Mutants of the Picaresque: Moll Flanders and A Sport of Nature

Abstract

The Postmodernist problem of the relationship between "story" and "history" is approached via the picaresque. Certain characteristics of the Genre are assumed, notably that it concerns the autobiography of a traveller in the margin of conventional society, offering an ambiguous view of contemporary values. Cervantes transformed the picaro from rogue into outsider, internalising the notion of a journey by inserting it into language, and casting doubt on authoriality in autobiography.
Noting the eighteenth century mistrust of "story", the interaction between Moll Flanders and her society is evaluated, largely in terms of the dual narratorial voice, which complicates the notion of identity. This resides largely in language itself, involving not only the protagonist's name, but the invention of a self in interaction with others. Through the identification of language and money, the picara's journey is depicted in terms of a transaction; and it is suggested that Moll's alleged reduction of her world to financial terms, should be seen as a metalanguage to codify emotional experience.
Although A Sport of Nature is not offered as autobiography it concerns the invention of a self. The postmodernist author turns even "history" into "story". However, an ideological problem arises since the picara Hillela, as a "sport of nature", subverts her own "validity" and undermines a dialectic with the reader.

Opsomming
Die postmodernistiese probleem van die verhouding "storie"/"historie" word via die pikareske benader. Enkele kenmerke van die genre word veronderstel, byvoorbeeld dat dit die outobiografie is van 'n swerwer op die rand van die samelewing, wat 'n dubbelsinnige instelling ten opsigte van tydgenootlike waardes meebring. Cervantes het die picaro verander van skelm tot outsider, die konsep van 'n reis geïnternaliseer deur dit tot taal te herlei, en outorialiteit in die outobiografie bevraagteken.
In die lig van die agtiende eeu se wantroue in "storie", word Moll Flanders se wisselwerking met haar samelewing beskou, veral met betrekking tot die tweeledige vertellerstem wat die konsep van identiteit verwikkel. Die bestaan hoofsaaklik in die taal, nie net ten opsigte van die protagonis se naam nie, maar die hele ontwerp van 'n self in wisselwerking met ander. Deur geld met taal te vereenselwig, word die picara se reis aangebied as transaksie; en daar word voorgestel dat Moll se beweerde herleiding van haar wereld tot finansiele terme as metataal gelees behoort te word vir die enkodering van emosionele ervaring.
Hoewel A Sport of Nature nie as outobiografie aangebied word nie, gaan dit steeds om die ontwerp van 'n self. Die postmodernistiese outeur omskep selfs "historie" in "storie". Daar ontstaan egter 'n ideologiese probleem omdat die picara Hillela as "afwyking" haar eie "geldigheid" aantas en 'n dialektiet met die leser ondermyn.