Drum Magazine Study Notes PDF

**Drum Magazine Study Notes** **Overview of *Drum*** - *Drum* magazine emerged in the 1950s, focusing on the lives of urban Black South Africans. - Initially centered on rural culture, it shifted to urban stories under editor Anthony Sampson to appeal to a modern Black audience. -...

**Drum Magazine Study Notes** **Overview of *Drum*** - *Drum* magazine emerged in the 1950s, focusing on the lives of urban Black South Africans. - Initially centered on rural culture, it shifted to urban stories under editor Anthony Sampson to appeal to a modern Black audience. - Became a symbol of Black resistance, identity, and culture, especially in apartheid-era Johannesburg. - **Sophiatown and Urban Life** - Sophiatown, a vibrant suburb in Johannesburg, was central to *Drum*'s stories, symbolizing freedom and urban Black identity. - Known for its jazz clubs, shebeens (illegal bars), and multicultural atmosphere, Sophiatown was both a cultural hub and a symbol of resistance. - *Drum* captured the "fabulous fifties" vibe of Sophiatown, showcasing nightlife, music, fashion, and urban challenges. - **Key Themes in *Drum*** 1. **Urban Identity and the Tsotsi (Gangster) Figure**: - *Drum* popularized the *tsotsi* as a cultural symbol---rebellious, stylish, and resistant to apartheid\'s limitations. - Stories about *tsotsis* reflected both the dangers and vibrancy of city life, challenging apartheid's portrayal of urban Africans. 2. **Gender Dynamics**: - *Drum* introduced the "Modern African Miss," showcasing women as strong, independent, and sophisticated, which challenged traditional gender roles. - The magazine both celebrated and critiqued the rise of empowered Black women, highlighting their complex roles in urban society. 3. **Social Commentary and Subtle Resistance**: - While *Drum* often seemed focused on entertainment, it subtly critiqued apartheid by highlighting urban hardships and injustices through storytelling. - Investigative stories by Henry Nxumalo, known as "Mr. Drum," exposed labor abuses and social issues, bringing national attention to Black struggles. 4. **Influence of American Culture**: - *Drum* adopted elements of American pop culture, such as jazz, crime fiction, and Hollywood-style glamour, making it relatable to a modern Black audience. - Writers drew on American gangster films and jazz culture to create uniquely South African stories, blending local struggles with a universal theme of resistance. **Narrative Style and Techniques** - *Drum* stories often used lively, engaging language, blending local slang and street language to create an authentic voice. - Writers like Can Themba, Nat Nakasa, and Todd Matshikiza used first-person storytelling, vivid descriptions, and a conversational tone. - This style, known as the "Drum Style," was fast-paced, informal, and reflective of urban Black life in the townships. **Important *Drum* Writers and Figures** 1. **Can Themba**: Known for stories set in Sophiatown, such as "Requiem for Sophiatown," highlighting both the vibrancy and tragedy of the area. 2. **Henry Nxumalo**: The investigative journalist who risked his life to expose injustices, including farm labor abuses and prison conditions. 3. **Arthur Maimane**: Created South Africa's first Black detective stories in the style of American crime fiction, offering a hard-hitting look at apartheid's impact. 4. **Nat Nakasa and Bloke Modisane**: Chronicled everyday township life with wit and a critical perspective on apartheid society. **Significance of *Drum*** - *Drum* was more than a magazine; it was a cultural movement that gave Black South Africans a voice in a racially divided society. - It captured the complexity of Black urban life under apartheid, celebrating resilience, culture, and a new urban identity. - The magazine remains a symbol of resistance, creativity, and the power of storytelling to capture and challenge social realities. **South African Short Stories: Study Notes** **Overview** South African short stories capture the country\'s complex history, focusing on themes of identity, transition, resistance, and resilience. The genre\'s brevity is ideal for highlighting intense moments, social issues, and individual struggles in a rapidly changing society. **Key Themes and Concepts** 1. **The Interregnum and Transition**: - **Interregnum**: In South African literature, this term refers to the transitional period between the end of apartheid and the emergence of a new identity for South Africans. This \"in-between\" state reflects the uncertainty and tension of moving from an oppressive past to an unknown future. - Stories from this period often address unresolved social issues, identity conflicts, and the lingering effects of apartheid, blending past trauma with the hope and challenges of a post-apartheid society. 