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Interregnum in Colonial Space: Subversion of Power and Dispossession of Metropolitan Home Materials in Gordimer's July's People

Ali Khoshnood and Rosli Talif.

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 20, Issue 1, March 2012

Keywords: Colonial Zone, dispossession, power

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Nadine Gordimer's recurrent theme has been raising awareness about the unjust and discriminatory policy ofApartheid in South Africa. In one of her later novels, July's People, she depicts the impact of an impromptujourney of a white family into their black servant's hinterland. Apartheid atrocities and discriminations of thewhite government of South Africa cause black insurgency and the displacement of the Smales family. Thisdislocation into the primitive settlement of July disrupts the former exercise of power hierarchy between theSmales family members and July. The Smales family is also deprived of familiar home equipment and cityfacilities. Although July shelters them from city riots, he takes advantage of the Smales's predicament andappropriates new power in the new environment. The burden of this study was to examine July,s treatment ofthe Smales family when they are emasculated from their former privileges. This study also attempted to showhow this sojourn dispossesses all major characters from their city life styles and powers. Both linguistic andphysical subversions of power relations cause a change in the conjugal relationships of the Smales family andconfuse July with an in-between identity and attitude towards his master's family and his village community.This study examined the new relationships and life style changes in the light of post-colonial theoreticalassumption.

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JSSH-0146-2009

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