A Study Of The Spatial Politics In Praying Mantis

André Brink is a distinguished South African writer,politician and social activist.His great work Praying Mantis,set in the Apartheid period,tells a story of oppressed Cupido transforms his belief in order to quest for free and equal identity,ultimately,he still can not enjoy the equal treatment like the white missionary for racial discrimination.This thesis attempts to interpret Praying Mantis comprehensively under the guidance of Lefebvre's spatial triad in which topics like gender,race and class will be discussed.Meanwhile,the black women with subjective consciousness are complimented.Moreover,the longstanding racial problems are revealed between the black and white through the black couple's arduous process of seeking freedom and equality.This thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter One contains the introduction to Brink and his literary achievements,the plots of the novel,the previous research findings,the theoretical framework and the significance of this thesis.Chapter Two discusses the spatial politics of gender through Anna and Cupido's successful escape from the control of the white farmer,and studies how the black woman,Anna,demonstrates her subjective consciousness under the double oppression.Chapter Three analyzes the spatial politics of race from the transformation of Cupido's belief,and elucidates the confrontation between blacks and whites for the black want to seek subjective identity.Besides,it criticizes the darkness and cruelty of slavery.Chapter Four explores the power relations and political implications contained in the tough course of black's quest for freedom and equality.Chapter Five is the conclusion which indicates: the life course of the protagonist Cupido in Praying Mantis,not only presents the conflict and estrangement of males and females,races of black and white on the spatial aspect,but shows female's marginality in their living space.More importantly,it explicates the significance of black people's subjective consciousness,especially female subjective consciousness.In the current international situation,it is conducive to promoting equal exchanges and harmonious coexistence among all ethnic groups.