Hello readers,
This blog is a part of my thinking activity in which we have to write about "Waiting for the barbarians" by J. M. Coetzee. We had Guest lecture on "Waiting for the barbarians" by Dr.R.B.Zala sir on 8th and 9th January. This was good session with sir.
About Author :
John Maxwell Coetzee is a South African–born novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and he won nobel prize in literature in 2003. He has also won the Booker Prize twice. Coetzee's first novel was Dusklands which was published in 1974. He has continued to produce novels at the rate of about one every three years. He has also written autobiographical novels, such as Boyhood, Youth and Summertime, short fiction, translations from Dutch and Afrikaans, and numerous essays and works of criticism.
Plot summary : Waiting for the barbarians
This is Allegorical novel. The novel opens onto conversation between the Magistrate and Colonel Joll. The protagonist character of the novel Magistrate,a nameless civil servant. He is good man. He helps people. When you go against your empire, then you will be punished. The same happens with Magistrate. He was punished because he help one barbarian Girl. He is different from others people who are working there for the empire. He doesn't support the idea of empire or barbarians. If you give your views which is against your empire's rule then you may killed by your own empire. There are following important characters.
1. Magistrate - protagonist character of the novel
2. colonel Joll - A powerful man or represent the empire
3. Mandel - An officer who taken Magistrate into custody because of being believed to have consorted with the barbarians
4. Barbarian girl
The empire believes that barbarians are not good. Barbarians are cruel. The empire believe in racism. Empire judge the people by their looks. They think barbarians are cruel just because they are black or not look good. Joll is invited in the empire because of one message that Barbarians are coming. Magistrate is not denied anything but he is doing his own investigation. Barbarian girl stand for national Allegory and also stand for her nation Africa. Britishers believe that barbarians are cruel but the real barbarians are Britishers because they are doing violence or more cruel. Magistrate live with Barbarian girl but he knows his limitations. Magistrate had physical relationship with barbarian girl in third chapter. In the end of the novel Joll feel isolated.
Character study :
1. Magistrate :
Magistrate is a civil servant of the Empire who’s looking forward to retiring soon. The magistrate is the narrator and protagonist of Waiting for the Barbarians. When Colonel Joll comes at the settlement under the magistrate’s jurisdiction, the disappearance of quietude and stability in the magistrate’s life begins.
He is very different from others. He knows that barbarians are not cruel as his empire is believe. He helps barbarian girl. His attraction to the barbarian girl baffles and frustrates him. Further, in the novel, the barbarian girl’s poor vision makes the magistrate more self-conscious about his body, even though she can barely see it, and therefore his sexuality as a whole.
2.Barbarian girl :
The nameless barbarian girl comes to play a central role in the magistrate’s life. After the magistrate discovers her begging on the street, he takes her under his wing, employing her as a cook and maid. But the professional relationship quickly turns sexual. The barbarian girl therefore exposes a distance between herself and the magistrate. The barbarian girl repenting two disparate cultures that are nomads and that of the Empire. Even though she’s blind, the girl makes the magistrate feel more exposed and visible. Magistrate sees his reflection in barbarians eyes.
3. Colonel Joll :
A colonel in the Empire’s army. Joll visits the Empire’s frontier settlements in order to interrogate any barbarians who have been taken prisoner, hoping to gain information about the barbarians’ raiding plans. Joll believes that barbarians are not good and try to attack on empire. His torture victims that confirms his suspicions. He is not able to find what is true or false. We can see him in chapter one and in the last chapter. In the last chapter, Joll feel isolation.
Central themes :
1. Fear of the other
2. Power
3. Interrogation
4. Imperialism
Comparison with other texts :
1. A Tempest by Aime Cesaire - character of Caliban
2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe - character of Friday
3. Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule by Mahatma Gandhi - this book is critic of modernity
Unique features of the novel :
In the book we can find some unique features such as racism, power, post colonial perspective, and feminist reading.
Learning Outcome :
I like the character of Magistrate in the novel is good one. He always resist against wrong decisions or power. I think, when you see something that is not good and if you know the reality then you have to resist. As we know we live in post truth era and we can find some fake news. Without knowing, we will accept. But I think we have to think about this. In the novel, magistrate knows that it is not good and he is not accept the things but he is questioning and speaking what is truth.
