Eugène Nielen Marais: An Adlerian Psychobiography Quinli Hugo 2012062564 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF PSYCHOLOGY BY DISSERTATION in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State Bloemfontein January 2020 Supervisor: Prof J. P. Fouché Co-supervisor: Dr P. Naidoo ii PHOTOGRAPH OF EUGÉNE NIELEN MARAIS Eugéne Marais as a young journalist Retrieved from: https://alchetron.com/Eug%C3%A8ne-Marais iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was completed with the assistance and support of a number of people. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to: My supervisors, Prof Paul Fouché and Dr Pravani Naidoo, for their willingness to provide their wealth of knowledge and valuable time to assist me in this research endeavour. My family and friends for their support and encouragement to endure with this study. Anneke Denobili, for her assistance in language editing this dissertation. Dr Jordaan, for his assistance in the APA editing of this dissertation. My mentor and personal motivator, Mr Gertjie Viljoen, for preparing me for university and helping me get this far. Most importantly, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength, knowledge, ability and opportunity to undertake this research endeavour. iv TURNITIN ORIGINALITY REPORT v STUDENT DECLARATION I, Quinli Hugo, declare that the dissertation that I hereby submit for the Master of Psychology by dissertation degree at the University of the Free State is my own independent work and has not previously been submitted for a qualification at another institution of higher education. I further cede copyright of the dissertation in favour of the University of the Free State. Quinli Hugo 2 January 2020 vi STATEMENT BY LANGUAGE EDITOR * BA Communication Science (Corporate and Marketing Communications) * BA Hons Communication Science (Corporate and Marketing Communications) * Cum Laude 6 Carl van Heerden Street Tel: 084 244 8961 Universitas Ridge, Bloemfontein [email protected] August 2019 DECLARATION I, Anneke Denobili, hereby declare that I did the language editing of the dissertation of Quinli Hugo (student number 2012062564) titled, Eugène Nielen Marais: An Adlerian psychobiography, for submission purposes in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Psychology by dissertation in the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State. All the suggested changes, including the implementation thereof, was left to the discretion of the student. Please note: The editor will not be held accountable for any later additions or changes to the document that were not edited by the editor, nor if the student rejects/ignores any of the changes, suggestions or queries, which he/she is free to do. The editor can also not be held responsible for errors in the content of the document or whether or not the student passes or fails. It is the student’s responsibility to review the edited document before submitting it for evaluation. Sincerely Anneke Denobili SATI Registration #: 1003466 vii STATEMENT BY APA EDITOR P.O. Box 31300 Fichardt Park 9317 Tel (w): (051) 4012890 Cell: 0842004401 E-mail: [email protected] 14 October 2019 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN STATEMENT WITH REGARD TO APA EDITING OF DISSERTATION Hereby I, Jacques Jordaan (I.D. 7905125022080), confirm that I have APA edited the following dissertation: Title of dissertation: Eugéne Nielen Marais: An Adlerian psychobiography Author: Miss Quinli Hugo The APA editor will not be held accountable for any later additions or changes to the document that were not edited by the APA editor, nor if the client rejects/ignores any of the changes, suggestions or queries, which he/she is free to do. The APA editor can also not be held responsible for errors in the content of the document or whether or not the client passes or fails. It is the client’s responsibility to review the edited document before submitting it for evaluation. Yours sincerely Dr. J. Jordaan viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PHOTOGRAPH OF EUGÉNE NIELEN MARAIS ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TURNITIN ORIGINALITY REPORT iv STUDENT DECLARATION v STATEMENT BY LANGUAGE EDITOR vi STATEMENT BY APA EDITOR vii TABLE OF CONTENTS viii