Study Of Coetzee’s Novel In The Heart Of The Country

John Maxwell Coetzee (1940-) is a South Africa’s contemporary writer. He is avery creative writer, who has an extremely complicated ideological connotation. He wasawarded the2003Nobel Prize for Literature, and his works called the shining pearl inthe halls of the world literature. So, he is a writer worthy of continued discussion andanalysis. This thesis will analyze one of his early novels In the Heart of the Country，strives to discover the profound meaning, artistic value and rich philosophy.The first chapter of this thesis explores the creative content of this novel. Coetzeecompleted the novel in South Africa, so the creative background and creative contextare inseparable from the history and current situation in South Africa. As can be seenfrom his words, after South Africa’s apartheid system is broken, whites and blacksforces have a shrunk change: the power and prestige of the white man no longer gettingthe upper hand of black man’s. Also，he makes the female as narrator deconstructedmale-centered discourse. In the Heart of the Country’s concern of women is not limitedto this, Coetzee also create the image of the "bottom" of third world women. So,Coetzee linked literature and culture tightly, which fully reflects his deep concern andthinking of history and the status quo.The second chapter discusses on the creative artistic aesthetic of In the Heart of theCountry. This novel has postmodern uncertainty features in creative skills, agrees withthe great contradiction and uncertainty human survival status in the period of realpost-modern society. The novel shows unique narrative style, fragmented plot, abnormalhero personality and experimental language games. A variety of artistic techniques withpostmodern literary features not only shows Coetzee’s superb creative talent, but alsotruly summarizes the diversity and disorder of post-modern life.The third chapter of this thesis related with the plight of the people as well as howto escape from trouble. As Coetzee has a profound thinking about life, he certainly discussed humanity in novels. In this novel, female intellectual living in the colonyfaces both cultural and survival dilemma. How to face this situation, how to get out ofthis predicament, Coetzee gives the answer, that is rely on the support of individualtenacious life will to get strength to stand up again, to continue to live.The epilogue is the summary and supplement of this thesis. Coetzee’s novelreflects the social problem with the harsh times basis. Although the background of hisnovels is South Africa, but the value of the text has exceeded this country, with a widerange of universal significance. The creative forms have experimental features ofpostmodernism, immediately following the development trend of the times andmainstream of literary creation. Works for the humane care of ordinary individuals,reflects Coetzee compassionate feelings for the world, has a lot of guidance value andsignificance for today to establish more humane, harmonious and egalitarian society.