Postmodern guilt
“‘It would be best if this obscure chapter in the history of the world were terminated at once, if these ugly people were obliterated from the face of the earth and we swore to make a new start, to run an empire in which there would be no mor injustice, no more pain”- from J.M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians
I want to concentrate specifically on this passage for many reasons. The subject of this passage is a colonel who is in the process of torturing other groups of people known as “barbarians”. This quote speaks to me, not because I believe in it, but because it is a byproduct of what happens to the human condition after subjecting innocent people to a treatment that is not only undeserved, but also inhumane. Where do you draw the line with torture? In our post-9/11 world, the world torture has changed, developed, progressed, or whatever have you, in a way that questions both those who implement it and those who are treated with it. This passage is trying to seek reparations for the treatment he has caused to these people, who represent humanity in its entirety, so he can feel better about himself. This notion strikes me as post-modern in the way that the Vietnaam war has been considered post-modern- how are we expected to believe and support the system when it is working against us, or, in a broader sense, in a way that cannot be trusted. As this quote serves the colonel help him feel warm and cozy, what is left out is why he is seeking this and for whom will his new world be for. Within this context, there is also an attempt to connect with the people who were afflicted by his actions. The question we must pose, since we live in a time when our authoritative figures have come to represent private interests, is who is he doing it for and for what purpose?
“I look into an eye. Am I to believe that gazing back at me she sees nothing-my feet perhaps, part of the room, a hazy circle of light, but at the centre, where I am, only a blur, a blank?” (same character, while trying to care for another one who has been alienated by his superiors).
When he looks to her, he tries so desperately to see himself. how can he see himself when the eye looking back at him has been broken by him?
THIS BLOG IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE STUDIES OF J.M. COETZEE AND WHO ARE WILLING TO BROADEN THEIR HORIZONS ONLY
That has always seemed to me one of the stranger aspects of literary fame: you prove your competence as a writer and an inventor of stories, and then people clamour for you to make speeches and tell them what you think about the world.
J. M. Coetzee
This quote is but a sample of what Coetzee’s work reflects- brutal honesty, unapologetic opinions, and a sense of identity that is concerned with anything but itself. His texts have been called inspirational, controversial, Faulknerian- all kinds of praise. Starting today, this blog will begin a project that will gain more understanding of what Coetzee is about through entries based on readings on his texts, along with multimedia found that can help shape our understanding on his work as well.
The picture in the header is a clip of a sunrise of the coast of South Africa- this picture is two-fold as it first offers a glimpse into the beauty of South Africa, the kind of natural aesthetics of its sunsets, mountainsides, and beaches; at the same time, there is binary opposition of light and darkness between the sky and the mountain, signifying the ugly truth of apartheid. The country itself has become a hyper-segregated community, with roots of racism that may be impossible to eradicate. Coetzee’s work reflects how this issue has begun to define South Africa, as well as the plight of South Africans that must deal with it. For some, it’s a social plague; for others, it works.
For the next few weeks, this blog will be open to anyone that wants to engage in the discourse of J.M. Coetzee and his work. Feel free to share an opinion or ask a question. The main purpose of this blog is to raise the understanding of Coetzee and his work- it does not make sense to not allow questions.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot…….
Coetzee/Rubalcava 