’n Interseksionele ondersoek: Godsdiens, feminisme, identiteit en behoort in geselekteerde digbundels

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/tl.v61i1.16403

Keywords:

postsecular feminism, religion, belonging, intersectionality, identity, Afrikaans poetry, Dutch poetry

Abstract

Religion is a common theme in Afrikaans literature. Religious references are used in many ways—during the anti-apartheid struggle it was (for instance) employed to protest the actions of the government in literary texts such as poetry. Similarly, women poets use religion, which is usually associated with patriarchy, as a metaphor for struggles with identity and belonging. Spirituality and organised religion are also shown to be differing concepts with organised religion being the product of society which influences the position of different genders within its stuctures. Spirituality refers to something inherently human related to the individual’s personal belief system. In this article, religious reflections in poetry by three very different female poets will be explored as musings on how religion and belonging to a religious tradition are experienced. This will be done from the perspective of postsecular feminism, which does not revert to binary oppositions when discussing religion, but grapples with it in an intersectional way, as argued by Nandini Deo. An intersectional feminist approach will therefore be utilised to analyse selected poems of Lynthia Julius in Uit die kroes (From the kroes) (2020), of Corné Coetzee in nou, hier (now, here) (2017) and of Radna Fabias in Habitus (2018). Julius, a young black woman, and Coetzee, an older white woman, are Afrikaans poets whose work can be viewed as containing feminist ideas while also exploring the role of religion. Fabias, a black Dutch poet from Curaçao, represents a transnational example where similar themes are explored as in the work of the two Afrikaans poets, albeit from a very different intersectional position. In this article, intersections of, not just gender and race, but also culture, language, politics, nationality, age, ethnicity and identity are considered when understanding a woman’s sense of belonging to a religion.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Marni Bonthuys, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

    Marni Bonthuys is senior lektor in Departement Afrikaans en Neerlandistiek, Fakulteit Lettere en Geesteswetenskappe, Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland, Bellville, Suid-Afrika.

References

Arora, Alka. “Re-enchanting Feminisms: Challenging Religious and Secular Patriarchies.” Postsecular Feminims. Religion and Gender in a Transnational Context, geredigeer deur Nandini Deo. Bloomsbury Academic, 2018, pp. 32–51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350038097.0008.

Bonthuys, Marni. “Riekert, Weideman en Myburgh. Die representasie van Noordwesterse ruimte in drie Afrikaanse digbundels.” Tydskrif vir Nederlands en Afrikaans vol. 25, no. 1, 2018, pp. 4–37.

Bonthuys, Marni. “Postkoloniale feminisme in die Afrikaanse poësie. Die debute van Ronelda S. Kamfer, Shirmoney Rhode en Jolyn Phillips.” LitNet Akademies vol. 17, no. 1, 2020, pp. 241–61. https://www.litnet.co.za/postkoloniale-feminisme-in-die-afrikaanse-poesie-die-debute-van-ronelda-s-kamfer-shirmoney-rhode-en-jolyn-phillips/.

Burch, Rebecca L. “The Wedding as a Reproductive Ritual.” Review of General Psychology vol. 23, no. 3, 2019, pp. 382–98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1089268019832848.

Burger, Bibi. “Nou, hier.” Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, vol. 55, no. 1, 2018, pp. 204–7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.55i1.4281.

Carastathis, Anna. “The Concept of Intersectionality in Feminist Theory.” Philosophy Compass vol. 9, no. 5, 2014, pp. 304–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12129.

Cirlot, J. E. A Dictionary of Symbols. Routledge, 2001.

Coetzee, Corné. Nou, hier. Human & Rousseau, 2017.

Coetzee, Corné & Gisela Ullyatt, Gisela. “Onderhoud met Corné Coetzee (nou hier).” Versindaba, 27 Aug. 2017, https://versindaba.co.za/2017/08/27/onderhoud-met-corne-coetzee-nou-hier/.

De Cocq, Marjolijn. “Poëziedebuut Radna Fabias opnieuw in de prijzen”. Het Parool, 12 Aug. 2019. https://www.parool.nl/kunst-media/poeziedebuut-radna-fabias-opnieuw-in-de-prijzen~b6c938e1/.

Deo, Nandini. “Postsecular Femininisms: Religion and Gender in a Transnational Context.” Postsecular Feminims. Religion and Gender in a Transnational Context, geredigeer deur Nandini Deo. Bloomsbury Academic, 2018, pp. 1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350038097.0005.

Du Plooy, Heilna. “Nou, hier deur Corné Coetzee: ’n resensie deur Heilna du Plooy.” LitNet 12 Des. 2017. https://www.litnet.co.za/nou-hier-deur-corne-coetzee-n-resensie-deur-heilna-du- plooy/.

Engelbrecht, G. C. “Parodiërende en nie-parodiërende verwerkings van Bybelse gegewens in die Afrikaanse poësie sedert 1960”. MA-tesis. U Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50627.

Engelbrecht, G. C. “Bybelse intertekste in resente Afrikaanse gedigte en lirieke, met spesifieke verwysing na identiteitsformasies in die (post)-postmoderniteit”. Proefskrif. U Stellenbosch, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71667.

Erasmus, Gerald Frederick. “Poësie en Religie”. MA-tesis. U Kaapstad, 2012.

