Speaking Subjects: Beckett’s Not I, Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, and Coetzee’s Foe

In repositioning Beckett’s Not I in relation to Rushdie and Coetzee, I show that The Satanic Verses and Foe suggest approaches to language similar to Beckett’s play, insofar as each text interrogates the ability of the marginalized speaking subject to maintain control of his or her voice, finding th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Khoury, Jake
Format: Others
Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/206
http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1205&context=etd
Description
Summary:In repositioning Beckett’s Not I in relation to Rushdie and Coetzee, I show that The Satanic Verses and Foe suggest approaches to language similar to Beckett’s play, insofar as each text interrogates the ability of the marginalized speaking subject to maintain control of his or her voice, finding that the speaking subject’s voice is constantly infused with the voices of others. Additionally, I demonstrate Beckett’s relevance to the postcolonial environment and delineate convergences and divergences in how Rushdie and Coetzee formulate the voices, bodies, and identities of marginalized and postcolonial speaking subjects.