The treatment of theme in Sesotho short stories : a polysystemic approach

Abstract

The main objective of this study and research is to investigate and determine through the polysystemic approach the treatment of themes in Sesotho short stories based on two representative periods: the 1950's and the 1990's. On the volumes produced in the 1950's namely, Meqoqo ya phirimana by JG Mocoancoeng and Leetong by SM Mofokeng; and in the 1990's namely Fiswana la morena by NS Zulu and NS Litabe and Mohlomong hosane by KPD Maphalla. According to this approach the usual collection of literary data and its analysis on the basis of their material substance is to be replaced by a functional approach based on the traditional text analysis in which one concentrates on the context or form of the text and how a particular text relates to what literature is or should be. Focus is on the social, economical , educational and political background during which time the author writes a particular literary text. Through investigation, we realise that the Polysystemic approach has never been used in the analysis of themes for the Sesotho literary works.