Introduction
This research is based on J. M. Coetzee’s Life and Times of Michael K, a story of suffering of Michael K, a simple, innocent, and dedicative man of his believes. In particular, this study tries to explore the conflict and civil war of South African scenario and its impact upon commoners like Michael K and his suffering, hard life and struggle to survive. For this purpose, the researcher will include different theories related with subaltern or Marxism and as well as terrorism and violence. This study mainly aims to trace out the Political scenario of South Africa and its impact upon the life of commoners, poor and innocent.
Statement of Problem
In a South Africa torn by civil war, Michael K sets out to take his mother back to her rural home. On the way there she dies, leaving him alone in an anarchic world of brutal roving armies. Imprisoned, Michael is unable to bear confinement and escapes, determined to live with dignity. After the mother’s death on the way to Prince Albert he wonders here to there with a strong devotion to take his mother’s ass to Prince Albert. He is unable to understand the world because he is used to see the conflict, violence and terror as common scene as well as plight of his poverty, pennilessness, and wonder in search of job here to there. Thus, is not any role of poverty behind the wondering life style, suffering, and plight of Michael K? Is not there any relation between the economical factor and the suffering of the protagonist?
Hypothesis
Novel Life and Times of Michael K through the South African civil war and violence as a setting, and choosing a simple, innocent, poor, voiceless and unnoticed protagonist Michael K stands as an allegory of Margin.
Objective of Study
The primary objective of this research is to bring out the novel, Life and Times of Michael K in to the dimension of its study. In particular, this study aims to observe and analyze the text with new related theories like subaltern and violence. The research aims to demonstrate the relativity between violence and its impact on the life of commoners in one hand, and on the other hand it aims to find out the economical, social and other demarcation lines which construct the boundary between subaltern and others.
Limitations of the Study
The research is based on text itself. The main aim of this research is to find out the economy as a reason of the suffering of protagonist. So first of all the research tries to analyze the text with historical references of South African political scenario. After bringing the historical scenario into discussion, to trace out its impact on common lives like the life of Michael K, research will go further with the theories of terrorism and Marxism. The researcher is free to use any theories related with politics, conflict and violence etc. But it includes authentic and related sources and matters.
Significance of the Study
The research has a significant contribution mainly in four areas of its concern. First, the research will bring the text Life and Times of Michael K into the dimension of its study. Second, it will deal with the socio political scenario of South Africa. Third, it will trace out the impact of civil war on the lives of common people. Fourth, the research will be significant for its concern with economy, violence and conflict.
Review of Literature
Different critics have viewed the novel with different perspectives. Some of them have focused the colonial aspect of this text due to its geographical location in South Africa. In this regard H. M. Tiffin asserts:
Only for Michael K of life and time of Michael k does the desert Briefly bloom, More a persecuted Friday than a Crusoe imperialist, he has little time, however to enjoy the fruits of his isolation before society attacks his peace. Coetzee rewrites the archetypal myth of Robinson Crusoe to comment on the nature of imperialism and colonialism, the conquest of the virgin territory. The persecution of ‘the other’ and the nature of totalitarian regimes for Coetzee too, the desert image has special relevance for South Africa in terms of lack of shared culture a feeling of anomie, a feeling of solitariness a feeling of not having human ties with the people around one. (198)
Tiffin criticism connects the text with the colonial masterpiece Robinson Crusoe. He has focused on the post colonial perspective to observe the text. Similarly, another critic Anthony Vital tells about the text:
Coetzee’s Life and Times of Michael K set in South Africa can be read eco-critically from and for South Africa. Eco-criticism, it is to pose African questions and find African answers, will needed to be rooted in local (regional and national) concern for social life and its natural environment. It will, need too, to work from and understanding of the complexity of African pasts, taking into account the variety in African responses to currents of modernity that reached Africa from Europe initially, but that now influence Africa from multiple centers, Europe, America, and now Asia, in the present from of globalizing Economy. It is this history of Africa’s insertion into a globalizing modernity that indicates the need for an African eco-criticism to engage with one or another form of post-colonial critique, understood broadly to designate “critical discourse which thematize issues emerging from colonial relations and their aftermath covering a long historical span (including the present).” (Shohat 99).
