1 Introduction

This chapter introduces the novel Mating Birds by Lewis Nkosi, discussing how the author uses writing to challenge the apartheid system and debunk racial myths. The novel is set in various fictional places in KwaZulu-Natal, depicting the racial divisions in the country. Nkosi's use of writing and self-inscription by the protagonist aims to salvage the unique history of the people and counter the apartheid discourse. The text also illustrates the impact of race on access to landscape and movement, highlighting the organizing trope of race in the narrative. The condition of constant movement and denial of resources perpetuates the idea of homelessness and interrogates the nature of apartheid. Additionally, the author himself is depicted as a victim of homelessness and mobility without permanence.

2 The absurdity of race and characterisation

The characterisation of Ndi in Mating Birds highlights the effects of race and modernity on the individual, as he is shunned by his community and excluded from the white world. Ndi's self-inscription through writing helps him confront racial stereotypes and refute the myth of race. Writing becomes a tool for Ndi to negotiate and choose the themes of his own story, allowing him to reimagine the absurdity of apartheid. Mating Birds also represents the individual search for meaning in a country defined by race. Ndi uses writing to project a being free from stereotypes based on race or psychiatry. The novel seeks to move beyond fixed associations of land and identity, showing that landscape is imbued with meaning based on people's attachment to their environment. The apartheid ideology was designed to control and police people's movements in public spaces, making it difficult for blacks to be near whites. The author's experiences of mobility and displacement significantly influenced the narrative and portrayal of characters in Mating Birds.

3 Writing and the challenging of racial stereotypes

Ndi, as the protagonist of the story and the narrator, uses the act of writing to relieve and relive the burden of prison and to assert his individuality. Writing becomes an act of creation and a tool to interrogate the fixed assertions and understanding of race. The first-person narrative technique is used to explore the role of writing in Ndi’s life, and writing is portrayed as an opportunity for reflection and as an act of creation. The text also highlights the significance of writing and language in depicting speech types, reconciling the gap separating the present and past, and confronting the past. The temporal and spatial distance between past experiences and present recollections is emphasized to show that experiences may undergo changes as a consequence of time. Ndi’s mastery of the colonial language leads to the destabilization and undermining of colonial power.

4 Self-inscription

The chapter discusses Ndi's self-reflection and self-inscription as a way of asserting his identity as a black inmate and writer. There is a focus on the portrayal of Ndi's biological features as animalistic and exaggerated as a result of the apartheid regime. The attention that Ndi attracts due to his supposed crime, his empowerment as a writer, and the complexity of his identity are explored. The chapter also delves into the different worldviews of black and white visitors and how identity is not a coherent entity but always in process. Additionally, it addresses the idea of recalling the past in the present and the apartheid regime's reinforcement of the myth of the features of Africans as barbaric.

5 Issues of identity and the juxtaposition with freedom

This chapter discusses how the Black Africans faced apartheid laws and opposed them by singing freedom songs. It also explores the conflict and racial divisions in South Africa. The chapter also investigates the juxtaposition between identity, freedom, and psychoanalysis, as well as the complexities and problematic nature of self-inscription and identity. The importance and pleasures of writing are also highlighted, while discussing the profound implications of identity as a production that is never complete and always in process.

6 Conclusion

This chapter discusses the danger and potential pitfalls of self-inscription and the importance of writing in shaping and preserving one's identity. It explores the use of language as a tool for communication and expression, as well as a means of domination and control. The chapter also examines Ndi’s narrative and its portrayal of a nation divided by race, emphasizing the fluidity and complexities of identity in the post-apartheid era. The conclusion suggests that through Ndi’s self-inscription, the author has challenged the myth of race and the limitations it imposes on the ability of black individuals to share their stories and shape their own identities.