationships between humans and nonhuman entities, are also examined. The analysis of the connection between the oppression of a poor white, Afrikaner community, and the oppression of the nonhuman is guided by the question: How is the specifically poor white, Afrikaner community portrayed as intertwined with the nonhuman in Matthee’s last two forest novels, The mulberry forest and Dreamforest?
I especially rely on theories in postcolonial ecocriticism as conceptualised by Graham Huggan, Helen Tiffin, Elizabeth DeLoughrey, George Handley and Cara Cilano. Furthermore, I also draw from Tiffany Willoughby-Herard’s work on whiteness studies, where she analyses the Carnegie Commission’s research into the so-called poor white phenomenon in South Africa. I argue that The mulberry forest portrays the human-nonhuman-relationship and emphasises the specific relationship between a poor white, Afrikaner community and the Knysna forest as an African landscape. In Dreamforest, the human-nonhuman-relationship is also portrayed, but, unlike the critical reconceptualisation of homogenous, monolithic white racial classifications portrayed in The mulberry forest, Dreamforest supports and perpetuates these racial classifications. As a result, the nonhuman in Dreamforest is not conceptualised as an entity with intrinsic value but is rather presented as an instrument in service of the poor white Afrikaner woman’s economic and social upliftment.
Afrikaans: In hierdie verhandeling analiseer ek Dalene Matthee se laaste twee bosromans,
Moerbeibos (1987) en Toorbos (2003), vanuit die postkoloniale ekokritiek, en meer
spesifiek witheidstudies. Hierdie studie ondersoek eerstens die verwikkelde identiteit van
menslike subjekte in Suid-Afrika soos uitgebeeld word in beide romans. Daarbenewens
word die invloed van kolonialisme op die niemenslike, sowel as die uitbeelding van
verskillende soorte verbintenisse tussen die mens en die niemenslike ondersoek. Die
analise van die verbintenisse in die romans tussen die onderdrukking van die arm, wit
menslike gemeenskap en die onderdrukking van die niemenslike word gerig deur die
hoofnavorsingsvraag: Hoe word spesifiek die arm, wit Afrikanergemeenskap uitgebeeld
as verstrengel met die niemenslike in Matthee se laaste twee bosromans, Moerbeibos en
Toorbos?
Ek steun veral op teorieë in die postkoloniale ekokritiek soos gekonseptualiseer deur
Graham Huggan, Helen Tiffin, Elizabeth DeLoughrey, George Handley en Cara Cilano.
Ek steun ook spesifiek op Tiffany Willoughby-Herard se teoretisering van witheidstudies,
veral wat haar analise van die Carnegie-kommissie se ondersoek na die sogenaamde
armblankevraagstuk in Suid-Afrika betref. Ek argumenteer dat beide Moerbeibos en
Toorbos die verbintenis tussen die mens en die niemenslike uitbeeld, met die klem op die
verbintenis tussen ʼn arm, wit Afrikanergemeenskap en die Knysnabos as Afrikalandskap.
Ek voer aan dat Moerbeibos die hegemoniese siening van witheid as homogene,
monolitiese rasseklassifikasie uitdaag. Hierteenoor ondersteun en hou Toorbos hierdie
rasseklassifikasie in stand. Gevolglik word die niemenslike in Toorbos voorgehou as ʼn
instrument tot die arm, wit Afrikanervrou se vooruitgang, eerder as ʼn entiteit met
intrinsieke waarde.