2. **Rediscovery of the Ordinary**: - Njabulo Ndebele's concept emphasizes focusing on everyday life in South African townships, rather than dramatic portrayals of apartheid. This approach highlights the dignity, resilience, and community of Black South Africans through simple, daily interactions and personal growth. - Stories like "Uncle" and "The Prophetess" depict small but meaningful moments, showing how ordinary life is filled with resilience and cultural depth. 3. **Identity and Hybridity**: - South African short stories often explore complex identities, especially for those labeled as "Coloured" or mixed-race, who occupy an in-between space between Black and White. These stories examine cultural hybridity, showing how identities are shaped by colonialism, apartheid, and personal heritage. - Writers like Zoë Wicomb reimagine "Coloured" identity, focusing on themes of belonging, cultural heritage, and the fluidity of identity in a diverse society. 4. **Political Commitment and Resistance**: - Many stories subtly critique apartheid by portraying the struggles of marginalized characters. Stories from authors like Nadine Gordimer use allegory, symbolism, and personal encounters to reveal the injustices of apartheid and the moral conflicts it created. - Short stories in South Africa have often served as vehicles for social critique, using fictional characters and plots to reflect real social issues like land ownership, inequality, and racial discrimination. 5. **Gender Dynamics**: - South African short stories frequently address gender roles, particularly the experiences of women under both patriarchal and apartheid systems. Stories often depict women as resilient figures who navigate complex roles within family, society, and resistance movements. - Some stories focus on the intersection of gender with race and class, portraying how these identities compound struggles but also provide avenues for solidarity and resistance. 6. **Environmental and Social Concerns**: - Recently, stories have incorporated themes of environmental degradation, climate change, and the impact of consumer culture on society and nature. This reflects a growing awareness of global ecological issues, showing how they intersect with local experiences of poverty, disease, and cultural shifts. - These stories often use settings and symbols (like polluted cities or abandoned landscapes) to highlight the urgency of environmental preservation and the consequences of human neglect. **Narrative Style and Techniques** 1. **Brevity and Focus**: - Short stories are concise, focusing on pivotal moments or encounters. This brevity makes each word and image significant, allowing writers to convey powerful messages through small details. - Themes and conflicts are introduced early and resolved or left ambiguous, inviting readers to reflect deeply on the story's meaning. 2. **Inner Focalization**: - Many South African stories use a close, often internal perspective to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of characters, providing insight into their personal conflicts and resilience. - This style allows the reader to connect with the character\'s internal struggles, especially as they navigate complex social and personal challenges. 3. **Allegory and Symbolism**: - South African writers often use allegory and symbolism to critique social and political issues. For example, objects or settings may represent larger themes, like a train symbolizing the movement and stagnation of apartheid society. - This indirect storytelling method allows authors to address sensitive topics subtly, encouraging readers to interpret deeper meanings. **Key Authors and Stories** 1. **Nadine Gordimer**: - Known for stories that highlight the moral complexities of apartheid, such as "The Train from Rhodesia" and "Six Feet of the Country." Her works often portray encounters between Black and White South Africans, revealing the ethical dilemmas and social injustices of apartheid. 2. **Njabulo Ndebele**: - His concept of "rediscovering the ordinary" focuses on daily life in townships. Stories like "Uncle" and "The Prophetess" show the resilience and humanity of township life, using ordinary events to reflect broader social issues and values. 3. **Zoë Wicomb**: - Wicomb explores hybrid identities, particularly in the Coloured community. Her works delve into themes of belonging, cultural history, and the fluid nature of identity, emphasizing the personal impact of South Africa's social divisions. 4. **Post-2000 Writers**: - Contemporary authors like Henrietta Rose-Innes and Lidudumalingani have expanded the genre to include themes of environmental concern, mental health, and migration. These stories reflect the evolving concerns of South Africa, addressing issues of global relevance. **Still Life by Zoë Wicomb: Study Notes** **Overview** *Still Life* by Zoë Wicomb is a complex novel that intertwines history, identity, and colonial legacies. The narrative follows an author attempting to write about Thomas Pringle, a figure considered the \"Father of South African Poetry.