Dealing with death through circumlocution: disguise and prettification in J.M. Coetzee’s Jesus trilogy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Death occupies a pivotal place in J.M. Coetzee’s oeuvre. In this essay, death is situated both as an event and an idea in the Jesus trilogy. It is argued that Coetzee privileges agencies of circumlocution, namely disguise and prettification, in his treatment of death. Emphasis is placed on human as well as non-human deaths in the trilogy. By the deployment of identical agencies for the deaths, Coetzee demonstrates his thrust on vegetarianism and new materialism. Taking a cue from his fictional memoirs and his real life, what is discussed is how his personal encounters with death may have influenced his style of narrating death. This article argues that Coetzee’s approach oscillates between the thoughts of Heidegger and Secomb. The trope of death, moreover, is not confined to the content but is embedded in the narratorial framework in a manner that defies narratorial control. Furthermore, light is shed upon the imminence of death as well as the significance of new life, which define and delineate Coetzee’s late style.