Ess, Courtneigh. “’n Interseksionele lees van Bettina Wyngaard se misdaadtrilogie.” MA-tesis. U Wes-Kaapland, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8183.

Fabias, Radna. Habitus. Arbeiderspers, 2018.

Fabias, Radna & Willem Thies. “Mijn afgeklemde eierstokken zijn schitterend.” Poëziekrant no. 3, Mei–Junie 2018, pp. 2–6.

Freeman, Jo. “The BITCH Manifesto.” Jo Freeman.com. 1969. https://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/bitch.htm.

Giliomee, Hermann. The Afrikaners. Biography of a People. Tafelberg, 2003.

Gouws, Tom. “Resensie: Die mooiste Afrikaanse Christelike gedigte (samest. Cas Vos).” Versindaba, 22 Okt. 2017. https://versindaba.co.za/2017/10/22/resensie-die-mooiste-afrikaanse-christelike-gedigte-samest-cas-vos/.

Groenewald, Gerald. “Afrikaans as lingua franca in Namibië ca. 1800–1920. Litnet Akademies vol. 7, no. 3, 2010, pp. 65–102. https://www.litnet.co.za/afrikaans-as-lingua-franca-in-namibie/.

Groenewoud, Margo. “The Catholic Church in modern (post-)colonial Curaçao: Aspects of power relations in comparative perspective.” Creole Connections: Transgressing Neocolonial Boundaries in the Languages, Literatures and Cultures of the ABC-Islands and the Rest of the Dutch Caribbean, geredigeer deur Nicholas Faraclas, et al. U Curaçao, 2014, pp. 57–69.

Hambidge, Joan. “Hambidge: Geestelik en Christelik is nie dieselfde”. Netwerk24, 31 Aug. 2017. https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/hambidge-geestelik-en-christelik-is-nie-dieselfde-20170831.

Hendricks, Frank. “Oranjerivierafrikaans: van gemarginaliseerde en aanspraakmaker tot deelgenoot.” Tydskrif vir Nederlands en Afrikaans vol. 25, no. 1, 2018, pp. 3–36.

Julius, Lynthia. Profielfoto. Uit die kroes. Kwela, 2020.

Julius, Lynthia & Daniel Hugo. “Ek wou nog sê … Seisoen 4 S04E10.” YouTube, opgelaai deur AVBOB Poetry, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtNWn9GEoAw&t=2s.

Julius, Lynthia & Cliffordene Norton. “Dis hartseer dat ek nie gedigte ten volle in Nama kan skryf nie.” LitNet. 11 Jun. 2020. https://www.litnet.co.za/dis-hartseer-dat-ek-nie-gedigte-ten-volle-in-nama-kan-skryf-nie/.

Kidelo, Tenita. “Uit die kroes: ’n Noord-Kaapse stem oor bruin- en vrouwees.” Stilet, vol. 31, no. 1, 2019, pp. 352–54.

Nel, Hennely. “Die vertaling van diverse Coloured vrouestemme in die Afrikaanse poësie: ’n feministiese benadering.” MA-tesis. U Stellenbosch, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126151.

Naudé, Charl-Pierre. “‘Christelike’ verse vir die twyfel en die glo”. Netwerk24, 18 Sep. 2017. https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/christelike-verse-vir-die-twyfel-en-die-glo-20170917.

Odendal, F. F. & R. H. Gouws. (reds.). Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal. Pearson, 2005.

Steenberg, D. H. “Aanduiding van Zen-trekke by Breyten Breytenbach.” Koers vol. 50, no. 4, 1985, pp. 360–90.

Swanepoel. Elaine. “Digters ‘mislei’ oor Christelike bundel”. Netwerk24. 27 Aug. 2017. https://www.netwerk24.com/Netwerk24/digters-mislei-oor-christelike-bundel-20170826.

Taljard, Marlies. “‘Geen vlerke stut meer …’: Geselekteerde gedigte in Krog se mede-wete gelees as outobiografiese postsekulêre laatwerk.” Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, vol. 61, no. 3, 2021, pp. 690–712. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2224-7912/2021/v61n3a4.

Van Wyk, Steward. “Wai Nengre: ’n verdere ondersoek na tendense in die letterkundes van drie voormalige Nederlandse kolonies”. Tydskrif vir Letterkunde vol. 52, no. 2, 2015, pp. 33–47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/tvl.v52i2.3.

Verster, Pieter. “’n Ondersoek na Christelike digkuns in Afrikaans na aanleiding van die bloemlesing Die mooiste Afrikaanse Christelike gedigte (2017)”. LitNet Akademies vol. 17, no. 2, 2020, pp. 300–19. https://www.litnet.co.za/n-ondersoek-na-christelike-digkuns-in-afrikaans-na-aanleiding-van-die-bloemlesing-die-mooiste-afrikaanse-christelike-gedigte-2017/.

Yuval-Davis, Nira. The Politics of Belonging. Intersectional Contestations. Sage, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446251041.n7.

Downloads

Published

2024-06-26

Issue

Section

Research articles

How to Cite

Bonthuys, M. (2024). ’n Interseksionele ondersoek: Godsdiens, feminisme, identiteit en behoort in geselekteerde digbundels. Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 61(1), 66-80. https://doi.org/10.17159/tl.v61i1.16403