S. t. d : M .A- sem (4)
Roll no : 11
Batch year: 2013-14
Enrolment No: PG12101018
Paper : ‘The African
Literature’
Topic : ‘Silence’ in the
novel ‘Waiting for the Barbarians”
by J. M. Coetzee
Submitted to: ‘Department of English’
Bhavnagar.
‘Silence’ in the novel ‘Waiting for the Barbarians(1980)by J.M Coetzee
‘Silence’ in the novel ‘Waiting for the Barbarians(1980)by J.M Coetzee
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Introduction:
‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ this novel is written by J.M. Coetzee in before 1980.Thisnovel mainly based on ‘silence’ or ‘colonialism’ or ‘pre-Colonialism’ or ‘Neo-colonialism’. Hybridity, slavement etc...
But, in this novel title of this novel is its elf creates ‘Ambiguity’ in
the mind of readers, that who is real ‘Barbarian’. And , many question unanswerable like-
1.’Is it
‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ talking about ‘silence’ of the African people?’
2. Who
are real Barbarians?
3. Is it
‘Barbarians’ exists?
4. Where
are ‘Barbarians’?
5. Is it ’Waiting
’named –concept here fruitful or fruitless?
6.Is it
Barbarians comes in this novel?
That type of many questions make ‘silence’ to readers. But, what things
make ‘silent’ to characters of the novel. Let see where is real ‘silence’
hidden in this novel.
This novel’s roots is in the poem of ‘C. p. Cavafy’ wrote the same title
with poem ’Waiting for the Barbarians ’In
which all people are ‘Waiting’ for the Barbarians’. But, after putting this
kind of word writer and poet both of plays chess with readers.
In reality readers can’t able to give final jadgement that who are the
real ‘Bararians?’ here.
But, ‘Binary oppositions’ of the society
creates ‘colonialism’ or ‘silence’ in the novel. ‘Binary
oppositions ‘Theory by claude-Levi Strauss
White Black
Civilized Uncivilized
Cultured
Uncultured
Day Night
Master Slave
Foreign Native
Colonizer colonized
Educated Uneducated
This novel shows before the freedom. What type of problems in the life of
African people. About that Ania Loomba gives one quotation-
“Helpless,
Voiceless , Hopeless”
-‘colonialism’ by Ania Loomba
p.144
But, in actually no one is
voiceless .But, one makes one ‘voiceless’. After torturing one. so, that’s
why they are ‘voiceless’. In the many some characters becomes speechless or ’silent’.
So, what are causes behind that ‘silent’ let see that. And , who are those
faces ‘silent’ .Where are the ‘Silence’ in this
novel.
People treated like ‘animal’. That shows tears of ‘voiceless’ or
‘silent’ characters.
Imperialism, cruelty, Feminism, Silence, inequality, injustice,
Capitalism, slavement, Hybridity etc. some main themes of this novel.
And, all thinks, links together. so, here Coetzee representes the
picture of African society before ‘Freedom’. That what type of behavior
Empires done with African people.
The same glimpse also gives poem ’Waiting
for the Barbarians’ by C.P. Cavafy.
And, Edward said’s Concept of ‘orientalism’ also helpful to understand
the ‘Silence’ of this novel, like
Orient - Native
Occident - Western
Characters of
this novel:
1).Magistrate
2).colonel
Joll
3).Girl
4).Boy
5).old
man
6).woman
1).Magistrate
‘Magistrate’ the main character of this novel. And, he himself the ‘protagonist’
of this novel.
He belongs to the British Empire. His work is to give punishment to Barbarians. And. protect the Empire.
But, Instead of Magistrate saves one ‘Girl’ But, behind those noble work
,his intention is not pure or that much noble. But, behind this thing his
personal advantage also.
And, that’s the ‘Male-gaze’ or ‘sexual-pleasure’. And, for that he saves
the girl, And, those things proves these dialogues-
“I know
that my gaze must have passed over her when, together with the others. She sat
in the barracks yard Waiting for whatever was to happen next .My eye passed
over her; but I have no memory of that passage.
‘It is
who am seducing myself out of Vanity, in to these meanings and correspondence
what depravity is it that is creeping upon me. I search for secrets and
answers, no matter how bizarre, like an old woman reading Tea-news. There is
nothing to link me with tortures, people
who sit waiting like beeties in
dark cellars-How can I believe
that a bed is anything but a bed,
a woman’s body anything but a site of joy? Must assert my distance from colonel
Joll! I will not
Suffer for this crimes!’
Above ,long dialogue proves the mind and psychology of the mind of ‘Magistrate’.
