Promoter:

TRAGEDY IN SELECTED SESOTHO NOVELS

by

EDWIN JOSEPH MOHATLANE

Dissertation presented for the degree Doctor ofLiterature at the

University of Stellenbosch

Prof N. S. Zulu

December 2002

11

DECLARATION I~-----------I, the undermentioned, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original

work, and has not previously in its entirety or in part, been submitted at any university for a degree.

Signature: Date:

iii

SUMMARY

The object of this study is to examine the expression of tragedy in randomly selected Sesotho

novels in two major periods, namely the early period (1925 to1970s) and the later period (1970s

to 1990s). Five Sesotho novels will be discussed in each period and give an indication oftragic

expression in that period. It is however not the main emphasis in this work to compare and

contrast between the two periods but mainly to observe patterns oftragedy and tragic expressions

in Sesotho novels.

Chapter One orientates the reader by indicating aspects such as the problem identification, aim

of the research, the approach or modus operandi, the scope as well as the organisation of the

study, that is, a brief arrangement of chapters and presentation of what would be contained in

subsequent chapters.

Chapter Two presents the theoretical framework within which the research will be based. As

the theoretical framework in this work, aspects oftragedy, namely, character, plot and theme will

be discussed.

Chapter Three focuses on the early Sesotho tragedies within the literary period 1925 to 1970s.

As already indicated, five novels, namely, Chaka, Mphatlalatsane, Moiketsi, Mosali a nkhola,

and Leshala Ie tswala molora will be discussed in terms ofthe theoretical principles suggested in

Chapter Two. At the end of the chapter, an analysis of the fmdings and conclusions will be

drawn on tragic expressions in these novels. These novels distinguish themselves as largely

classical tragedies (there are modem ones also) in terms of the nature of tragic characters

available.

Chapter Four examines the later Sesotho tragedies ranging between the period 1970s to1990s.

As in early Sesotho novels, five novels will be discussed with a view to highlight tragic

expressions in this period. Peo ena ejetswe ke wena, Mehaladitwe ha e eketheha, Nna ke mang,

Ke lesheleshele leo a iphehletseng lona and Lehlaba la lephako will be the novels we analyse.

Analysis of the findings will be made and conclusions drawn at the end of the chapter in how

IV

tragedy is expressed in all these novels. These novels distinguish themselves as largely modem

tragedies in terms of the tragic characters portrayed in them.

Chapter Five presents the general conclusions on all the novels discussed in the two periods. A

comparison will be made as to how tragic expression differs from one period to another

particularly in terms of the three aspects of tragedy. Each novel will be given the individual

attention and focussed exclusively as to how it presents tragedy and how perhaps it differs from

others.

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SAMEVATTING

Die doel van hierdie studie is om die voorkoms van die tragedie in geselekteerde Suid­

Soetoe romans gedurende hoofsaaklik twee periodes, naamlik, die vroeere periode (1925

tot die 1970's) en die latere periode (1970 tot die 1990's) te ondersoek. VyfSuid-Soetoe

romans sal bespreek word rakende elke periode en sal 'n aanduiding gee van die tragedie

gedurende die betrokke periode. Dit is egter nie die hoofdoel van die werk om

vergelykings en onderskeidinge tussen die twee periodes te tref nie, maar eerder om

tragedie en tragiese elemente binne Suid-Soetoe romans te bespreek.

Hoofstuk Een se doel sal wees om die leser te orienteer aangesien dit aspekte soos die

probleem identifikasie, die doel van die studie, die omvang en die voorlopige navorsing

gemaak in terme van ander navorsingswerke rakende die onderwerp bevat, naamlik,

vorige studies rakende die karakter in Suid-Soetoe romans met spesifieke verwysing na

tragiese karakters. Die hoofstuk sal ook die uiteensetting van die studie, soos die uitleg

van die hoofstukke en inhoud van daaropvolgende hoofstukke bevat, bespreek.

Hoofstuk Twee stel die teoretiese raamwerk bekend waarop die navorsing gebasseer is.

As dee! van die raamwerk, sal aspekte van die tragedie soos karakter, intrige en tema

bespreek word. Hierdie teoretiese aspekte sal dan toegepas word op Suid-Soetoe romans

in opvolgende hoofstukke.

