Reading the ideological subtext in André Brink’s <i>An Instant in the Wind</i> and Patrick White’s <i>A Fringe of Leaves</i>

Abstract

From a postcolonial perspective, the simultaneous publication of André Brink’s An Instant in the Wind and Patrick White’s A Fringe of Leaves provides an interesting example of rewriting. Although both texts refer to the original story of Eliza Fraser that has featured in several genres, they approach the event from different historical time-frames. This article attempts to indicate that the contextual and formal similarities between the two novels are underpinned by different ideological subtexts that clearly manifest the respective authors’ preoccupations and their unconscious reactions to socio-political contexts. It would seem that Brink’s main concern lies with race relations, while White is more engrossed with gender issues.

Keywords

• Andre Brink
• An Instant In The Wind
• Colonialism And Ideology
• Difference And Similarity
• History And Literature
• Patrick White
• A Fringe Of Leaves
• Race And Gender