HEART OF DARKNESS AND APOCALYPSE NOW, NA DIE GELIEFDE LAND AND PROMISED

267 Pages·2008·15.97 MB·English

POLYPHONIC CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN NOVEL AND
FILM: HEART OF DARKNESS AND APOCALYPSE NOW, NA
DIE GELIEFDE LAND AND PROMISED LAND
Toinette Badenhorst-Roux Hons. B.A.
Dissertation submitted for the degree Master of Arts in
Linguistics and Literary Theory at the North-West University
Supervisor: Prof. H.M. Viljoen
Co-supervisor: Prof. A.M. de Lange
2006
Potchefstroom Campus
Abstract
This dissertation attempts a Bakhtinian analysis of the polyphonic dialogue between
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, Karel
Schoeman's Na die Geliefde Land and Jason Xenopoulos' Promised Land.
Specific Bakthinian concepts are employed to determine whether the films are "apt"
adaptations of the literary texts; how the stylistically hybrid texts engage in conversation
with different movements, genres and trends; how the polyphonic conversations
between different texts and discourses, such as literature and film, or colonialism and
postcolonialism, can provide insight into the variety of discourses, textual and
ideological, of a postcolonial, post-apartheid South Africa; and how identity crises
experienced by key characters can be explained using the notions of hybridity, "The
Marginal Man" and liminality. All four texts have key characters that experience identity
crises that spring from cultural hybridity; their cultural hybridity has the potential to either
render them marginally stagnant or lead them to liminally active participation within their
imagined communities.
This dissertation argues that even though there are major differences between the films
and the literary texts they are based upon, they are relevant to a specific target audience
and therefore enrich the ur-texts. Salient characteristics of realism, symbolism,
impressionism, modernism, postmodernism, postcolonialism and the apocalyptic
dialogise one another within the four texts, thereby liberating the texts from one authorial
reading. The dialogue between the discourses of literature and film supplement an
understanding of the dialogue between war, imperialism, colonialism, postcolonialism
and the Will to Power.
Keywords: Mikhail Bakhtin, dialogics, dialogism, polyphony, polyphonic, hybrid,
hybridity, identity, marginal, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, Francis Ford Coppola,
Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Now Redux, Karel Schoeman, Na die Geliefde Land,
Jason Xenopoulos, Promised Land.
Opsomming
Die doelstelling van hierdie verhandeling is om 'n Bakhtiniaanse analise te maak van die
polifoniese dialoog tussen Joseph Conrad se Heart of Darkness, Francis Ford Coppola
se Apocalypse Now, Karel Schoeman se Na die Geliefde Land en Jason Xenopoulos se
Promised Land.
Spesifieke Bakhtiniaanse konsepte word gebruik as instrurnentasie om vas te stel of die
films "geskikte" verwerkings is van die literkre tekste; hoe die stilisties hibriede tekste in
gesprek tree met veskeie strominge, genres en neigings; hoe die polifoniese gesprekke
tussen die verskillende tekste en diskoerse, soos literatuur en film, of kolonialisme en
postkolonialisme, tot nut kan wees vir 'n postkoloniale, post-apartheid Suid-Afrika; en
hoe sleutelkarakters, wat identiteitskrisisse ervaar, in gesprek tree met hibriditeit, "Die
Marginale Man" en liminaliteit. Al vier tekste het sleutelkarakters wat identiteitskrisisse
ervaar wat spruit uit kulturele hibriditeit; hul kulturele hibriditeit het die potensiaal om te
lei na of marginale stagnasie of liminale deelname binne hul verbeelde gemeenskappe.
Alhoewel daar belangrike verskille is tussen die films en die literbre tekste waarop hulle
gebaseer is, argumenteer hierdie verhandeling dat die verwerkings relevant is vir 'n
spesifieke teikengehoor en dus die oer-tekste verryk. Daar is bevind dat pertinente
kenmerke van realisme, simbolisme, impressionisme, modernisme, postmodernisme,
postkolonialisme en die apokaliptiese, mekaar binne die vier tekste dialogiseer, en dus
die tekste bevy van een outoritkre interpretasie. Die dialoog tussen die diskoerse van
literatuur en film vul mekaar aan ten einde begrip te kweek vir die dialoog tussen oorlog,
imperialisme, kolonialisme, postkolonialisrne en die Wil tot Mag.
