Prueba 2: Transferencia fichero del CN al MN

While there are certain expectations of the harboiled genre that Tlholwe has made use of in the novel, there are several areas that contradict the conventions of both the hardboiled genre and more

mainstream South African crime novels. These make the book a refreshing read and a particularly interesting text to analyse in a dissertation like this.

The rural setting of Ancient Rites is an exceptional feature of the novel. Marakong-a-Badimo and its community define the story and change the very character of the novel from the mystery of a missing woman to a journey of cultural and self-discovery. This change has an influence on the form of the story, and Jonathan Amid draws attention to a lack of violence in the novel despite its genre’s conventions: “[r]ather than adopt the ultra-violent, no-holds-barred thriller character of these texts, Tlholwe chooses to write a limited yet memorable number of high-impact set pieces in which the skill of the writing instead of violent content grabs the reader” (Amid, 2011: para.27). He goes on to point out how this serves Tlholwe in his crafting of the characters and atmosphere of the novel, “[w]hile the writing is consistently tight, the story and characters have plenty of room to breathe. This lets the reader soak up

100 the adamantine atmosphere, the lacerating descriptions of the state of the nation, the slowly

accumulative sense of menace and foreboding” (Amid, 2011: para.27). In this way Tlholwe crafts a space of his own to narrate a specific perspective on post-apartheid South Africa, often outside of the

expectations of hardboiled and conventional South African crime fiction.

Looking at Ancient Rites in the light of other South African crime fiction, it is clear that the novel undermines the conventional economic, cultural and geographical features of this genre; there are no white characters, it is not located in an urban setting and there is no police connection to the detective, all of which have become common characteristics of our local crime fiction.

Another aspect of this novel which contradicts many crime fiction conventions is the

relationships that Maje builds in the village. It is clear that, even before he has agreed to be her guardian or discovered who her parents are, the detective has real affection for Mamorena’s daughter: “Pono burst into bubbling laughter, grabbed my arm and squeezed it. I was suddenly glad that I was alive and here as I looked down into that happy child’s face” (Tlholwe, 2008: 65). Lesego, Maje’s partner, also meets the villagers at Mamorena’s funeral and the couple maintain these familial ties after the case; the village characters are mentioned in Tlholwe’s follow-up novel, Counting the Coffins (2011). While detectives often form strong bonds with other characters during the course of an investigation, these relationships are rarely developed or maintained unless that character becomes a recurring one. Tlholwe’s characters seem committed to making the community of Marakong-a-Badimo an extended family and their village a place to return to.

Probably the most striking aspect of Ancient Rites is Tlholwe’s treatment of language: his use and centralising of Tswana and his decentralising treatment of English; along with a consideration of the language’s impact in rural South Africa. The novel is peppered with Tswana courtesy titles such as ‘Rre’ meaning Sir, ‘Mmê’ meaning Madam, ‘Tichere’ meaning teacher, as well as Tswana phrases which are explained through the narration such as “‘Ke tlisitse dijo!’ she said, announcing the banquet” (Tlholwe,

101 2008: 48). Communicating in English has a particular significance for the narrator. The use of the

language denotes bureaucratic formality and, more broadly, a certain idea of financial success

associated with the middle class which, in terms of South Africa’s social and political history, has, until recently, been previously dominated by the white demographic. In this narrative, English is the language of the city, and this adds an interesting dimension of social and cultural critique to the novel.

The first mention of language in relation to culture is a comment made by the narrator about his middleman and driver to the village, J.M.B Tiro: “[h]e had been on this same subject since we had left Mafikeng two hours earlier. Not an invigorating, cobweb-clearing conversation for a cold Monday morning, especially when held in English – the language that Regional Director J.M.B. Tiro insisted on speaking” (Tlholwe, 2008: 15). Maje is pointing to Tiro’s pretentiousness, as if speaking in English confirms his authority, his position of power, his modern and urban lifestyle. The use of English is seen as a mark of colonialism and saddens Maje when he hears the language spoken in amongst, and therefore diluting, Setswana: “The girl was speaking again. In that unhappy mixture of Setswana and English that is now common even in the deep rural areas” (Tlholwe, 2008: 40).

The most poignant commentary on the use of English comes at the climax of the novel. Mamorena has revealed her suspicions that Mogae had held back Khoesan learners, and murdered his sister as well as the prostitutes on the Botswana road. Maje has witnessed Mogae deliver a fatal blow to Mamorena with a machete and now the detective pins him to a cave wall, his street gun aimed squarely at Mogae:

I held my gun in both hands and positioned my feet firmly on the ground. “Why, Mogae?” I asked him. “She let you go.”

“She...was...always...a lying...proud bitch.”

That was all I really needed. Even as I raised the gun I wondered why his last words sounded so much worse in English. Maybe if he had said it in Setswana I might have let him take his chances with a judge. Maybe. (Tlholwe, 2008: 157)

Mogae’s utterance in English moves Maje from handing the culprit over to the law enforcement establishment and towards taking justice into his own hands. Why does it incense him in this way? I

102 would suggest that the narrator was just beginning to come to grips with Mamorena’s secret life as a spiritual healer. He had just earned the trust of this secretive, mystical and persecuted community and hearing Mamorena insulted in this way so filled him with hate for Mogae’s self-seeking violence that it urged him to seek vengeance for the people of Marakong-a-Badimo himself.