Symbolism and south African prose: a study of 19th century South African novels of english expression

The rise of Shaka the Zulu and the Mfecane, the
entrenchment and consolidation of the Boers in the region,
and the Mineral Revolution and its consequences are the
essential themes of 19th century South African history.
These themes are developed within the context of various
literary ideologies in the mass of creative writing that
assess South Africa during the period. Critical works on
the artistic efforts of the period dwell extensively on the
pedigree of the novel, the various thematic thrusts, and
the relationships and influences evident in the works.
There is also a consideration of symbolism in a general
sense. However, no work has been done on the significance
of Nature and sociaJ. symbols, and the evocative power these
possess as beacons of social realities in South Africa of
the 19th century. This is the thrust of this research which
aims at focusing on Nature and Social symbolism to redress
the uneven balance of previous scholarship, and to
highlight the significance of symbols for purposes of
historical reconstruction of the period
The study consists of five chapters. The first chapter
surveys details of 19th century South African history,
and establishes the basis for the research.