Shattering the silence: analysing the theatrical portrayal of domestic abuse in the Indian South African community - a textual study of three South African plays (between 1993 and 2002).
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Date
2021
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Abstract
In this dissertation, I use diasporic identity theory and cultural theory to argue that the
political and social structures of the country have influenced how the Indian South African
community viewed itself in relation to South African society. The race politics of South Africa
played a significant role in the community closing ranks to shield itself from external
criticism and ensuring cultural practices were preserved. Members of the community who
chose economically advantageous pursuits, forged ahead socially while confining women to
the private domain and tasking them with the role of gatekeeping culture, tradition and
language. This responsibility, taken up by Indian South African women, has endured over
generations and over time, many women have become shackled by this role of cultural
policing. This, coupled with young girls being taught their roles are subservient to males in
the home - regardless of whether he is her father, brother or husband – has seen an
enabling of patriarchal practices being perpetuated. Thus, in homes where domestic abuse
takes place, women have little to no agency to confront the man in the home and challenge
his authority. As an Indian South African myself, I have witnessed how the social ill of
domestic abuse has remained tightly contained within the boundaries of the community. It
is the silence around this matter that I confront with my research. While it has almost always pursued a male agenda (as it is considered the public domain),
over the years, Indian South African theatre practitioners have transformed the role of
theatre to cater to the needs of the community. In my research, I have analysed three South
African plays, written by Indian South African male playwrights, who have turned the public
spotlight of the stage onto the private experiences of domestic abuse. The three plays are
Ismail Mahomed’s Purdah (1993), Robin Singh’s Till Death do us Part (1993) and Vivian
Moodley’s A Cookie in the Kitchen (2002). While written almost a decade apart, all three
playwrights’ perceptions around how domestic abuse is experienced in the Indian South
African community, are strikingly similar. Through textual analysis, I interrogate how these
playwrights have chosen to dramatise domestic abuse. In understanding the theatrical
representations of the violence - influenced by social, economic and cultural factors -
interpretive assessments can be made about how it is experienced in homes in the Indian
South African community.
It is my belief that the medium of theatre can act as a catalyst for social change; in this
regard, I use the theories of Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre to support my argument. Brecht
believed that an active audience could be propelled to make the changes in their own lives
that they wanted to see reflected on stage. My intention is to illustrate how the plays
engage difficult questions around the gendered power structures enforced by the
community, challenging systems like patriarchy. Through such experiences, I hope that
Indian South African women may claim the agency necessary to shatter the silence.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.