Sleutelterme: Mikhail Bakhtin, dialogisme, polifonie, hibried, hibriditeit, identiteit,
marginaliteit, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse
Now, Apocalypse Now Redux, Karel Schoeman, Na die Geliefde Land, Jason
Xenopoulos, Promised Land.
Acknowledgments
I should like to thank the National Research Foundation (NRF) for financial assistance
that made this dissertation possible. This material is based upon work supported by the
NRF under Grant Number GUN 2054185. The opinions and conclusions of this
dissertation are those of the author and should not be ascribed to either the NRF or the
North-West University.
Special thanks to my supervisor, Prof. Hein Viljoen, for your patience and guidance.
Your widely-read knowledge is admirable. Thank you to my co-supervisor and mentor,
Prof. Attie de Lange. You are a true gentleman for you always manage to stay friendly
and professional, even through your own trials and tribulations. The best to you and
your family.
Sincere thanks to my husband and soulmate, Johan Badenhorst, for supporting me
financially so that I could finish my studies, and supporting me emotionally through trying
times. You are my best friend.
Thank you to my parents, Christo and Zema Roux, who financially supported my career
as a student for so many years. To my sister, Zema, and my brother, Francois, thanks
for providing me with a social life that counterbalanced my academic life. You are more
than family, you are my friends.
And last but not least, thanks to my sister-in-law Carin, who also contributed to my social
life. Having studied English yourself, you were a sounding board for all my complaints,
problems and fears. And thanks for taking the time to proofread my dissertation.
Benji, may you rest in peace my loyal one.
iii
Table of Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................i. ....
Opsomming ........................ . ........................................................................................i.i. .
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................i.v.. ...
1. CHAPTER 1 ORIENTATION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT .................1
.
1. 1. Orientation ........................................................................................................2.. ..
1.2. Problem statement ...........................................................................................4.. ...
1.3. Aims ................................................................................................................5.. ....
1. 3 .l.G eneral aims ................................................................................................ 5
1.3.2. Specific aims ............................................................................................... 5
1.4. Thesis statement .............................................................................................6.. ...
1.5. Method of study ..................................................................................................7
2 . CHAPTER 2 -THEORETICAL OVERVIEW OF HYBRIDITY. "THE
MARGINAL MAN. LIMINALITY. IDENTITY AND BAKHTlNlAN THOUGHT9
2.1. Introduction. ....................................................................................................1..0..
2.2. Hybridity. "The Marginal Man" and liminality ...................................................... 10
. .
2.2.1. Hybr~d~..t.y.. ............................................................................................1..1.. ..
2.2.2. Marginality and liminality ............................................................................ 14
2.2.3. Identity. ...................................................................................................2..0.. ..
2.2.4. Conrad and Schoeman as marginal and liminal figures ........................... ..22
2.3. Bakhtinian thought ..........................................................................................2..7..
2.3.1 . Dialogics. ..................................................................................................2..7. .
2.3.2. Carnival ...................................................................................................3..3.. .
2.4. Literature and film ..................................... ... ......................................................3. 7
2.4.1 . The emergence of visual arts ..................................................................3..7.. .
2.4.2. Novel and film as hybrid mediums .............................................................4 2
2.4.3. Prejudices and hostilities against filmic adaptations of literature .................4. 4
2.4.4. Redefining what 'Tidelity" means in filmic adaptations of literature ...............4 5
2.4.5. Bakhtinian overtones in filmic adaptations of literature ............................... 46
2.4.6. How Apocalypse Now and Promised Land were received by the general
public and literary or film scholars ........................................................................4..8.
2.5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................5..0.. ..
3. CHAPTER 3 -THEORETICAL OVERVIEW OF MOVEMENTS WITHIN
HYBRID TEXTS .....................................................................................................5..3..
3.1 . Introduction ....................................................................................................5..4.. .
3.2. Periods, movements, trends ............................................................................. 55
3.2.1 . Realism .................... . ............................................................................. 56
3.2.2. Symbolism ..............................................................................................5..8.. ..
. .
3.2.3. lmpress~on~s.m.... ....................................................................................... 60
3.2.4. Modernism ................................................................................................. 62
3.2.5. Postmodernism ........................................................................................6..4..
. .
