“chew me until i bind”: Sacrifice and Cultural Renewal in Marlene van Niekerk's Agaat

Summary

In Agaat (2006), Marlene van Niekerk presents the future of Afrikaner culture in a new matrilineal and racially hybrid genealogy. This matrilineal genealogy occurs through the self-sacrifice of the white matriarch, Milla de Wet. Van Niekerk disrupts and subverts dominant patriarchal, patrilineal and racial epistemes upon which the plaasroman is based by leaving the farm, not to Milla's son and putative male heir, but to the coloured housekeeper, Agaat. The allusive prose passage that is the focus of this article is written in the style of a prayer or lament with its mournful meditation on the onset of disease and decay in the soil and farming stock that Milla regrets not having saved from abuse and denigration. The lament becomes an appeal for a beneficent successor to care for and “breathe” life back into the soil. In this article we shall explore how Milla is presented as an Earth Mother, through the invocation of the Demeter-Persephone myth, supplicating for rebirth and renewal. Here the Earth Mother figure is described as sick and fallow, and yet awaiting a catalyst for regeneration. In this passage Milla presents herself as a pharmakos, ritual sacrifice or scapegoat, whose purpose is “to restore harmony in the community, to reinforce the social fabric” (Girard 2005: 8). Milla's question and plea, “who will chew me until i bind” (van Niekerk 2006: 35), and the recurring motif of cannibalistic sacrifice in the novel, can be read as a metaphor for the desire for social reconciliation and cohesion in contemporary South Africa.

Opsomming

In Agaat (2006), stel Marlene van Niekerk die toekoms van die Afrikanerkultuur in 'n nuwe matriliniêre en rashibridiese genealogie voor. Hierdie matriliniêre genealogie ontstaan deur die self-opoffering van die wit matriarg, Milla de Wet. Van Niekerk ontwrig en ondermyn dominante patriargale, patriliniêre en rasse-episteme waarop die plaasroman gebaseer is, deur die plaas te bemaak, nie aan Milla se seun en veronderstelde manlike erfgenaam nie, maar aan die kleurling huishoudster, Agaat. Die prosa-uittreksel waarna verwys word en die fokus van hierdie artikel is geskryf in 'n gebedstyl of klaaglied met sy treurende bepeinsing oor die aanvang van siekte en verval van die grond en vee wat Milla berou sy nie gered het van misbruik en vernedering nie. Die klaaglied word 'n pleidooi vir 'n weldadige opvolger om te sorg vir en lewe in die grond in terug te blaas. In dié artikel sal ons ondersoek hoe Milla voorgestel word as 'n Aardmoeder, deur die oproep van die Demeter-Persephonemite, wat om hergeboorte en hernuwing smeek. Die Aardmoeder word hier as siek en braak beskryf, en tog wagtend op 'n katalisator vir wedergeboorte. In dié uittreksel bied Milla haarself aan as 'n farmakos, rituele slagoffer of sondebok, wie se doel dit is “to restore harmony in the community, to reinforce the social fabric” (Girard 2005: 8). Milla se vraag en pleidooi, “who will chew me until i bind” (Van Niekerk 2006: 35), en die herhalende motief van kannibalistiese opoffering in die roman, kan gesien word as 'n metafoor vir die drang na maatskaplike versoening en samehorigheid in die eietydse Suid-Afrika.