DAMBUDZO MARECHERA: A PSYCHOBIOGRAPHICAL STUDY Kudakwashe C. Muchena 210106646 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Magister Artium (Psychology) Faculty of Health Sciences Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University November 2013 Supervisor: Professor Greg Howcroft Co-Supervisor Professor Louise Stroud i PHOTOGRAPH OF DAMBUDZO MARECHERA ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my most sincere gratitude to the following people for their encouragement and support throughout this process: Firstly, to both my supervisor Prof. Greg Howcroft and my co-supervisor Prof. Louise Stroud for their commitment, patience, guidance, tenacious support and faith in me. To my late mother who was the driving force regarding my studies as far back as I can remember. Although she did not understand what I was doing she still supported me unconditionally. Without her constant encouragement, motivation and strength I would not have made it this far. She has been a source of inspiration throughout my career. To my patient family and friends for their unwavering support. iii DECLARATION I, Kudakwashe C Muchena, hereby declare that the dissertation for Magister Artium (Psychology) is my own work and that it has not previously been submitted for assessment or completion of any postgraduate qualification to another University or for another qualification. Kudakwashe C. Muchena Signature__________________________________ Date______________________________________ iv ABSTRACT Marechera the Zimbabwean writer, poet and novelist emerged in the late 1970s as a new voice in African literature, but his writing career lasted less than a decade. It was his iconoclastic, dense style that expressed the psychological disintegration prevalent in Africa during this period and challenged the central beliefs of both the nationalist and post- independence eras. Defying the limitations of nationality, race and culture, Marechera’s writing explores universal issues, particularly urban existence in the late twentieth century. Marechera’s life and work were closely linked. His outspoken views and unorthodox lifestyle brought him into frequent conflict with the authorities and contributed to him being perceived as a cult figure. Through his work and personality he became a major inspiration and role model for the younger generation of writers in Zimbabwe and other African countries. The present study is a psychobiographical case study with the primary aim being to explore and describe the personality development of Dambudzo Marechera (1952-1987) using Alfred Adler’s theory of Individual Psychology. It was through the use of a theory of psychological development that a better understanding of Marechera’s personality, based on his cultural and historical background was achieved and a new interpretation and explanation was reported. The findings of the study can be generalised to the theory of individual psychology through the process of analytical generalization. Key words, Alfred Adler, Dambudzo Marechera, Individual Psychology, Psychobiography v TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPH OF DAMBUDZO MARECHERA ................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... iii DECLARATION ...................................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Chapter preview ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2. General orientation of the research study .................................................................... 1 1.2.1. Contextualisation. ................................................................................................. 1 1.2.2. Aim of the study.................................................................................................... 2 1.2.3. Overview of psychobiographical research. ........................................................... 3 1.2.4. Overview of the theoretical framework. ............................................................... 4 1.2.5. Brief description of the research subject. .............................................................. 5 1.3. Problem statement ....................................................................................................... 9 1.4. Justification of the study ............................................................................................ 10 1.5. The researcher’s personal passage ............................................................................. 12 1.6. Overview of the study................................................................................................ 13 CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................................ 15 PSYCHOBIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH .......................................................................... 15 2.1. Chapter preview ......................................................................................................... 15 vi 2.2. Origins of psychobiography ...................................................................................... 15 2.3. Psychobiography and psychoanalysis ....................................................................... 16 2.4. Overview of psychobiography research .................................................................... 17 2.4.1. History of psychobiographical inquiry ............................................................... 17 2.4.2. Trends in the development of psychobiography ................................................. 19 2.5. Psychobiography and case study ............................................................................... 21 2.6. Life history research .................................................................................................. 23 2.7. Definition of psychobiographical research ................................................................ 24 2.8. Psychobiography and related concepts ...................................................................... 25 2.8.1. Psychobiography ................................................................................................. 25 2.8.2. Biography, life stories and narratives ................................................................. 26 2.9. The value of psychobiographical research ................................................................ 26 2.9.1. The uniqueness of the individual case within the whole .................................... 26 2.9.2. The socio-historical context ................................................................................ 28 2.9.3. Process and pattern over time ............................................................................. 28 2.9.4. Subjective reality ................................................................................................ 29 2.9.5. Theory testing and development ......................................................................... 29 2.10. Criticism of psychobiographical studies.................................................................. 30 2.10.1. Psychobiographer’s relationship with the subject ............................................. 31 2.10.2. Psychobiography as cross cultural research ...................................................... 31 2.10.3. Use of psychological theory.............................................................................. 32 vii 2.10.4. Analysing an absent subject .............................................................................. 33 2.11. The growth of psychobiography in South Africa .................................................... 34 2.12. Practicing reflexivity ............................................................................................... 35 2.13. Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................................ 37 ALFRED ADLER’S INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY ........................................................ 37 3.1. Chapter preview ......................................................................................................... 37 3.2. Introduction to Adlerian Theory ................................................................................ 37 3.3. The view of human nature. ........................................................................................ 38 3.4. The Structure and development of personality .......................................................... 40 3.4.1. Constitutional attributes ...................................................................................... 41 3.4.1.1. Inferiority feelings and compensation. ......................................................... 42 3.4.1.1.1. Organ inferiority.