Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature
This paper examines post-independent Zimbabwean literary narratives which engage with how the ruling ZANU-PF government frames dissenting voices as constituting dirt, filth and undesirability. Making use of Achille Mbembe's postulations on the "vulgarity of power" and Kenneth W. Harro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Association
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/1548 |
| _version_ | 1818778492696788992 |
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| author | Gibson Ncube |
| author_facet | Gibson Ncube |
| author_sort | Gibson Ncube |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines post-independent Zimbabwean literary narratives which engage with how the ruling ZANU-PF government frames dissenting voices as constituting dirt, filth and undesirability. Making use of Achille Mbembe's postulations on the "vulgarity of power" and Kenneth W. Harrow's readings of the politics of dirt, the central thesis of this paper is that the troping of dirt and state sponsored violence are closely related to the themes of memory and belonging. Literary works by writers such as Chistopher Mlalazi, NoViolet Bulawayo and John Eppel become self-effacing speech acts that are involved in reimagining and revisioning our understanding of power dynamics and how this affects human and social experiences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T11:45:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18e6f6ffda3b46fa868cd5d8cf454175 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0041-476X 2309-9070 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T11:45:35Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde |
| spelling | doaj.art-18e6f6ffda3b46fa868cd5d8cf4541752022-12-21T21:09:17ZafrTydskrif vir Letterkunde AssociationTydskrif vir Letterkunde0041-476X2309-90702018-03-0155110.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.55i1.1548Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literatureGibson Ncube0Stellenbosch University, StellenboschThis paper examines post-independent Zimbabwean literary narratives which engage with how the ruling ZANU-PF government frames dissenting voices as constituting dirt, filth and undesirability. Making use of Achille Mbembe's postulations on the "vulgarity of power" and Kenneth W. Harrow's readings of the politics of dirt, the central thesis of this paper is that the troping of dirt and state sponsored violence are closely related to the themes of memory and belonging. Literary works by writers such as Chistopher Mlalazi, NoViolet Bulawayo and John Eppel become self-effacing speech acts that are involved in reimagining and revisioning our understanding of power dynamics and how this affects human and social experiences.https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/1548dirtfilthdiseasedissenting voicesstate violencepower |
| spellingShingle | Gibson Ncube Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature Tydskrif vir Letterkunde dirt filth disease dissenting voices state violence power |
| title | Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature |
| title_full | Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature |
| title_fullStr | Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature |
| title_short | Of dirt, disinfection and purgation: Discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary Zimbabwean literature |
| title_sort | of dirt disinfection and purgation discursive construction of state violence in selected contemporary zimbabwean literature |
| topic | dirt filth disease dissenting voices state violence power |
| url | https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/1548 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gibsonncube ofdirtdisinfectionandpurgationdiscursiveconstructionofstateviolenceinselectedcontemporaryzimbabweanliterature |