Towards Postmodern Realism

J. M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize winner for literature in 2003 and also winner of quite a few other prizes for his contribution to literature, is a most controversial writer. Born and brought up in South Africa, he is supposed to stay in and write for his homeland. Yet throughout his life, he has been more like an exile, writing fictions that are hard to understand, and seemingly pointless. Similar to Coetzee being a nomad constantly on the move, from South Africa to The Great Britain, to the U.S.A and finally to Australia, his fictions are also criticized by many a critic, including Nadine Gordimer. In this thesis, I argue that, even in a novel as"groundless"as Waiting for the Barbarians, Coetzee is not as playful and dandyistic as he seems. Despite the permeating postmodern elusiveness, Waiting for the Barbarians remains a novel of commitment, through which Coetzee dramatizes the moral dilemmas and political paradoxes of all imperial enterprises and presents his insights into the realities of his homeland and beyond and gives expression to his ethics.This thesis is divided into four parts. Chapter One briefly introduces J. M. Coetzee, his major works, and how he figures in literary commentators and critics'eyes. In Chapter Two I examine his representation of nature and human society, which constitute his vision of realities. Chapter Three offers an investigation into Coetzee's ethics. I will study his moral perspective on a number of issues that pertain to human existence. The thesis concludes by suggesting that the novel teaches all of us an important lesson. Coetzee believes it crucial for human beings to care for their neighbours, be they human or not. The spirit of love and tolerance will be its own reward.