The era of Western colonialism and slavery has ended, but racism and discrimination still exist and the privileged position that White people still have in Western society makes it difficult for...Show moreThe era of Western colonialism and slavery has ended, but racism and discrimination still exist and the privileged position that White people still have in Western society makes it difficult for people of colour to trust them, no matter these White people’s often good intentions. Similarly, but also in a more visibly extreme way, the struggle against racism in South Africa did not end with the abolition of Apartheid. Scholars think differently about what the appropriate response would be of White South Africans to their dark history. Should they withdraw in silence and humility? Alternatively, should they play an active role in the future of the country? And how? From her position as a White Dutch woman, Zijlstra has explored the issues of race, identity and progressive change in South African literature. For White South African authors, silence was never an option, but they were nonetheless aware of their ambiguous position. With the analysis of three novels from such authors (Burger’s Daughter (1979) by Nadine Gordimer, The Rights of Desire (2000) by André Brink, and The Promise (2021) by Damon Galgut), this thesis aims to contribute to a nuanced view on both the controversy around the position of well-intentioned White people in a position of privilege, and their possibilities to take responsibility. The theorists who inform the analysis are Michael Rothberg (2019) with his concept of the implicated subject, Melissa Steyn (2001) with her research on the fragmentation of White identity in South Africa after Apartheid, Shannon Sullivan (2006) with her theory on unconscious racial habits, and Zoë Wicomb (2018) with her critical eye on myths of traditional culture and identity, as well as on the responsibility of literary authors.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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This thesis explores how the second wave feminist work The Lesbian Body deconstructs heterosexual discourse and at the same time creates a new subject that is not part of a heterosexual structure.
This thesis posits that the construction of a Japanese identity in government produced popular culture is inconsistent. The contradictory values within a constructed ‘Self’ portray Japan as a ...Show moreThis thesis posits that the construction of a Japanese identity in government produced popular culture is inconsistent. The contradictory values within a constructed ‘Self’ portray Japan as a ‘superior victim’ with regard to the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea. By utilizing a value-action framework it can be determined that the values portrayed in the narratives of the analysed popular culture have indeed been affected by the lines of action in the production process, and can therefore be concluded to be, in this study, the dominant values in North Korea policymaking. These values can be found throughout the narratives analysed in this thesis. By positioning these values in a model of culture in action, it becomes clear that the perceived ‘Japanese identity’ is in a transitional phase.Show less
This thesis attempts to trace the history of a century of book art: from Futurism to the digital era. It brings to attention relevant examples of art works and their creators, proving that the...Show moreThis thesis attempts to trace the history of a century of book art: from Futurism to the digital era. It brings to attention relevant examples of art works and their creators, proving that the evolution of the book-object has now reached another revolutionary point, similar to the one that allowed the Futurist movement to flourish. The thesis finds its inherent relevance in the sense of emergency that today surrounds both book studies and the paper book. Furthermore, it covers a less explored niche, as it refers only in passing to artists’ books. This paper wishes to shed light on the alternative life of the printed books – forgotten, discarded, abandoned – and, ultimately, to prove that contemporary book art is mostly a product of the insecurities of the digital medium. In focusing on the visual and intellectual reinterpretation of the book, it will ultimately reflects upon the future of the book this age of digital uncertainty.Show less
