Landscape and the Anti-pastoral critique in Doris Lessing's African Stories

摘要

Critics have described Doris Lessing's representation of the African landscape as negative and hostile, especially in The Grass is Singing (1950. London: Michael Joseph), which is seen as an example of the anti-pastoral critique. These views are examined in relation to her African Stories (1992. London: Paladin), which are set in colonial Rhodesia in the 1930s. The article argues that Lessing uses a complex combination of pastoral and antipastoral elements in her stories, as well as the ecocritically-oriented post-pastoral. The construction of landscape in these stories reveals divisions between groups in settler society, such as between adults and children, English and Afrikaans-speaking groups, men and women and black and white. Although anti-pastoral elements such as racism and sexism are evident in the stories, they are counter-balanced by instances where the African landscape supports and provides a space of resistance for marginalized groups. A study of landscape and the pastoral in these stories reveals the complexity of Lessing's vision of the African farm and colonial society.View full textDownload full textKeywordsAfrican, colonial, ecocentric, Eurocentric, identity, landscape, pastoral, settlerRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10131751003755922