And, why should he saves the ‘Slave Girl’.
And, for that Magistrate Punished by Empire and they tried to hanged to
Magistrate. But, fortunately Magistrate can able to successs in to save himself
from that punishment.
2).Colonel
Joll:
Colonel Joll, belongs to the white British Empire. Who ruled over
Africans. And, treated them cruelly.
“Colonel
Joll is from the Third Bureau”I tell them ,”The third Bureauis the most
important division of the civil Guard now-a-day?
That is
what we hear, anyhow in gossip that reaches us long out of date from the
capital:
-‘Waiting for the
Barbarians’ by J.M.
Coetzee
“There is a certain tone “ Joll says, “ A certain tone enters the voice
of a man who is telling the truth. Training and experience teach us to
recognize that true.”
And, the same thing here done by himself.”Certain Voice” means here he had
speak loudly .So, other have to be ‘Silent’.
3).The Girl:
‘Girl’ is also an important but ‘silent’ or ‘identity less’ character. Writer
has been not given identity to this character. It means that Africans treated
by the hands of Empire just like ‘Identity less character’ or ‘Silent’ or
‘Voiceless’ character.
‘Colonel Joll’ try to beat her through rope. But, ‘colonel Joll’ tries
to save her. Because, he seen his personal benefits in her. That’s why he saves
the ‘Girl’.
‘Girl’ is too small, so that she can not understood the mind or psychology of ‘Magistrate. And, also
didn’t know that ‘Magistrate’ objectifies her body. And, tries to do something wrong with her.
4).The ’Boy’:
Here, ‘Boy’ remain as a
‘nameless’ character like another character escape ‘Colonel Joll’. This
character also ill-treated by ‘Colonel Joll’
“The boy lies on a bed of straw in a corner , alive well. He seems to be
sleeping, but the tension, of his posture betrays him. His hands are tied in
front of him .In the other corner is a long white bundle.”
This above dialogue represents ‘Silence’ of the boy.That’s how he
treated by ‘Colonel Joll’. And, ‘hide Bundle’ symbolizes corruption and ‘Blood
–money’ of colonel Joll.
‘Silence’ of
the novel:
1).’First’ –
‘The Girl’
Here, used of ‘The girl’ shows that kind of situation is only this
character. But, ’victimization’ of all girls’ of Africa.
We can say that here ‘Girl’
representation of ‘Double Marginalization because on the one hand ‘she is
ill-treated by ‘Colonel Joll’. Whole, on the another side she is ‘sexually’ harassed
by ‘Magistrate’ so, we can say the in
this situation ‘The Girl’ remains ‘silence’ through out the novel.
2).second-The
Boy
In this novel little identity less boy also cruelly punished by ‘Colonel Joll’ and British
Empire. Then even he can’t able to raise his ‘voice’ against British Empire. In
a way this character also remains ’Silent’ character of this novel.
3).Third-‘ The old
Man’:
‘Little Boy’ and ‘Old Man’ both of becomes ‘victim’ of Colonel Joll and beaten by them. Then even just
because of age, they can’t be able to raise question that represents ‘Silence’
of ‘The waiting for the Barbarians’.
4).Fourth-Women
Character of Magistrate representation of the harsh situation of women
.When , Empire tries to hanged him ,That situation represents women through the
character of ‘Magistrate’ shows ‘Silence’ of the ‘Woman’
5).Fifth: Magistrate:
‘Magistrate’ given hanged by his own members or Empire. And, he knows
that African’s are punished by Empire without any crime. But, even if he can’t
able to raise his ‘voice’ again his own Empire. So, he is also ’Silent’
character of the novel.
While, another side as a male naturally he crave for the opposite sex. Because
we can’t find any woman or female character in his life. So, his attraction
towards ‘The Girl’ it can be general. But, He can ’express his love to ‘Girl’
because ‘girl’ is too little. And, can not be able to understood his feelings
just because age gap difference. so, that’s also inner ‘silence’ of the
character of ‘Magistrate’.
6).Sixth-
self
‘self’ is also ‘victim’ or ‘silence’ because in this novel every characters are ‘silent’
escape to ‘colonel Joll’. And, every character has their ‘self voice’ .But,
here, tragedy of them is that no one can ready top listen those ’Silent Voice’.
In a way ‘Self’ also ‘Silence’ in this novel ’Waiting for the Barbarians’.
Conclusion:
All characters in the novel ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ remain as the ‘silence’ or as the ‘silence’ or ‘Voiceless’ or ‘Marginalized ‘ or ‘Victimized’
characters.
And, that bitter and unheard ‘silence’ represented by J.M Coetzee.
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