The Writing Business: “He and His Man”, Coetzee and Defoe

Abstract

This article explores the complexities of mimesis in J.M. Coetzee’s Nobel lecture, “He and His Man”, discovering in the authorial doubling of Coetzee and Defoe, and of Defoe and Robinson Crusoe, a further doubling of mimesis without an original – which lies at the heart of what, in Coetzee’s lecture, Robinson Crusoe calls “the writing business”.

 Opsomming

 Hierdie artikel verken die ingewikkeldheid van mimesis in J.M. Coetzee se Nobelpryslesing “He and His Man” en onthul in die verdubbeling as skrywers van Coetzee en Defoe, en van Defoe en Robinson Crusoe, nog ’n verdubbeling – dié van ’n mimesis sonder iets wat nageboots word. Hierdie mimesis is die kern van dít wat in Coetzee se lesing deur Robinson Crusoe “die skryfbesigheid” (“the writing business”) genoem word.