Taal as “ingang” tot die wêreld: reis, verbeelding, herinnering en identiteit na aanleiding van Breytenbach se A Veil of Footsteps

Authors

  • Willie Burger University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/tvl.v46i2.44421

Keywords:

Breyten Breytenbach, identity, imagination, memory, travel

Abstract

Travelling is a central motive in A Veil of Footsteps (and in Breytenbach’s oeuvre). In this work, travelling is a metaphor for imagination. Breytenbach pleads for continual travelling because “the earth needs to be discovered and remembered again and again”. Breytenbach suggests that discovery and remembering require imagination. In the first part of this article the dependancy of imagination on language (the “footsteps” of the title) is investigated, using Paul Ricoeur’s concept of a “semantic imagination”. In the second part of the article three implications of imagination’s dependancy on language is identified in A Veil of Footsteps. Firstly the close tie between imagination and memory (the book is described as a memoir); secondly the importance of imagination for identity; and thirdly the need for imagination to enable an ethical response for one’s actions, are examined.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biography

Willie Burger, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

Willie Burger is sedert 1998 professor in letterkunde aan die Universiteit van Johannesburg. Hy is redakteur van Oop gesprek (Lapa, 2006) en mederedakteur van Sluiswagter by die dam van stemme: Beskouings oor die werk van Karel Schoeman (Protea, 2006).

References

...

Downloads

Published

2009-09-01

How to Cite

Burger, W. (2009). Taal as “ingang” tot die wêreld: reis, verbeelding, herinnering en identiteit na aanleiding van Breytenbach se A Veil of Footsteps. Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 46(2), 184–200. https://doi.org/10.4314/tvl.v46i2.44421

Issue

Section

Research articles