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Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613907485458432 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Reid, Helena |
| author2 | Slabbert, Mathilda |
| author_browse | Reid, Helena Slabbert, Mathilda |
| author_facet | Slabbert, Mathilda Reid, Helena |
| author_sort | Reid, Helena |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131898 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:36.390Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131898 Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star Reid, Helena Slabbert, Mathilda Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English. Young adult fiction, English -- History and criticism Ecofiction Ecology in literature Mythology, African, in literature Climatic changes in literature UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This creative master’s project is a work of environmental literary studies, focusing on eco-fiction. By presenting an eco-novella for young readers (ages 12 to 18), Tsau! Girl with the Heart of a Star, hybrid in form, addresses the need for eco-fiction based on South African realities and histories. Drawing largely on ideas from the theoretical fields of vital materialism and posthumanism, the project investigates the transformational possibilities of stories of enchantment and entanglement. It grapples with themes and narrative strategies that aim to forge affective bonds between young adult readers and their environments (human and more-than-human matter), and how thematic and aesthetic configurations might evoke an environmental ethics to challenge feelings of “ecopathy” and “eco-anxiety” (“earth emotions” associated with the era of climate change recently coined by Glen Albrecht). Furthermore, the project considers how historical events and elements from other stories, including legends, folklore and myths, might be employed and reconfigured to stimulate awareness of the past, and encourage respectful and mindful living in the present, as well as the future. Consequently, the thematic and aesthetic content of the novella draws inspiration from South African legends, folklore and myths, particularly /Xam narratives, to represent an imagined historical trajectory stretching from the Victorian period to the present age of climate change and beyond. Crucial to this study is Jane Bennett’s contention that matter is vibrant and that engagements with the vibrant and marvellous vitality of matter have the potential to challenge and change human behaviour. In view of climate change debates, I further reflect on Amitav Ghosh’s suggestion that modern-day climate realities call for a serious reconsideration of the importance of hybrid literary forms. As an antidote to dystopian and disaster narratives, I offer a folkloric vision of a sustainable planetary future, founded on a shared sense of the value of entangled being. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kreatiewe magisterprojek handel oor omgewings- letterkundenavorsing en fokus op ekofiksie. Die aanbied van ʼn eko-novelle vir jong lesers (ouderdom 12 tot 18), Tsau! Girl with the Heart of a Star, in hibridiese formaat, spreek tot die behoefte aan ekofiksie wat op Suid-Afrikaanse werklikhede en geskiedenis gegrond is. Die projek ondersoek die transformerende moontlikhede van verhale van betowering en verstrikking deur grootliks te put uit idees van die kritiese studierigtings, lewensmaterialisme en posthumanisme. Dit worstel met temas en narratiewe strategieë wat daarop gemik is om affektiewe bande te smee tussen jong volwasse lesers en hulle omgewings (menslike en meer-as-menslike materie), en hoe tematiese en estetiese konfigurasies ʼn omgewingsetiek kan ontlok wat gevoelens van “ekopatie” en “eko-angs” (“aardemosies” wat met die era van klimaatsverandering verbind word, soos onlangs deur Glen Albrecht gestel) kan uitdaag. Verder, oorweeg die projek hoe geskiedkundige gebeure en elemente uit ander verhale, waaronder legendes, folklore en mites, ingespan en geherkonfigureer kan word om bewustheid van die verlede te stimuleer, en eerbiedige en gedagtige lewe in die hede en ook die toekoms aan te moedig. Gevolglik put die tematiese en estetiese inhoud van die novelle inspirasie uit SuidAfrikaanse legendes, folklore en mites, die /Xam-narratiewe in die besonder, om ʼn verbeelde geskiedkundige baan te verteenwoordig wat strek van die Victoriaanse tydperk, tot by die huidige eeu van klimaatsverandering en verder. Jane Bennett se bewering dat materie lewendig is en dat omgang met die lewendige en wonderlike vitaliteit van materie oor die potensiaal beskik om menslike gedrag uit te daag en te verander, is noodsaaklik vir hierdie studie. In die lig van die debat oor klimaatsverandering, besin ek voorts oor Amitav Ghosh se suggestie dat die hedendaagse klimaatsrealiteite ʼn ernstige heroorweging van die belangrikheid van hibridiese letterkundige vorms noodsaak. As ʼn teenmiddel teen distopiese en rampnarratiewe, bied ek ʼn folklore-agtige visie van ʼn volhoubare toekoms vir die planeet, gegrond op ʼn gedeelde sin van die waarde van ʼn verstrengelde bestaan. Masters 2025-04-08T07:43:12Z 2025-04-08T07:43:12Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131898 en Stellenbosch University 126 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Young adult fiction, English -- History and criticism Ecofiction Ecology in literature Mythology, African, in literature Climatic changes in literature UCTD Reid, Helena Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star |
| title | Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star |
| title_full | Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star |
| title_fullStr | Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star |
| title_short | Enchantments and entanglements in eco-fiction for young readers Tsau! Girl with the heart of a star |
| title_sort | enchantments and entanglements in eco fiction for young readers tsau girl with the heart of a star |
| topic | Young adult fiction, English -- History and criticism Ecofiction Ecology in literature Mythology, African, in literature Climatic changes in literature UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131898 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT reidhelena enchantmentsandentanglementsinecofictionforyoungreaderstsaugirlwiththeheartofastar |