This blog is a part of my thinking activity in which we have to write about "Waiting for the barbarians" by J. M. Coetzee. We had Guest lecture on "Waiting for the barbarians" by Dr.R.B.Zala sir on 8th and 9th January. This was good session with sir.
About Author :
John Maxwell Coetzee is a South African–born novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and he won nobel prize in literature in 2003. He has also won the Booker Prize twice. Coetzee's first novel was Dusklands which was published in 1974. He has continued to produce novels at the rate of about one every three years. He has also written autobiographical novels, such as Boyhood, Youth and Summertime, short fiction, translations from Dutch and Afrikaans, and numerous essays and works of criticism.
Plot summary : Waiting for the barbarians
"Pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt"
- J.M.Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians
This is Allegorical novel. The novel opens onto conversation between the Magistrate and Colonel Joll. The protagonist character of the novel Magistrate,a nameless civil servant. He is good man. He helps people. When you go against your empire, then you will be punished. The same happens with Magistrate. He was punished because he help one barbarian Girl. He is different from others people who are working there for the empire. He doesn't support the idea of empire or barbarians. If you give your views which is against your empire's rule then you may killed by your own empire. There are following important characters.
1. Magistrate - protagonist character of the novel
2. colonel Joll - A powerful man or represent the empire
3. Mandel - An officer who taken Magistrate into custody because of being believed to have consorted with the barbarians
4. Barbarian girl
The empire believes that barbarians are not good. Barbarians are cruel. The empire believe in racism. Empire judge the people by their looks. They think barbarians are cruel just because they are black or not look good. Joll is invited in the empire because of one message that Barbarians are coming. Magistrate is not denied anything but he is doing his own investigation. Barbarian girl stand for national Allegory and also stand for her nation Africa. Britishers believe that barbarians are cruel but the real barbarians are Britishers because they are doing violence or more cruel. Magistrate live with Barbarian girl but he knows his limitations. Magistrate had physical relationship with barbarian girl in third chapter. In the end of the novel Joll feel isolated.
Character study :
1. Magistrate :
Magistrate is a civil servant of the Empire who’s looking forward to retiring soon. The magistrate is the narrator and protagonist of Waiting for the Barbarians. When Colonel Joll comes at the settlement under the magistrate’s jurisdiction, the disappearance of quietude and stability in the magistrate’s life begins.
He is very different from others. He knows that barbarians are not cruel as his empire is believe. He helps barbarian girl. His attraction to the barbarian girl baffles and frustrates him. Further, in the novel, the barbarian girl’s poor vision makes the magistrate more self-conscious about his body, even though she can barely see it, and therefore his sexuality as a whole.
2.Barbarian girl :
The nameless barbarian girl comes to play a central role in the magistrate’s life. After the magistrate discovers her begging on the street, he takes her under his wing, employing her as a cook and maid. But the professional relationship quickly turns sexual. The barbarian girl therefore exposes a distance between herself and the magistrate. The barbarian girl repenting two disparate cultures that are nomads and that of the Empire. Even though she’s blind, the girl makes the magistrate feel more exposed and visible. Magistrate sees his reflection in barbarians eyes.
3. Colonel Joll :
A colonel in the Empire’s army. Joll visits the Empire’s frontier settlements in order to interrogate any barbarians who have been taken prisoner, hoping to gain information about the barbarians’ raiding plans. Joll believes that barbarians are not good and try to attack on empire. His torture victims that confirms his suspicions. He is not able to find what is true or false. We can see him in chapter one and in the last chapter. In the last chapter, Joll feel isolation.
Central themes :
1. Fear of the other
2. Power
3. Interrogation
4. Imperialism
Comparison with other texts :
1. A Tempest by Aime Cesaire - character of Caliban
2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe - character of Friday
3. Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule by Mahatma Gandhi - this book is critic of modernity
Unique features of the novel :
In the book we can find some unique features such as racism, power, post colonial perspective, and feminist reading.
Learning Outcome :
I like the character of Magistrate in the novel is good one. He always resist against wrong decisions or power. I think, when you see something that is not good and if you know the reality then you have to resist. As we know we live in post truth era and we can find some fake news. Without knowing, we will accept. But I think we have to think about this. In the novel, magistrate knows that it is not good and he is not accept the things but he is questioning and speaking what is truth.
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