The writer’s centrality and the manipulative powers over the characters in a literary text: Rafapa’s case in <i>Mogwane o a lla</i>

Abstract

This article argues for the centrality of the writer who is seen as the creator of the story and the characters peopling it. As the creator, the writer has at his/her disposal the manipulative powers enabling him/her to have total control over both the speech and actions of his/her characters. Different types of characters are created, used and disposed of at the writer’s will and purpose. This masterservant relationship exposes the fact that, in a narrative text, a character’s main function is serving as the vehicle of the story, conveying and revealing various aspects and realities pertinent to human life. The main method here is essentially sociological since literature is a human exercise born out of the life experiences of a single individual, the writer.

S.Afr.J.Afr.Lang.,2007, 2