External Appearance

From the earliest epochs of narrative fiction, external appearance has been used to imply character traits. Present day narrative fiction still uses the relation between external appearance and character traits in character depiction.

The deterioration of Murhandziwani's life is expressed in many ways including his external appearance.

Tinguvu to yena na tona to, ndza hlakala. 0 hamba o tsakala-tsakala, va kala va nwi thya vito ra N'wamatsakala. Ku n'wi vitana hi rona, wo ngi hi loko va n'wi tota mafura (Baloyi, 1979:21).

His clothes also became worn out. He became dishevelled and ragged and they called him Mr Rags. When they called him by this name it

was as if they were praising him.

Fred's external appearance reflects an attitude towards himself and towards the world which he has adopted as a result of his social and mental deterioration. He adopts a fatuous attitude towards life.

In Manyunyu ya Xitsotso Khanyisa's mental anguish and trauma are reflected in her bodily appearance. In the place of the beautiful, healthy attractive young woman emerged a dark, emaciated and haggard person:

Ku lungha kona Khanyisa a vuya a lungha, kambe a nga ha fiki eka vuyena bya khale. A va nhwana wo nyuma vanhu, xikandza ntima xi nga wu totela makumu, a debya ni tinyama onge o va xikoxa (Khosa,

1979:62).

Khanyisa did become well, but she never regained her previous condition. She became a shy lady who withdrew from people, her face wore a dark colour, and she became wrinkled like an old woman.

The author skilfully blends Khanyisa's behaviour with her external appearance.

4.4 Conclusion

The various techniques that are employed in the construction of character in narrative literature have been discussed in this chapter. These techniques are not used to any appreciable degree in Murhandziwani. The reason for this is that the actants in Murhandziwani are not developed into full blown personages or characters; there has therefore been no need on the part of the narrator to utilize the various characterization techniques to depict the characters in the novelette.

The characters of Manyunyu ya Xitsotso are fully developed personages with complex personality traits. These personages are as well developed as they are partly because the author has employed a whole range of techniques to depict his characters.

Another reason why the characters of Manyunyu ya Xitsotso are so powerfully delineated is that the author of this novel has also utilized various structural features of narrative literature to enhance the depiction of his characters. These narratological structure issues are discussed in the next chapter. These narratological issues are not utilized to any appreciable degree in Murhandziwani.

When he went out to look for the job, he did not make the necessary inquiries (from possible employers) because he did not like domestic

work... Besides, he could not take his heart (his mind) away from beer.

This vacillating attitude on the part of Fred shows him to be a weak, indecisive, and irresponsible person.

In Manyunyu ya Xitsotso we have the following utterances by Cawuke:

Exibedhlele?... Va ta ku u vabya swi sukela kwihi? Va ta hangalasa rito ra /eswaku n'wana Cawuke u hlangene nhloko hi ku rhandza n'wana wa xisiwana Makwakwa? ...E-e! Anga yi kwalaho (Khosa,

1979:31).

To hospital! What will they say is the cause of the illness? They will spread word that Cawuke's child is mentally disturbed because of her love for the son of poverty-stricken Makwakwa! No! no! She does not go there.

By omitting to take her daughter to hospital Cawuke reveals his cold, cruel, and heartless character. This reveals the level to which he has sunk in his vain attempts to maintain his 'status'.

Contemplated act: This relates to an unrealized plan or intention of the character.

When Fred begins to go astray from his good ways, the minister of religion goes to talk to him about his errant ways:

Mbilu ya Fred yi va yi tlhaviwile hi marito ya mufundzisi, kutani vumunhu bya yena bya khale byi sungula ku lava ku ta vuya. ... A va bye/a leswaku u ta tlhelela mitileni ya yena le'ya khale. ... Marito lawa yo biha ya nghene e miehleketweni ya Fred, ya kukula hinkwaswo leswi a swi tsundzuxiwile hi mufundzisi. Fred a tlhela a nghena hi miehleketo le'yo biha (Baloyi, 1942:17).