Hoofstuk Drie fokus op die vroeere Suid-Soetoe tragedies binne die literere periode

1925 tot 1970s. Vyf romans, naamlik Chaka, Mphatlalatsane, Moiketsi, Mosali a nkhola

en Leshala Ie tswala rnolora sal bespreek word in terme van teoretiese beginsels genoem

in Hoofstuk Twee. Aan die einde van die hoofstuk sal 'n analise gemaak word van die

bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings rakende die tragedie se voorkoms in hierdie romans.

Hierdie romans onderskei hulself grootliks as klassieke tragedies in terme van die

tragiese karakters se voorkoms.

Hoofstuk Vier ondersoek die latere Suid-Soetoe tragedies gedurende die tydperk 1970

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tot 1990. 800s in die vroeeretydperk, sal vyfromans bespreek word met die doel om die

aspekte van tragedie te aksentueer. Peo ena e jetswe ke wena, Mehaladitwe ha e

eketheha, Nna ke mang, Ke lesheleshele leo a iphehletseng lona en Lehlaba la lephako

sal romans wees waarop gefokus word. 'n Analise van die bevindinge en

gevolgtrekkings sal gemaak word aan die einde van die hoofstuk en sal die voorkoms van

die tragedie in al die romans beskryf. Hierdie romans onderskei hulselfhoofsaaklik as

modeme tragedies in terme van die tragiese karakters se voorkoms.

Hoofstuk Vyfverskafalgemene gevolgtrekkings waartoe gekom is in die voorafgaande

bespreking van die genoemde twee periodes. 'n Vergelyking sal gemaak word oor hoe

die voorkoms van die tragedie verskil van een periode na die ander, rakende die tragiese

figuur. Elke roman sal individuele aandag kry en klem sal gele word op hoe dit verskil

van ander romans.

VII

KGUTSUFATSO

Ka mosebetsi ona wa diphuputso re hlahloba ka moo mahlomola a totobatswang ka teng

dingolweng tse kgethilweng dinakong tsena tsa bongodi, e leng ho t10ha selemong sa

1925 ho isa selemong sa 1970 Ie tse hlahlamang esita Ie nako ya morao e qalang

selemong sa 1970 ho isa dilemong tsa 1990 Ie tse hlahlamang. Re t1a hlahloba dipale tse

hlano mokgahlelong 0 mong Ie 0 mong wa nako e Ie ho totobatsa ka moo mahlomola a

hlahiswang ka teng dipaleng tsa Sesotho. Ha se sepheo se seholo sa mosebetsi ona ho

bapisa totobatso ya mahlomola mekgahlelong ena ya nako empa sepheo se seholo ke ho

bontsha ka moo mahlomola a hlahiswang ka teng dipaleng tsa Sesotho.

Kgaolong ya Pele re tla nyenyeletsa mrnadi diphuputsong tsena ka ho mo tsebisa dintlha

tsa bohlokwa malebana Ie mosebetsi ona tse kang totobatso ya qaka, sepheo sa phuputso

ena, mokgwa 00 phuputso e t1a etswa ka ona, dintlha tse t1a fuputswa esita Ie t1hophiso ya

mosebetsi ona. Ka t1hophiso ya mosebetsi ona re bolela tatelano ya dikgaolo esita Ie

tIhahiso ya kgaolo ka nngwe, ho tse tIa latela.

Kgaolong ya Bobedi re hlahisa teori kapa moralo wa tsebo 0 tla sebediswa bakeng sa

phuputso ena. Tse ding tsa dikarolwana tsa moralo ona wa tsebo e tla ba dikarolo tsa

bohlokwa tsa pale ya mahlomola, mme ka hona mosebetsi 0 tla totobatsa mophetwa,

moralo wa kgohlano (poloto) Ie mookotaba. Dintlha tsena tsa moralo wa tsebo di tla

sebediswa dipaleng tsa Sesotho tse tla hlahlojwa dikgaolong tse tla latela.

