Shane Moran - Alternation Journal

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apart from events, who do not maintain close ties with the truth of their ethos. their source of inspiration. An atmosphere of vacuum cannot stimulate works that contribute towards the conimoll progressive character of life and literature .... We are witnessing how the cultural hel-itage ofAfrica in theNight) 'do not talk about inequality' instead they 'bear its weals' (Gordimer uma's assertion that African developlnent and 11 stop there is an implied indication that African withinthe confines of critical realism. is transformed into modern. social and political orientated literatures and the arts. This is one of the most important tasks of the mentioned cultural revolution and a stirring event in modern and progressive world culture ('Gala' 1974a: 103t). Why does La Guma object to being labelled a critical realist? La Guma's 1974 (also written under the pseudonyn~ 'Gala'), in which he examines Athol Fugard's e, may provide soine clues. In this essay La Guma argues that in Fugard's plays is 'an ever-present concentration on experimentation and technical innovation' According to this view, then, the writer's credibility as a craftsmail, and, one m the literaiy value of his work, depend largely on the ideological effect o product-hence La Gutna's belief that socially and politically oriented A literature contributes towards a cultural revolution. Implicit in La Guma's critici writers whose works are not based on a concrete ideological basis, those 'who kind of vacuurn, who stand apart from events, who do not maintain close truth of their ethos, their source of inspiration', is his endorsement of the principle partisanship in literature. The fact that the principle of partisanship ~II La Guma's aesthetics is cl linked to socialist realism (as stated earlier) can most obviously be seen i negative response to Nadine Gordimer's labelling of the best African writers as criti realists. In an argument that reveals La Guma's lack of familiarity with Lukacs, Gurna ('Gala' 1974a: 106) accuses Gordimer of failing to address the q main trends of development of African English literature 'in tenns of African reali La Guma ('Gala' 1974a: 106) continues to argue: he sees in this regard evidence of Samuel Beckett's influence on Fugard ('Gala' 4:102). Not surprisingly La Guma is quick to point out that it is nevertheless 'the tent of Fugard's work which must certainly "reveal the real man"' ('Gala' 4: 102). For La Guma is not so much interested in Fugard's dramatic devices as he is he ideological orientation of the content of his works which, he hopes, will 'reveal eeln to reveal La Gurna's conflation of textual y. La Guma's only comment on Fugard's early plays, , is that they are 'naturalistic tragedies set in taged with African casts' ('Gala' 1974: 102f). gain La Guma's tacit approval, is seen as being liberal humanist ideology whose tenets include 'the freedom of the iscrimination and the nightmare of Blacks under nds in some of Fugard's later plays, however, Iso a lack of clear ideological commitment. For rawal of Fugard's passport in 1967 (which was ed four years later and accompanied by the South African government's subsidy Instead [Gordimer] borrows fi-om Georg Lukhcs a Sot.mula which asserts 'critical realism as not only the link with the great literature of the past, but also the literature that points to the future'. And so she concludes with amazing aplomb 'there seems to me little doubt that African English play, Bo~rnzan andlena) and Fugard's subsequent withdrawal of his support for ltural boycott resulted in 'the absence of a more concrete response to the realities e South African scene' ('Gala' 1974: 105). Instead, La Guina argues: literature's best writers are critical realists, and that this is the direction in which literature is developing .... But African development and Afiican literaturehave not come to afull stop'. Athol Fugard is now the playwright first. It is now enough for him to portray various aspects of life tlirough his skill and talent. He has suffered tl-ic fate of South African liberals with their absence of any scientific or consistent La Guma's objection to Gordimer is solnewhat puzzling: implicit in his a attitude towards the society in which they live and work ('Gala' 1974: 104). suggestion that African literature should be assessed 'in tenns of African than through a heavy reliance on critical theories of (foreigners su Leaving aside the question of assessing African literature 'in terms of African La Guma's arguinent would seem to me to render visible two factors with reg aesthetics. Firstly, it indicates La Guma's lack of awareness of Lukics' contribution to Marxist aesthetics of realism to which La Gulna himself obviously subscribes. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, La Gurna's argument here is suggestive of his somewhat a~nbiguous attitude towards being categorised as a critical realist-La Guma is amongst those African writers who are seen b creating an African literature, tlie critical realists. Unlike the 'testi stock-in-trade abstractions of human beliaviour and look about for a them in', Gordi~ner argues that La Guma's protagonists in District Six ( ense that it is clearly indicative of La Gurna's La Guma's attitude to liberal ideology is he accuses liberals of their lack of 'scientitlc or ety, he does not expect Fugard to move beyond the es ofliis ideology. Athol Fugard, La Gulna argues, 'need not only be an observer countiy's condition', or as hc puts it merely 'hear witness', and be a 'classic uilt-ridden irnpoteiit white liberal of South Aeica'. Within the confines aiiist ideology itself there arc prospects for a progressive outlook, La uggest. In La Gurna's ow11 words: 'An admission of guilt is in itself a onal re-evaluation, and a more profound understanding ofhis function
The realism of thc bourgeois's 'prodigal sons' was a critical realism. But whilc exposing the cankers of' society ... critical realisrn could not show people the way out of this thraldom. It was easy to critisise everything. but there was nothing to assert except the obvious senselcssness ofsucll social existence and 'lifc in general' (Gorky 1988:303):'. litel-ary men to^; Gorky, is known to be a leading exponent. My argument is that if there is any convergence between La Guma's aestheti realism and that of Lukacs this has a lot to do wit11 La Gurna's absorption of Gor historia11 and an ideologue, produced La Gulna's realist aesthetics. At one level, then, La Guma's aesthetics draws extensively on what Robi conlent over foml'. ns, Cecil 1985..41t.xlcr G~~rna. Boston: Twayne. Department of English University of Durban-Westville ams' [Alex la Guma] 1971. Why I Joined the Commuiiist Party. Africolz Cor~~mzr~zisl eve 1979. I Write IVhati Like. London: Heinemann. George 1978. Marslst Models of Literor)) Realisriz. New Yosk: Columbia University rnst, G Lukkcs et alL977. Aesthetics and Politics. Idondon: Verso. n 1975. Moses Kotane: Soztth African Revoltttionary. London: Inkoluleko 986. Tribute. Rixaka3: 16-1 8. an. Balasubrama~lyam 1992. A Stzrdy in Trans-Etlznicity in ibfocie~n So~ith .A~%cu: 165
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Book Reviews States of Eniergency i
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Shane Moran - Alternation Journal

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