Exploring the binaries in Sifiso Nyathi's novel "The Other Presence"

Abstract

Abstract

This paper analyses the literary binaries presented by the award-winning Namibian writer Sifiso Nyathi's novel The Other Presence (2008). The novel is set in the Zambezi region in Namibia. It discusses contemporary issues which affect the Namibian people in the Kwena society. The Other Presence presents different groups of people such as Christians and non-Christians, medical doctors and traditional doctors, false pastors and authentic pastors, male egos and female egos. The paper argues that the novel addresses social and political concerns in Namibian society and explores the binarisms between different groups and the ramifications of creating such categories within society. By analysing the themes in the novel from a binary perspective, the paper seeks to explore its deep underlying structure and unfold the social meaning of the specific and human experience in the society. The paper argues that the binarisms in the novel reflect the livelihood of the various societies in the Zambezi region in Namibia. It concludes that all in all, these binaries offer a voice to the voiceless people in society.