Anthony Vital focuses on the root of African heritage reflected on the novel. He talks about the smell of African soil in Life and Time of Michael K. Furthermore, he mentions about the effect of westernization on African culture. ( copy the 2 reviews from birat's pen drive-After every review most be 2 line self conclusion about review)
Thus, critic focuses on different aspects of this novel. Some of them regard it as post colonial outcome and some other observe the text through the trauma and existential perspective. No one has taken the novel as a narrative of subaltern. So, this study will try to observe the text Life and Times of Michael K through the perspective of subaltern studies to give significance contribution in literary criticism.
Methodology
To trace out the novel as a narrative of subaltern in the period of civil war and violence is the primary purpose of this study. For this purpose the researcher focuses on the theories of subaltern as a major theoretical tool to analyze the text. Subaltern itself is a board term that’s why as a particular theoretical concept the research will include Marxism because it takes the sufferings and tortures as result of economical factor of the protagonist as well as his position of margin in socio political scenario. For this criticism the research will include the ideas of different subaltern theorists such as Karl Marx, Antonio Gramci, Ranjit Guha etc. Apart from the subaltern theories the researcher is free to take help from other theories related with conflict, violence and terrorism. Furthermore, Library researches, suggestion from teachers, proper use of necessary tools and techniques will be included as secondary sources to complete this project.
Time Line and Schedule
Organization: Tentative Chapter- Divisions
Chapter I: Introduction: Introducing the Text
Chapter II: Analyzing the Perspective of Subaltern Theories.
Chapter III: Analyzing the Socio Political Scenario
Chapter IV: Tracing Out the Protagonist’s Suffering due to his Marginal Position in Social, Political, and Economical Scenario.
Conclusion
Bibliography
Chakrabasty, Dipesh. “Invitation to a dialogue.” Subaltern Studies IV. Ed. Ranjit Guha. Delhi: OUP, 1986. 360-376.
Das Veena. “Subaltern as Perspective.” Subantern Studies VI. Ed. Ranjit Guha. Delhi:OUP, 1989. 311-24.
Guha, Ranjit, ed. Subaltern Studies I. Delhi: OUP,1982.
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- - -. “Dominance Without Hegemony and its Historiography.” Subaltern Studies VI. ed.Ranjit Guha Delhi: OUP, 1988. 209-310.
- - -. ed. Selected Subltern Studies. Delhi: OUP, 1988.
Prakash, Gyan. “Subltern Studies as Postcolonial Criticisim.” American Historical Review 99. 5 (Dec 1994): 1475-90.
Spivak, Gyatri Chakravasty. “Can the subaltern speak?” Colonial Discourse and Post Colonial Theory: Reader ed. Patrik Willians and Laura Chrismass. Newyork: Columbia UP, 1994. 66-111.
- - -. “Subaltern Studies: Deconstructing Historiography.” Subaltern Studies IV. ed. Ranjit Guha. Delhi:OUP, 1986. 330-363.
- - -. “A Literary Representation of Subaltern Mahaswetadevi’s Stanadayni.” Subaltern Studies V. ed. Ranjit Guha. Delhi:OUP,1987.
Gramsci, Antonio. “Notes on Politics.” Selections from the Prison Notebook. Newyork: Columbia University Press, 1994. 23-33.
- - -. Problem of History and Culture.
Marx, Karl and Fredrich Engels. “The Communist Manifesto.” Newyork: International.
Work Cited
Coetzee, J. M. Life and Time of Michael K. U.K: Vintage, 2004.
Tiffin, H. M. Contemporary Novelists. edition.associate ed.noelle Watson.
Chicago and London james press:1997-98.
M seay,Thomas,”desertion,September 30,2002”amazon.ca:costomor reviews
Books:life and times of Michael k.
http//www/amazon.ca/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/books/009947915x/customer-review/ref = cm-cr-dp-2—1/702-9169200-0460813.
http://www.amazon.com/life-times-michael-k-novel/product-reviews/0140074481/ref =dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie= utf8*showviewpoint =1soler,joe.fromphiladelphia pa usa.existence in150 pages,july 19,2002.
http://www/amazon.ca/exce/obidos/tg/detail/-/books/009947915x/customer-reviews/ref=cm-cr=dp-2-1/702-9169200-0460813.
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