Lucky Marais: die verpersoonliking van kameleontiese manlikheid

Abstract

Hierdie artikel fokus op die representasie van manlikheidsbeelde in Eben Venter se roman Santa Gamka (2009) en meer spesifiek op die uitbeelding van die veelfasettigheid van manlikheid in die hoofkarakter Lucky Marais. Die werkbaarheid van die kognitiewe narratologie as literêre benadering word ook getoets deur kognitiewe rame en skripte in die roman te identifiseer. Die ruimtes waarin gebeure afspeel en die manier waarop handelinge en gebeure uitgebeeld word, word in verband gebring met bekende rame en skripte. Die veronderstelling is dat die teksgegewe op die eerste vlak geplaas word binne die raamwerke van bekende kognitiewe skripte en dat bepaalde manlikheidsbeelde dus potensieel op die manlike hoofkarakter geprojekteer kan word. Hierdie projeksies kan egter deur die verhaal ondermyn word. Daar is volgens die kognitiewe teorie potensiële prosesseringsmoontlikhede wat tydens die lees van ‘n narratief in werking kan tree. Eerstens kan die narratief sterk op die leser inwerk sodat bestaande idees en persepsies verwerp word en daar ruimte ontstaan vir nuwe idees en persepsies in ooreenstemming met die uitbeelding in die narratief; tweedens kan bestaande idees gewysig word deur die kognitiewe prosessering van inligting in die roman; en derdens kan dit gebeur dat die nuwe idees onderliggend aan die handelinge en gebeure in die narratief in geheel verwerp word. Die moontlikheid bestaan dus dat, ongeag in welke mate dit plaasvind, die kognitiewe prosessering van die inligting in die roman ‘n uitwerking kan hê op die leser. In hierdie geval kan die representasies van manlikheid in die roman dus potensieel ‘n effek hê op die manier waarop die leser manlikheid in die toekoms in die werklike lewe ervaar. Venter toon ‘n fyn aanvoeling en deernis vir die karakters in sy romans en die hipotetiese verwagting is dat die skrywer daarin slaag om by die leser ‘n soortgelyke aanvoeling en deernis te ontwikkel vir die hoofkarakter in Santa Gamka. Die roman kan dus ‘n beter begrip van sowel menslikheid as manlikheid bewerkstellig omdat manlikheid op bepaalde maniere uitgebeeld word. Die oogmerk van die artikel is om aan te toon dat die kognitiewe narratologie gebruik kan word om die aandag te vestig op die manier waarop die roman bestaande en gevestigde rame en skripte ten opsigte van manlikheid ondermyn deur die uitbeelding van die gekompliseerde persoonlikheid van Lucky Marais. ABSTRACT: This article focuses on the representation of masculine images in Eben Venter's novel Santa Gamka (2009) and more specifically on the multifaceted representation of masculinity in the main character Lucky Marais. The effectivity of the cognitive narratology as literary approach is also tested by identifying cognitive frames and scripts in the novel. The spaces in which events take place and the manner in which actions and events are represented are interpreted according to known frames and scripts. The premise is that textual information is initially understood within the frameworks of known cognitive scripts and that certain fixed masculine images have the potential to be projected onto the male main character. These projections can however be undermined by the narrative. According to the cognitive theory there are potential processing possibilities that can be activated during the reading of a narrative. Firstly, the narrative manipulates or entices the reader to reject existing ideas and perceptions and to create a space for new ideas and perceptions in concordance with the representation in the narrative; secondly existing ideas can be altered by the cognitive processing of information in the novel; and thirdly it can happen that new ideas, underlying the actions and events in the narrative, are completely rejected. The possibility therefore exists that, regardless of the extent to which it takes place, the cognitive processing of information in the novel will have an effect on the reader. In this case the representations of masculinity in the novel may have a potential effect on the manner in which the reader experiences masculinity in future real-world situations. Venter demonstrates sensitivity and compassion for all the characters in his novels and the hypothetical expectation is that the author succeeds in the development of a similar sensitivity and compassion for the main character in Santa Gamka. The novel can thus lead to a better understanding of both humanity and masculinity because of the way in which masculinity is represented. The goal of the article is to show that cognitive narratology can be used to focus the attention on the manner in which the novel undermines existing and established frames and scripts with regard to the representation of the complex personality of Lucky Marais.