Borderlands : exploring ecofeminism and speculative fiction in selected post-transitional novels

Abstract

Inspired by the narrative complexity of Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler (1979; translation 1981) my novel, The Broken Book, has three distinct interlinking parts which fracture the structure. The novel is a work of magical realism that reflects ecofeminist concerns. Set in South Africa and moving from the present, through the subconscious, to the future, the work is a meditation on relationships, loneliness, environmental issues, power, religion, storytelling, and the ghosts of loss. Drawing inspiration from the explorations in the creative component, the thesis is titled Borderlands: exploring ecofeminism and speculative fiction in selected post-transitional novels. Ecofeminism is primarily interested in dissecting power imbalances and examines the impacts neoliberal patriarchal capitalism is having on humanity and the planet, illustrating how corporate interests are exacerbating the Anthropocene. Despite being categorised (and consequently dismissed) as being essentialist, intersectional ecofeminism is making a comeback, and is arguably a movement which will find resonance in the Global South. Intersectional ecofeminism attempts to contest all forms of oppression, and in doing so, aims to shift our anthropocentric perspectives and strives for a more inclusive understanding of how oppression operates on all forms of life. Literature has an important role to play in creating societal awareness of local and global environmental issues, and ecofeminist literary criticism provides a powerful lens through which to explore unhealthy hegemonies. As ecofeminism is an intersectional and interdisciplinary movement, the ecofeminist methodological framework is broad. Therefore, the thesis draws on works from diverse disciplines. The thesis investigates the rich synergy between ecofeminism and speculative devices. This is revealed through the analysis of the four South African post-transitional speculative novels selected for analysis: Rachel Zadok’s Sister-Sister (2013), Tammy Baikie’s Selling LipService (2017), K. Sello Duiker’s The Hidden Star (2006), and Masha du Toit’s The Babylon Eye (2016). Each novel engages different speculative devices, illustrating how the metaphorical devices at play in speculative works create a fertile environment through which a variety of ecofeminist issues find expression. The novels have been chosen because they have not enjoyed a large measure of commercial success and critical attention, and the thesis also briefly considers the value of ‘marginal’ literary works in the post-transitional period.