Nithya M , Ph.D Research scholar in English (part time),
Karuppannan Mariappan College , Muthur
Dr E. Kumar MA, Ph.D Research Supervisor,
Assistant professor & Head ,
Department of English ,
Shree Venkateshwara Arts and Science (Co-Education) College, Gobichettipalayam,Erode.
Abstract:
This article aims to analyze the theme of oppression in J.M. Coetzee’s novel Waiting for the Barbarians, which depicts the atrocities committed by an unnamed Empire against the native people living at the border of its territory. The article argues that Coetzee’s novel is not only a critique of the colonial and apartheid regimes in South Africa, but also a reflection on the global historical process of neoliberalism, which is an extension of colonialism. The article examines how Coetzee uses various literary devices, such as symbolism, allegory, and characterization, to expose the colonial discourse, the contradiction inherent in the discourse of Empire, and the failure of a liberal humanist to resist or challenge the neoliberal tide. The article also explores how Coetzee portrays the effects of oppression on the human psyche and identity, as well as on the possibility of ethical and political action. The article concludes that Coetzee’s novel is a powerful and relevant work of world literature that invites readers to question their own complicity in the oppressive systems that shape our world.
Keywords:
J.M Coetzee, Waiting, Oppressive Nature, Fiction, Culture