3.2.6. Postcolon~al~s.m... ....................... .. ........................................................6..8
3.2.7. The Apocalyptic ...........................................................................................7 4
3.3. Stylistic hybridity .............................................................................................7..6..
3.4. The intermingling of artistic movements in Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now,
Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land ...............................................................8.2..
3.4.1 . Heart of Darkness ...................................................................................8..2..
3.4.2. Apocalypse Now ....................................................................................8..6.. .
3.4.3. Na die Geliefde Land ...............................................................................8..8..
3.4.4. Promised Land ........................................................................................9..0.. .
3.5. Dialogue between movements in a single quoted passage from Heart of
Darkness,A pocalypse Now., Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land ....................9 2
3.5.1 . Heart of Darkness ......................................................................................9..3
3.5.2. Apocalypse Now ......................................................................................9..5..
3.5.3. Na die Geliefde Land ............................................................................... 97
3.5.4. Promised Land ......................................................................................... 99
3.6. Conclusion ....................................................................................................1..0..0
4 . CHAPTER 4 .PO LYPHONIC CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN HEART
OF DARKNESS AND APOCALYPSE NOW ...................................................1..0 2
4.1 . Introduction ....................................................................................................1.0..3
4.2. Historical background of the novella and the film ............................................1..0 3
4.3. Polyphonic conversations between Apocalypse Now and Apocalypse Now
Redux ...................................................................................................................1..0..4
4.4. Cartographic construction of physical and cultural boundaries ........................1. 05
4.5. Polyphonic conversations between Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now .. 109
4.5.1. Polyphonic conversations between Lance and Kilgore. Chef and Chief
Phillips ................................................................................................................1. 12
4.6. Identity ..........................................................................................................1..1..5
4.6.1. Identity, Marlow and Heart of Darkness ....................................................1.1 7
4.6.2. Identity, Willard and Apocalypse Now .......................................................1. 25
4.7. Intertextual conversations between texts ........................................................ 130
4.7.1 . The Hollow Man .....................................................................................1..3..2
4.7.2. Myth ......................................................................................................... 135
4.7.3. The Doors ..............................................................................................1.3..8.
4.8. Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now in dialogue with apocalyptic, symbolist
and postcolonial characteristics .............................................................................1.4..1
4.8.1. Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now in dialogue with the apocalyptic . 141
4.8.2. Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now in dialogue with symbolism ........ 147
4.8.3. Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now in dialogue with the colonial and
postcolonial ......................................................................................................1..5.0..
4.9. Conclusion ...................................................................................................1..5..7.
.
5 CHAPTER 5 .PO LYPHONIC CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN NA DIE
GELIEFDE LAND AND PROMISED LAND 163
5.1 . Introduction .....................................................................................................1..6 4
5.2. Historical background of the novella and the film ............................................1..6 4
5.3. Polyphonic conversations between Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land 165
5.4. Narrative conversations between Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land ...1 65
5.5. Identity ..........................................................................................................1..6..8
5.5.1 . Afrikaner identity ...................................................................................1..6..8.
5.5.2. The dialogue between identity and outsidership in Na die Geliefde Land .. 172
5.5.3. The dialogue between identity and outsidership in Promised Land ............1 78
5.5.4. The identities of Carla and Paultjie/Paul in dialogue with their imagined
communities in Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land ..................................1..8 3
5.6. Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land in dialogue with apocalyptic, symbolist
and postcolonial characteristics. ............................................................................1.9..3
5.6.1. Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land in dialogue with the apocalyptic
.........................................................................................................................1..9..3.
5.6.2. Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land in dialogue with symbolism ......1 98
5.6.3. Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land in dialogue with the colonial and
postcolonial ........................................................................................................2.0. 2
5.7. Bakhtinian voices in Na die Geliefde Land and Promised Land .......................2 06
5.8. Conclusion ...................................................................................................2..1..5.
6. CHAPTER 6 .CO NCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..............2 20
6.1 . Introduction ...................................................................................................2..2..1
6.2. Conclusions .................................................................................................... 221
6.3. Recommendations ........................................................................................2..4..2
vii
7 . REFERENCES ..............................................................................................2..4..5.
7.1. Bibliography ................................................................................................2..4..6..
7.2. Filmography. ...............................................................................................2..5..8..
viii
1. CHAPTER 1 - ORIENTATION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT