‘As ek dáárdie nektar wil eet, dan moet ek steke verdra’: Stereotipering en vervreemding in die uitbeelding van lesbiese verhoudings in twee Afrikaanse romans

Abstract

‘If I want to eat that nectar, I must endure the stings’: Stereotyping and alienation in the representation of lesbian relationships in two Afrikaans novels

This article offers a literary analysis of two neglected Afrikaans texts, namely Klipkus (“Stone Kiss”, 1978) by Marlise Joubert and Requiem op ys (“Requiem on Ice”, 1992) by Emma Huismans in order to explore how stereotypical understandings of lesbian sexuality structure the experiences of lesbian characters. Even as the article exposes common homophobic stereotypes, it emerges that the lesbian characters’ experiences are complex and multi-faceted. The exposure to stereotypes results in a profound sense of alienation, which the characters attempt to overcome by undertaking journeys. As they struggle to deal with pain and alienation, the article demonstrates the joy that they manage to find in their relationships with one another. This joy turns out to be fleeting and compromised by social homophobic pressures. By means of a close reading of the representation of these lesbian relationships, the article both reveals and challenges common stereotypes about lesbian relationships.

Keywords: alienation, Emma Huismans, homophobia, lesbian sexuality, Marlise Joubert, stereotyping.

Article text in Afrikaans