Fred's heart was touched by the pastor's words, and he began to regain his old way of life. ... He told his friends that he wanted to go back to his old good ways. These evil words (from his friends) entered his mind and swept away the good advice which he had been given by

the pastor. Fred was again influenced by these evil thoughts.

Again Fred's weak and fickle personality traits come to the fore.

In Manyunyu ya Xitsotso we see Khanyisa contemplating to take her life and her intended suicide being stopped by the neighbours. This contemplated action by Khanyisa reflects the extent to which her mind has been disturbed.

We are now dealing with an ill person.

4.3.2 Speech

Rimmon-Kenan (1983:63) indicates that the speech of a character, whether in conversation or as a silent activity of the mind, can be indicative of a character trait or traits, both through the content and through the form of the speech. The narrator in Murhandziwani uses conversational speech with hardly any strong positive or negative words being used.

In Manyunyu ya Xitsotso the strong evocative language which is used extensively reflects the mood and temperament of the speakers and in this way reveals their characters. For instance, one immediately comes to know what type of person Cawuke is by evaluating his language. A few examples will suffice:

... i thyaka muni leri ndzi ri twaka! (Khosa, 1979:1) ... What dirt is it that I am hearing!

Wo phyaphyarha N'wa-Vilankulu (Khosa, 1979. - 13).

You are just babbling N'wa- Vilankulu.

Hi le tinhwaleni. Hi le matayeni, ka nun'hwa emutini wa ka Makwakwa wa kona (Khosa, 1979:4).

It is a place of lice. It is a place of the eggs of lice, the family of the said Makwakwa stinks.

This is the language that Cawuke uses throughout the narrative. This use of language by Cawuke plays a great role in revealing his character to the reader.

4.3.3 External Appearance

From the earliest epochs of narrative fiction, external appearance has been used to imply character traits. Present day narrative fiction still uses the relation between external appearance and character traits in character depiction.

The deterioration of Murhandziwani's life is expressed in many ways including his external appearance.

Tinguvu to yena na tona to, ndza hlakala. 0 hamba o tsakala-tsakala, va kala va nwi thya vito ra N'wamatsaka/a. Ku n'wi vitana hi rona, wo ngi hi loko va n'wi tota mafura (Baloyi, 1979:21).

His clothes also became worn out. He became dishevelled and ragged and they called him Mr Rags. When they called him by this name it

was as if they were praising him.

Fred's external appearance reflects an attitude towards himself and towards the world which he has adopted as a result of his social and mental deterioration. He adopts a fatuous attitude towards life.

In Manyunyu ya Xitsotso Khanyisa's mental anguish and trauma are reflected in her bodily appearance. In the place of the beautiful, healthy attractive young woman emerged a dark, emaciated and haggard person:

Ku lungha kona Khanyisa a vuya a lungha, kambe a nga ha fiki eka vuyena bya khale. A va nhwana wo nyuma vanhu, xikandza ntima xi nga wu tote/a makumu, a debya ni tinyama onge o va xikoxa (Khosa,

1979:62).

Khanyisa did become well, but she never regained her previous condition. She became a shy lady who withdrew from people, her face wore a dark colour, and she became wrinkled like an old woman.

The author skilfully blends Khanyisa's behaviour with her external appearance.

4.4 Conclusion

The various techniques that are employed in the construction of character in narrative literature have been discussed in this chapter. These techniques are not used to any appreciable degree in Murhandziwani. The reason for this is that the actants in Murhandziwani are not developed into full blown personages or characters; there has therefore been no need on the part of the narrator to utilize the various characterization techniques to depict the characters in the novelette.

The characters of Manyunyu ya Xitsotso are fully developed personages with complex personality traits. These personages are as well developed as they are partly because the author has employed a whole range of techniques to depict his characters.

Another reason why the characters of Manyunyu ya Xitsotso are so powerfully delineated is that the author of this novel has also utilized various structural features of narrative literature to enhance the depiction of his characters. These narratological structure issues are discussed in the next chapter. These narratological issues are not utilized to any appreciable degree in Murhandziwani.

CHAPTER 5

A DISCUSSION OF SOME NARRATOLOGICAL ISSUES THAT HAVE A