A Method to her Madness: Bessie Head’s A Question of Power as South African National Allegory

Abstract

Bessie Head’s A Question of Power (1974), is often thought to be her most personal and least political novel. Read through the lens of Fredric Jameson’s concept of “national allegory”, though, the novel takes a whole new shape. In Jameson’s formulation of “national allegory”, he urges readers to think about the equivalences of allegory as shifting through time, not the fixed one-to-one of traditional allegory. He insists that reading “third-world” texts through the concept of “national allegory” allows readers to see the connection of individual to nation. Through the nonlinear narrative of Elizabeth’s mental breakdown, Bessie Head takes us on an allegorical tour through South African history. While Elizabeth literally struggles to save herself from the demons of her madness, Head allegorically works through a diagnosis of apartheid-era political problems. Through the figures of Dan and Sello, Head explicates oppressive and liberatory political ideologies. Reading A Question of Power as a national allegory interested in linking the struggle of the individual against oppressive political ideology and the struggle of the nation against oppressive political ideology, aligns Head’s other political writing with this seemingly private novel.

Opsomming

Bessie Head se A Question of Power (1974) word dikwels beskou as haar persoonlikste en mins politiese roman. Deur die lens van Fredric Jameson se konsep van nasionale allegorie neem die roman ‘n nuwe gedaante aan. In Jameson se formulering van nasionale allegorie dwing hy die leser om te dink aan die ekwivalensies van allegorie as veranderend deur tyd – nie die vaste eendimensionele ekwivalensie van tradisionele allegorie nie. Hy hou vol dat die lees van derde wêreld tekste deur die konsep nasionale allegorie die leser in staat stel om die verband tussen individu en nasie te sien. Deur die nie-lineêre narratief van Elizabeth se geestelike ineenstorting neem Bessie Head die leser op ‘n toer deur die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis. Terwyl Elizabeth letterlik ‘n stryd voer om haarself te bevry van die demone van waansin, werk Head deur ‘n diagnose van ‘n apartheidera politiese probleme. Deur die figure Dan en Sello ontvou Head onderdrukkende en bevrydende ideologieë. Die lees van A Question of Power as nasionale allegorie wat gemik is daarop om die stryd van die individu en dié van die volk teen onderdrukkende politiese ideologie met mekaar in verband te bring, bring Head se ander politiese tekste in lyn met hierdie oënskynlik persoonlike roman.