Die chronotoop en literatuur van oorgang? Enkele opmerkings oor Kroniek uit die doofpot (John Miles)

Abstract

The chronotope and literature of transition? Some remarks on Kroniek uit die doofpot (John Miles). The concept of the chronotope, developed by Mikhail Bakhtin, is regarded as one of the most important approaches to elucidating the interconnection between time and space in narrative texts. As a clear embodiment of his philosophy of dialogism, the chronotope, as a formal element, plays a significant role in the emergence of literary genres, as well as in the way time and space mutually determine each other within the narrative construction. Consequently, a chronotopic analysis of literary texts also allows conclusions to be drawn about the unique configuration of time and space – or time-space – within a specific historical context.
Contribution: Although literary texts that give voice to periods of socio-political transition are often associated with certain themes and motifs, a chronotopic analysis of these texts can also be used as a productive lens through which to understand large-scale sociopolitical changes. However, to assess the value of the chronotope in this context, a detailed theoretical contextualisation of the concept is first provided. This is followed by a brief discussion on the novel Kroniek uit die doofpot to illustrate the interpretative possibilities afforded by chronotopic analysis.