\" However, rather than a conventional biography, the story unfolds through ghostly characters representing marginalized voices, creating a critical dialogue between South Africa\'s colonial history and contemporary issues. **Key Themes and Concepts** 1. **Historiographic Metafiction**: - The novel uses historiographic metafiction to blend historical facts with fictional analysis, questioning how history is constructed. - Characters like Mary Prince, Hinza Marossi, and others represent different perspectives on Pringle and challenge the reliability of historical narratives. 2. **Polyphony and Multiple Voices**: - Wicomb utilizes \"polyphony\" (multiple, diverse voices) to represent conflicting viewpoints, giving voice to those marginalized in traditional historical accounts. - By allowing each character to tell their story, Wicomb highlights the limitations and biases in single-perspective histories, particularly regarding colonialism. 3. **The "Pondok of History" and Colonial Metaphors**: - Wicomb's concept of the "pondok" (a South African term for a makeshift shelter) symbolizes the provisional and fragile nature of historical narratives. - The novel questions the authority of colonial figures like Pringle, revealing how South African history has been \"built\" through colonial frameworks that often excluded indigenous perspectives. 4. **Postcolonial Critique**: - Wicomb critiques the glorification of colonial figures and examines the complications of reclaiming history from a postcolonial perspective. - The novel delves into Pringle's contradictions, portraying him as both an anti-slavery advocate and a figure who still upheld certain colonial perspectives. 5. **Intertextuality and Dialogue with Historical Figures**: - Wicomb incorporates elements from various literary and historical texts, creating a dialogue between the characters and their historical counterparts. - Figures like Mary Prince bring an alternative narrative to the fore, challenging the conventional ways in which history remembers figures like Pringle. 6. **Ethical and Political Implications of Storytelling**: - Through *Still Life*, Wicomb explores the ethics of storytelling, particularly who has the right to tell certain stories and how narratives can shape collective memory. - The novel's structure forces readers to question the role of the writer as a gatekeeper of history and the moral responsibility in retelling stories of the oppressed. **Key Characters and their Roles** 1. **Thomas Pringle**: - A Scottish poet and abolitionist known as the \"Father of South African Poetry.\" - In the novel, Pringle's legacy is contested as the characters question his role in history and the narratives he created about colonial South Africa. 2. **Mary Prince**: - A historical figure and former enslaved woman whose story was edited by Pringle. - Her presence in the novel serves to challenge Pringle's control over her narrative, demanding recognition of her own agency and perspective. 3. **Hinza Marossi**: - Based on a real historical figure who was part of Pringle's household but whose life was cut short in England. - Hinza's story questions the colonial assumption of \"civilizing missions\" and exposes the limitations of Pringle's benevolence. 4. **Narrator**: - The unnamed narrator is tasked with writing Pringle's biography but becomes entangled with these ghostly characters, who force her to confront her own role in perpetuating colonial narratives. - She serves as a stand-in for the reader, navigating the complexities of historical representation and moral responsibility. **Writing Style and Narrative Techniques** - **Nonlinear Structure**: The novel's narrative jumps between different voices and time periods, reflecting the fragmented nature of history. - **Interplay of Reality and Fiction**: By mixing real historical figures with fictionalized accounts, Wicomb blurs the lines between fact and imagination, urging readers to consider how historical \"truth\" is constructed. - **Use of Ghostly Figures**: The ghostly characters symbolize forgotten or silenced voices, reminding readers that history often omits the experiences of marginalized groups. **Significance for Contemporary South Africa** - **Colonial Legacy**: Wicomb's novel resonates with contemporary discussions around decolonization, challenging readers to rethink whose stories are included in history. - **Intersection of Race, Gender, and History**: The novel's feminist and postcolonial critiques highlight how race and gender intersect to shape historical narratives, especially regarding figures like Mary Prince. - **Questioning National Myths**: By reexamining Pringle's role, *Still Life* encourages readers to question national myths and the way South Africa's colonial past is remembered and celebrated.