Neither of the novels provides any final or completely satisfactory answer to the question of what positions the San people can, or may wish to occupy in the contemporary world, but both these fictional representations should take their place alongside others in a context of ongoing debate. To situate the two novels within a contemporary context, the present author addresses the question of whether the novels perpetuate negative stereotypes by casting the Khoisan 'as eternal victims'. Other differences are Rooke's method of refraining from authorial comment, stepping back to let the actions in her stories speak directly, which contrasts with Head's intense personal investment in her characters. Katjie, the San servant in Rooke's novel, is presented as the perceived objective of representations which seek to define her, while Margaret, the San heroine in 'Maru', is herself the artist. An orphaned Masarwa girl comes to Dilepe to teach, only to discover that in this remote Botswana village her. This article examines two South African novels, Bessie Head's 'Maru' (1971) and Daphne Rooke's 'Margaretha de la Porte' (1974), which feature female San characters. Buy a cheap copy of Maru book by Bessie Head. The free AfricaBib App for Android is available hereīushman women in Bessie Head's 'Maru' and Daphne Rooke's 'Margaretha de la Porte'Ĭurrent Writing: Text and Reception in Southern Africa
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