Literatuur en maatskappykritiek : problematisering van seksualiteit in Tom Lanoye se ̀Monstertrilogie'

Abstract

This dissertation is a report on how Tom Lanoye, a contemporary Flemish author who explores themes of social relevance, deconstructs the sexual identity of his characters within the context of a postmodernist culture. The manifestation of this deconstruction process is described within those theoretical paradigms of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler that link sexual identity and social mores. For the purpose of this research Tom Lanoye‘s ‘Monster’ Trilogy was selected. Set against the backdrop of Belgium society during the late nineties of the twentieth century and highlighting the moral downfall of the Deschryver patriarchy, Lanoye’s novels address an assortment of contemporary gender and social political issues in his trilogy. These include the following: political corruption; incest; homosexuality; racism; the sexual abuse of minors; the relation between language and identity, volatile childrenparent relationships; the subversion of gender norms and sexual transformation.

In hierdie verhandeling word verslag gedoen van die wyse waarop Tom Lanoye as hedendaagse eksponent van die Vlaamse versetprosa die seksuele identiteit van sy karakters binne die konteks van 'n postmodernistiese verwysingsraam dekonstrueer. Die manifestasie van hierdie dekonstruksieproses word beskryf binne die teoretiese paradigmas met betrekking tot die verband tussen seksuele identiteit en maatskappy van Michel Foucault en Judith Butler. Vir die doel van hierdie ondersoek is Lanoye se 'Monstertrilogie' geselekteer. Gesitueer teen die agtergrond van die Belgiese maatskappy in die laat negentigerjare van die twintigste eeu en gefokus op die morele ondergang van die Deschryver-patriargie, sny Lanoye se trilogie 'n verskeidenheid van aktuele gender-en sosio-politieke kwessies aan. Hierdie kwessies sluit in: politieke korrupsie; bloedskande; homoseksualiteit, rassisme; die seksuele misbruik van minderjariges; die verhouding tussen taal en identiteit; onbestendige ouer-kind-verhoudings; die ondermyning van gendernorme en die kwessie van seksuele transformasie.