Post-colonial discourse: the impact of imperial elements on J. M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the barbarians [articol]

Abstract

Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians is an active representative example of post-colonial novel in which a lot of postcolonial concepts and themes are highlighted. The novel revolves around the post-colonial literary theory involving: certain notions such as language, knowledge, imperialism, identity, struggle, gender problems, and oppression, as depicted in the characters and events. In this novel, the protagonist, a nameless magistrate, struggles to show eventual military, political, physical and knowledgeable power to rule over tribal nomads (i.e. an intellectual magistrate in border settlement controlled by foreign invaders seeks balance between civil life and tribal one). The aim of this paper is to account for the post-colonial elements employed in Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians, focusing on the purposes and functions of these elements in creating sense of realism, nationalism, and witty-persuasive arguments. These divisive elements help Coetzee to present his novel more effectively, more understandably, more persuasively, and more emotionally i.e. these elements are intended to convince, motivate, unify and drive people in the direction of certain goals.