Abstract
From child to young adult: The development of the main character in De koperen tuin (The garden where the brass band played) by Simon Vestdijk From an intertextual study it emerges that the postulated view of reality in the psychological-philosophical text De toekomst der religie (The future of religion) (1947) is transposed in narrative form in the text-internal vision of reality in the novel De koperen tuin (The garden where the brass band played) (1950). In both these texts the religious point of departure of the meaning of existence is reflected upon. Existential aspects especially highlighted, include the following: the I, the relationship with others, being involved in the situation, freedom, responsibility, guilt, angst, death, that which is “too-late”. Furthermore the extension of the moment, the directedness at a personal passion, and the individual’s courage to be and to keep “becoming” are also highlighted. All these aspects emphasizing existentialism are portrayed in the development of the main character, Nol Rieske, from little boy to young adult.
Highlights
From an intertextual study it emerges that the postulated view of reality in the psychological-philosophical text De toekomst der religie (The future of religion) (1947) is transposed in narrative form in the text-internal vision of reality in the novel De koperen tuin (The garden where the brass band played) (1950)
The extension of the moment, the directedness at a personal passion, and the individual’s courage to be and to keep “becoming” are highlighted. All these aspects emphasizing existentialism are portrayed in the development of the main character, Nol Rieske, from little boy to young adult
Op die Schrijversnet-webtuiste (2001.02.05) waar Vestdijk sy plek het as een van die Nederlandse letterkunde se grootstes, word die volgende romans uitgelig as deel van die Nederlandse “Twentieth Century Classics”: Terug tot Ina Daman (1934), Meneer Visser’s hellevaart (1936), De kellner en de levenden (1949) en De koperen tuin (1950)
Summary
Vanaf die dertiger- tot die tagtigerjare het die werk van Simon Vestdijk ’n baie prominente rol gespeel in die Nederlandse literêre lewe, maar dit het as gevolg van die nuuswaardigheid van nuwe skrywers tydelik ietwat op die agtergrond geraak tydens die negentigerjare. Tog is daar sekere immergroen werke, soos die roman De koperen tuin, wat nie net uitstaan in die oeuvre nie, maar wat ook sleutelkodes – vir die doel van hierdie artikel: lewensbeskoulike kodes – verskaf vir die res van sy oeuvre. Hierdie “visie op het leven” toon op baie duidelike wyse ’n intertekstuele samehang in twee sleutelwerke in Vestdijk se oeuvre: die psigologiesfilosofiese werk De toekomst der religie (1947) wat slegs drie jaar vóór die roman De koperen tuin (1950) gepubliseer is. Betsie van der Westhuizen dat Vestdijk se lewensbeskouing soos dit hierin tot uitdrukking kom, nog lank aktueel sal bly vanweë die “uiters originele verbinding van het thema van de Eeuwige Mens met de vroege kindertijd van de individuele mens, via het projectie-mechanisme”, en evalueer dié werk besonder positief: “Het behoort mijns inziens tot de werkelijk grote visies die de Europese cultuur heeft voortgebracht” (Faber, 1980:13). Die tweede deel van die roman gaan veral om Trix se selfmoord, Nol se geleidelike ontdekking van die moontlike redes daaragter en sy voornemens om sy nuutgevonde visie op die lewe daadwerklik uit te leef
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