Reading The Bambata Rebellion in South African English Fiction

Abstract

The focus of this paper is a group of thirteen early novels by white writers in which the Bambata Rebellion features significantly. Discussed in turn are (a) the novels tending to endorse white prejudice; (b) those which are ambivalent in terms of the sympathy shown to whites and blacks; and (c) those which involve some sustained questioning of white propagandist interests and possibly even some empathy for the Black cause. Underlying the study is a concern with the extent to which white South African atti­tudes may have shifted towards, and perhaps beyond, the more enlightened responses to the rebellion observed in the final set of novels.

Opsomming
Die fokus van hierdie artikel is 'n groep van dertien vroeë romans deur blanke skrywers wat oor die Bambata-rebellie handel. Die volgende word beurtelings bespreek: (a) romans wat neig om blanke vooroordeel te bevestig; (b) dill waarin die houding teenoor blankes en swartes ambivalent is; en {c) die romans waarin blanke propagandistiese belange in 'n mate bevraagteken word, en daar selfs empatie jeens die swart saak voorkom. Onderliggend aan die studie is die vraag of blanke houdings moontlik nader beweeg het aan, of selfs verby, die meer ingeligte reaksies op die Rebellie wat in die laaste stel romans bespeur kan word.