Kgaolong ya Boraro re hlahloba dipale tsa Sesotho tse ngotsweng mokgahlelong wa

pele wa nako mme e Ie nako e qalang selemong sa 1925 ho isa selemong sa 1970 Ie tse

mmalwa tse latelang. Jwalo ka ha re se re hlalositse, re t1a hlahloba dipale tse hlano e

leng Chaka, Mphatlalatsane, Moiketsi, Mosali a nkhola Ie Leshala Ie tswala rnolora ho

latela dintlha tseo re buileng ka tsona kgaolong ya bobedi. Qetellong ya kgaolo ena re t1a

hlahloba diqeto tseo re di etsang ho latela tseo re di lemohileng dipaleng tsena malebana

Ie t1hahiso ya mahlomola. Dipale tsena ke dipale tsa t1elaseki tse tshwanang Ie tsa

Vlll

Sekgerike (Ie hoja ho ntse ho na Ie dipale tsa sejwalejwale) ho latela semelo sa

mophetwa wa mahlomola.

Kgaolong ya Bone re hlahloba dipale tsa mahlomola tsa mokgahlelo wa sejwalejwale

mme e Ie dipale tse ngotsweng nakong ya selemo sa 1970 ho tla tihla dilemong tsa 1990

Ie tse hlahlamang. Jwalo ka ha re ile ra etsa dipaleng tsa kgale, re tla hlahloba dipale tse

hlano e Ie ho bontsha ka moo mahlomola a totobatswang ka teng paleng tsa Sesotho.

Dipale tseo re tla di hlahloba ke Pea ena ejetswe ke wena, Mehaladitwe ha e eketheha,

Nna ke mang, Ke lesheleshele lea a iphehletseng lana Ie Lehlaba la lephaka. Ha re se re

hlahlobile dipale tsena re tla fana ka diqeto tseo re di tihleletseng mabapi Ie ka moo

mahlomola a hlahiswang ka teng paleng tsena. Dipale tsena di ka tsejwa e Ie dipale tsa

sejwalejwale ho latela mofuta wa mophetwa wa mahlomola ya fumanwang ho tsona.

Kgaolong ya Bohlano re fana ka diqeto tse akaretsang malebana Ie dipale tsohle tseo re

di hlahlobileng mekgahlelong ena e mmedi ya nako. Re tla bapisa ka moo tlhahiso ya

mahlomola e fapaneng ka teng ka lebaka la tshwaetso ya semelo sa mophetwa,

diketsahalo kapa moralo esita Ie mookotaba kapa molaetsa. Re tla lekola pale ka nngwe

mme re hlahlobe ka moo e hlahisang mahlomola ka teng Ie ka moo e fapanang Ie dipale

tse ding ka teng.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Thanks to the Lord, the Almighty who gave me all the strength and wisdom to venture in this

mammoth task.

• My greatest gratitude to my promoter, Prof. N. S. Zulu for guidance and encouragement.

• Dr Monare S. Moeketsi, my colleague at the Welkom Campus of Vista University, for his

moral support.

• Special thanks to my lovely wife, Bronica Mpho; my daughter, Lerato Lovedaliah; and my

son, Thabang Edwin for their prayer.

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DEDICATION

Dedicated to my parents,

Nolan Thabang and Lillian Morakane

Mohatlane

*

A

special dedication

also to

my grandmothers,

Henriette Mmapeeletso Monare

and

Aletta Mmathabang Mohatlane (late).

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Xl

TABLE OF CONTENTS I-----------,TITLE

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

1.2 AIM OF THE STUDY

1.3 APPROACH (MODUS OPERANDI)

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.5 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.2 CHARACTER AS AN ASPECT OF TRAGEDY

2.3 PLOT AS AN ASPECT OF TRAGEDY

2.4 THEME AS AN ASPECT OF TRAGEDY

CHAPTER THREE

3.1 INTRODUCTION

PAGE

1

I

I

3

3

5

7

7

7

IS

25

29

29

3.2 Chaka (1925)

3.3 Mphatlalatsane (1947)

3.4 Moiketsi (1958)

3.5 Mosali a nkhola (1960)

3.6 Leshala Ie tswala rnolora (1962)

3.7 Conclusion

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 INTRODUCTION

4.2 Peo ena ejetswe ke wena (1982)

4.3 Mehaladitwe ha e eketheha (1991)

4.4 Nna ke rnang? (1991)

4.5 Ke lesheleshele leo a iphehletseng lona (1992)

4.6 Lehlaba la lephako (1999)

4.7 Conclusion

CHAPTER FIVE

29

54

64

75

101

109

112

112

112

123

132

148

159

167

170

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5.1 INTRODUCTION 170