Toward an African Ecocriticism: Postcolonialism, Ecology andLife &amp; Times of Michael K

Vital, Anthony

doi:10.2979/ral.2008.39.1.87

Cited by 34 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Similarly, the environmental views expressed in J.M. Coetzee’s The Life and Times of Michael K have been the subject of literary review (Vital 2008), but the myriad works by more popular South African authors (including non‐white ones still living in South Africa) remain unexamined.…”

Section: Towards Situated Networked Environmentalisms?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Situated, Networked Environmentalisms: A Case for Environmental Theory from the South

Lawhon

2013

Geography Compass

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There has long been a notable difference between the environmentalism of the global North and South. Despite this and recent calls for the development of theory from the global South, research on environmentalism in the global South continues to largely employ Northern theory. While much of this seeks to inform and revise theory, and a case has been made for the articulation of an environmentalism of the poor, work in the South remains dominated by framings and questions articulated in the North. In this paper, I examine geographical research to make a case for also articulating situated environmentalisms which move beyond the generalization of Southern environmentalism to investigate how the environment is understood in specific contexts. Such environmentalisms should not be seen as developed in isolation but are recognized as products of intra-and international networked engagements. I explore this argument through the case of geographical research in South Africa. My review of the literature suggests that work in South Africa largely speaks to international environmental discourses and environmental management and governance theories. While this research productively engages with global academia and environmentalisms, it overlooks many significant questions and how the local context matters. I argue that this is not simply a case of South African exceptionalism, but instead, that there is a need to more broadly consider situated, networked environmentalism in both the global North and South.

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Section: Towards Situated Networked Environmentalisms?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Situated, Networked Environmentalisms: A Case for Environmental Theory from the South

Lawhon

2013

Geography Compass

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“…For example, Chesney (2007) explores the constitutive gap between any given politics and individual ethical responsibility. Vital (2008) illustrates the ecological thinking embedded in the novel. Sheehan (2023) analyzes institutional manifestations of humanism.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

On Michael K&#8217;s Identity Construction in Life and Times of Michael K from Perspective of Lefebvre&#8217;s

Tang

2024

JSS

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By analyzing the multi-dimensional space in Life and Times of Michael K from Lefebvre's space theory, that is, social space, physical space and mental space, this thesis explores identity construction of Michael K. It contends that Michael K's identity develops from being oppressed and confined to the final awakening. Through the portrayal of Michael K, Coetzee sheds light on the predicament of the underclass in an alienated world against the backdrop of war and apartheid in South Africa, inspiring those facing oppression to find a positive life direction through free choice and action.

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“…Through domination and subjugation, Crusoe transforms the island into a colony and claims ownership of everything and everyone. He has created a kingdom (Vital, 2008). Crusoe's civilizing mission in an isolated island is a process of establishing his self-image as a superior being, intelligent and resourceful even in the worst of the most impossible situations.…”

Section: Colonial/imperial Discourse In Robinson Crusoementioning

confidence: 99%

Colonial Discourse in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Counter-Discourse of Decolonization in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Dankwa¹

2021

IJARPED

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Scholars have examined several aspects of the ideological processes the narrations in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe enact. The allegorical mode of representations through which it conveys those processes can be re-read as imperial/colonial discourse. Consistent with theoretical arguments, Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart on the other hand, represents the reaction of an African writer to canonical works that present negative stereotypes of Africa and Africans. In light of the foregoing, this study does a comparative textual analysis of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe as a good example in the canon of colonial discourse and Achebe's Things Fall Apart as a good example in the canon of counter-discourse of decolonization. Through close reading, the study extends the argument further by investigating the strategies both texts adopt to achieve their aims and the effectiveness thereof. Consequently, the flawed views of the African through imperial/colonial discourse which have shaped the social construction and contemporary representations of the African are corrected. By conducting this study, we largely contribute to the evolving debate on counter discourse to the narratives presented by early European writers.

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Toward an African Ecocriticism: Postcolonialism, Ecology andLife & Times of Michael K

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Situated, Networked Environmentalisms: A Case for Environmental Theory from the South

Situated, Networked Environmentalisms: A Case for Environmental Theory from the South

On Michael K&#8217;s Identity Construction in <i>Life</i><i> </i><i>and</i><i> </i><i>Times</i><i> </i><i>of</i><i> </i><i>Michael</i><i> </i><i>K</i> from Perspective of Lefebvre&#8217;s

Colonial Discourse in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Counter-Discourse of Decolonization in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

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