J.M. Coetzee and the Power of Narrative
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J.M. Coetzee and the Power of Narrative By Gillian Dooley

Chapter 2:  Coetzee's Freedom
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To see how this spirit of resistance might have developed, it may be useful to survey the statements he has made about the place of politics in literature. In 1978, as a relatively little-known author of two novels, he was asked, “Do you believe that South African writers should see themselves as having any definite responsibilities?” He replied,

I guess so. Let's say that in a way it's easier and more difficult being a writer in South Africa than in West European countries; because there are such gigantic subjects of such unassailable importance facing a writer in South Africa. (Watson 22)

Later in the same interview, however, asked whether “the sense of necessity imposed by the political situation is an inhibiting factor as regards creativity,” he replied,

I myself don't feel that pressure you talk about. It's a matter partly of privilege, partly of temperament; also perhaps a matter of personal history. I spent my twenties outside this country, and really wasn't engaged with the apartheid situation for a long, crucial period of my life. (Watson 23)

In 1985, with a Booker Prize to his name, he is more cautious about answering questions about the responsibilities of writers:

As to the question of the role of the writer, there seems to be a model behind the question, a model of a social structure in which people are assigned roles to play, and I am not sure that I would agree with the model underlying the question. I would have to be convinced that such roles are assigned, and by whom. (Sévry 1)

These seem to be the words of a writer who has been asked these questions too often and who has become practiced at responding more carefully. Implicit in these words, we might read a reaction to Gordimer's review of Life & Times of Michael K quoted earlier. Clearly, he is beginning to resist attempts like Gordimer's to assert her authority and that of her own guiding authorities such as Lukács over his work. Nevertheless,