Space in D.B.Z. Ntuli's ‘Uthingo Iwenkosazana’

Abstract

Space in the short story ‘Uthingo Iwenkosazana’ is investigated in this article in the story-level as well as the text-level. During the discussion of theoretical issues, reference is also made to other short stories from Ntuli's oeuvre. It is pointed out that the characters find themselves mainly in two sub-spaces, and that the two major characters have to cross the borders of each other's spaces on the day of the crisis. Of cardinal importance, however, is the existence of a third sub-space: the space of the ancestors. Lastly, mention is made of the symbolic value of the rainbow.