LIST OF TABLES xxv LIST OF APPENDICES xxvi ABSTRACT xxvii ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT 1.1 Chapter Preview 1 1.2 Introduction and Research Aim 1 1.3 Context of the Research 2 1.3.1 General Problem Statement 2 1.3.2 The Psychobiographical Subject 4 1.3.3 The Psychobiographical Approach 5 1.3.4 Adler’s Theory of Individual Psychology 7 1.3.5 Reflexivity 8 1.4 The Researcher’s Personal Journey 9 1.5 Outline of the Dissertation 11 1.6 Chapter Summary 11 CHAPTER 2 ALFRED ADLER’S THEORY OF INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY 2.1 Chapter Preview 12 2.2 Introducing Alfred Adler 12 x 2.3 The View of the Person 13 2.4 Key Theoretical Constructs 16 2.4.1 The Sense of Inferiority 16 2.4.2 The Striving for Superiority and the Unique Life Goal 17 2.4.3 The Unity of the Personality and the Style of Life 20 2.4.3.1 The Four Lifestyle Types 21 2.4.3.1.1 Ruling Type 22 2.4.3.1.2 Getting or Leaning Type 22 2.4.3.1.3 Avoiding Type 22 2.4.3.1.4 Socially Useful Type 23 2.4.4 The Schema of Apperception 23 2.4.5 Social Interest 24 2.4.5.1 The Three Tasks of Life 28 2.4.6 Unhealthy Striving and Maladjustment 30 2.4.6.1 Inferiority Complex 30 2.4.6.1.1 Physical Handicaps 31 2.4.6.1.2 Family Dynamics 32 2.4.6.1.2.1 Parenting Styles 32 xi 2.4.6.1.2.2 The Child’s Position in the Family 34 2.4.6.1.3 Societal Influences 36 2.4.6.2 The Goal of Personal Superiority 37 2.4.6.3 Safeguarding Mechanisms 38 2.4.6.3.1 The Purpose of Symptoms 39 2.4.6.3.2 Safeguarding through Aggression 40 2.4.6.3.3 Safeguarding through Distance 41 2.5 Psychopathology and Optimal Development 43 2.5.1 Psychopathology 43 2.5.2 Optimal Development 44 2.6 Evaluation of the Theory 46 2.6.1 Value and Critique 46 2.6.2 Psychobiography 49 2.7 Conclusion 50 CHAPTER 3 THE LIFE OF EUGÉNE NIELEN MARAIS 3.1 Chapter Preview 52 3.2 Eugène Marais’s Socio-Cultural and Historical Context 53 xii 3.2.1 The Anglo Boer Wars 53 3.2.2 Pretoria and the Transvaal 54 3.2.3 Transvaal politics 54 3.2.4 Opium and morphine use during Marais’s lifetime 55 3.2.5 Victorian Spiritism 56 3.2.6 The industrial revolution and modernisation 57 3.3 Historical periods in the life of Eugène Marais (1871-1936) 59 3.3.1 An image of youth (1871 – 1887) 59 3.3.2 Land and Volk (1888 – 1896) 63 3.3.2.1 Marais’s influence on the 1893 presidential election 68 3.3.2.2 In the arms of Morpheus 69 3.3.2.3 Lettie Beyers 70 3.3.2.4 Selling Land en Volk to the Uitlanders 71 3.3.2.5 Eugéne Charles Gerard Marais 71 3.3.2.6 The Jameson Raid 72 3.3.3 The wide world (1897 – 1901) 74 3.3.3.1 Progress with Law studies 75 3.3.3.2 Marais’s esoteric interests 77 xiii 3.3.3.3 Marais’s Bohemian lifestyle and literary influences 79 3.3.3.4 Reconsidering his Law studies 81 3.3.3.5 Back to South Africa 81 3.3.3.6 The Second Anglo Boer War and Return to Europe 81 3.3.3.7 Using Land en Volk to reconcile the Boers and British 82 3.3.3.8 The Transvaal from Within (1899) 84 3.3.3.9 Marais’s morphine use in London 84 3.3.3.10 Marais’s compulsive lying 85 3.3.3.11 Marais’s correspondence with Joseph Chamberlain 85 3.3.3.12 Expedition 87 3.3.3.13 Machanga 89 3.3.4 A new beginning (1902 – 1906) 90 3.3.4.1 Promoting reconciliation in Land en Volk 91 3.3.4.2 An offer to sell Land en Volk 92 3.3.4.3 Milner’s Anglicisation policy 92 3.3.4.4 Brooklyn 93 3.3.4.5 Milner’s departure 94 3.3.4.6 Marais’s pseudonyms and ‘Winternag’ 95 xiv 3.3.4.7 The Afrikaans Language Society 96 3.3.4.8 Land en Volk’s closure 96 3.3.4.9 Hillbrow 97 3.3.5 Waterberg (1907 – 1917) 98 3.3.5.1 Rietfontein 99 3.3.5.2 ‘Miracle doctor’ 99 3.3.5.3 Marais’s naturalistic studies 100 3.3.5.4 Opium prohibition Law 102 3.3.5.5 Purekrans 102 3.3.5.6 Back to Boshof 103 3.3.5.7 Patterns 104 3.3.5.8 Attitude towards different races 105 3.3.5.9 Drought and natural phenomena 105 3.3.5.10 World War I 106 3.3.5.11 Boshof again 107 3.3.5.12 Back to the Waterberg 108 3.3.6 Interludes (1918 – 1921) 109 xv 3.3.6.1 Back in Pretoria 109 3.3.6.2 The Soul of the Ape 110 3.3.6.3 Sunnyside 111 3.3.6.4. Joan Harley 112 3.3.6.5 Dwaalstories (Wandering Tales) 112 3.3.6.6 Erasmus 113 3.3.7 Heidelberg (1922 – 1926) 114 3.3.7.1 A holiday in Durban 116 3.3.7.2 Steenkampskraal 118 3.3.7.3 Back to Heidelberg 119 3.3.8 The last take (1927 – 1936) 120 3.3.8.1 Marais vs.