Abstract
The incredulity towards metanarratives in the postmodernist era holds serious implications for historiography. Two "historiographic metafictional novels" (Hutcheon's term), one Flemish and one Afrikaans, are discussed in this article. There is a significant difference in the way these two texts react to ontological doubt. On the one hand there is a celebration of the loss of metanarratives in Het beleg van Laken (Walter van den Broeck). On the other hand this loss is used in a very serious way to undermine existing metanarratives in Kroniek uit die doofpot (John Miles). The joyous humour and celebration in Het beleg van Laken is absent in Kroniek uit die doofpot. It is concluded that some historiographic metafiction frivolously celebrates decentring and the incredulity towards metanarratives. In other historiographic metafiction ontological doubt manifests without humour or celebration and serves to undermine metanarratives. It might he true that the celebration belongs to a late capitalist Western culture whereas it is unsuitable for a developing country.
Highlights
The increJiilily towards metanarratives in the poxim oJcm isi era holds serious implicalions fo r historiography
Opvallende verskille in die wyse w aarop daar in tw ee romans, een Vlaams (W alter van den Broeck se H el beleg van Laken - 1985)' en een Afrikaans (John Miles se Kroniek uit die daofp o t - 1991)[2], op ontologiese onsekerheid in Iiistoriografíe gereageer word, word dan bespreek
Dit is aan hierdie metanarratiewe wat die postm odem istiese literatuur, volgens Lyotard se opvatting, uitdrukking gee, deur die afwesigheid van enige legitimisering te tematiseer. 'n Postm odem istiese teks is dus deurtrek van ontologiese twyfel
Summary
Die basis vir 'n hele reeks diskoerse word in die ‘postm odeniistiese era’ geherwaardeer. In die eerste deel van hierdie artikel word, na aanleiding van veral Lyotard (1984), 'n agtergrond tot ons tyd se verlies aan fiinderings (meesterverhale) ondersoek. Tweedens word gewys op die iinplikasies hiervan vir historiografie, na aanleiding van die problem atisering van geskiedenis in resente fiksie. Opvallende verskille in die wyse w aarop daar in tw ee romans, een Vlaams (W alter van den Broeck se H el beleg van Laken - 1985)' en een Afrikaans (John Miles se Kroniek uit die daofp o t - 1991), op ontologiese onsekerheid in Iiistoriografíe gereageer word, word dan bespreek. D aar word gewys op 'n vrolike viering van die verlies aan meesternarratiewe in Het beleg van Laken. H et beleg van Laken se subtitel "een moorddroom” sou onvanpas w ees vir die polisieroman. In Kroniek uit die doofpot is daar dodelike em s; nie 'n moorddroom nie, maar moord
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