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MIS

Reza de Wet

IN GENERAL:

All three of the dramas in Trits reflect a search for an inner conciliation between rational and irrational, as well as the masculine and feminine within a human-being. It points to the opposing powers within a person. These powerslead to inner conflict and are depicted in the struggle for liberation from the powers. In Mis we have the struggle for liberation from the family’s restrictive way of living– their dogmatic, rigid existence.Internal and external transformations take place in the case of some of the characters. On the one hand we have the exorcism of the evil, and on the other hand again, the liberation from it.

Reza de Wet as a person:

In order to study De Wet’s dramas, one needs to have some knowledge of her background. Her dramas lean heavily on her background.

She was born at Senekal in the Free State. Her father was a judge and her mother a radiographer. She describes her mother as a charming person with whom she related in a special way. Her mother, who was much involved in play productions, told her various stories and simultaneously introduced her to the fascinating world of the story. In this way she became acquainted with Uys Krige’sDie Goue Kring. The magical world of the drama fascinated her. Up to this day she has an image of the theatre as a magical world of act and dream. Other productionsinfluenced her dramas. Her dramaDrif, for instance, was inspired by Fagan’s Opdrifsels. She is also a follower of Chekov. Drie Susters Twee is based on the Russian Drie Susters. Bartho Smit, with his absurd plays like Die Keiser and Christine, also had a strong influence on her style of writing. Her plays are greatly inter-textual, due to the very strong influence of other dramatists,and they are consistently in a mutual relationship. In many of her plays we find the deliverance theme, as well as the theme of the older dominating person. For instance,time and again the character who pretends unwillingness to know, but cannot stop questioning, occurs in Diepe Grond, Mis and Op dees aarde. The same images, e.g. dreaming, flowers and the man as deliverer, are to be found in practically all her plays, not to mention magical realism!

She attended the Oranje Meisieskool in Bloemfontein and developed an intenseawarenessof the narrow-minded “Afrikanerdom”. Here she became acquainted with the strict rules, traditions and conventions of the rational Calvinism. This Calvinism is present in nearly all her plays, always insinuating the hypocrisy of the Calvinistic grip.

The work of Eugene Marais, especially his ghost stories, also fascinated her and resulted in plays like Drif,Op dees Aardeand Mis. Alba Bouwer’s Stories van Rivierplaasalso had a major influence on her work. Besides, the names of the characters in Diepe Grond had to be changed, because they were named after the characters of Bouwer, i.e. Alie, Hennie and old Melitie.

She studied Drama and English at UOFS and consequently qualified herself not only as a dramatist, but also as an actress. This combination is always to the advantage of any dramatist, because he/she will know what is suitable for the stage and what not.

Her plays, always in conversation with each other,are meta-textual. There is a strong presence of both dreamand reality in her work. Certain elements can be found in practically all her works. The ordinary person, especially the “Afrikaner”, can easily associate with her work.

Afrikaans dramas:-

Free State Trilogy: Diepe Grond; Op dees Aarde; Nag, Generaal

Trits: Mis; Mirakel; Drif

Drie Susters Twee

Novel:-

Stil Mathilda

English dramas:-

A worm in the Bud (In reaction to the pride of the English people of the Eastern Cape with regard to the “Afrikaner”.)

In different Light

Reza, currently a lecturer in Drama at the RhodesUniversity in Grahams Town, is married to a play director. In contrast with the “stuffiness” she experienced in the Free State, Grahams Town offers her more freedom to live naturally and intuitively.

Jung, the well-known psychologist, had a major influence on her work. The presence of a magical, mysterious, liberating masculine figure in many of her plays developed from her Jungian inspired dreams of a liberating animus (man). “Animus” refers to man and “anima” to woman. Both anima and animus are present in all people, but not necessarily in harmonic balance. In her work De Wet strives to the balance between masculine and feminine figures in her characters. The search for identity in her works, is reflected in the striving for inner conciliation between the two poles of the human identity, i.e. anima and animus.

Another Jungian idea is that the suppression of deep-seated forces and passions within the human psyche has a destructive effect on the individual.Consistently, the concrete set-upsin her work are spaces for liberation from the suffocating small world reality of commonness and narrow-mindedness. Within these spaces, magical liberators time and again step up to the play. Compare Konstabel in Mis who enters the narrow space of the small house to lead Meisie to liberation. People who feel suppressed sexually and internally are literally enticed to the outside, in order to enter a world of dreaming and fables, for example Meisie who leaves the house and goes to the circus with its music.

In De Wet’s plays we have to deal with exorcism(where people live in fear of things) and liberation (where people get rid of their fears and narrow-mindedness). For her, it is an individual liberation, rather than a social liberation. The plays address the general audience, because each individual can identify with the problems. Individuals are confronted with themselves during the painful liberation process.

The opposing forces, exorcism and liberation reach a climax in Trits. In Mis, Miem, and to a lesser extent Gertie, are keepers of the restrictive, dogmatic Calvinistic culture in which the suppression of sexuality in contrast with the subconscious is emphasized.Meisie, for example, is forbid to go to the circus, and the doors are bolted. Furthermore, the curtains are drawn to keep outside the menace of an evil shadow that is believed to be on the lookout for innocent young maidens.

Within the fanatic exorcism of everything that might excite sexually or subconsciously, an ironic confession takes place – the false morality of Miem and Gert is unmasked. Miem, for example, shamelessly offers her daughter to Konstabel. Without shame she tells the completely strange man how much better she feels after getting rid of her pinching corset (of course symbolic of the spiritual restriction). Gertie cannot control herself while being alone with Konstabel. She is fascinated when he tells her about his “tant” Hannie’s clothes-changing ritual at bedtime in his room. She gets so carried away, that she herself gets partially undressed, and has to run out of the roomwhen Miem enters.

Miem too does not hesitate to tell Konstabel about her sexual needs. For Meisie he is merely a conscience keeper, and apatron to whom she can flee and expose her inner life. She can freely tell him how crammed she feels midst the constant smell of dung and her restrictive existence.

Konstabel is in his transformation as clown (when he puts on his jacket upside down, so that it becomes a clown costume), the liberation figure who, in his camouflage as a constable, infiltrates and conquers the exorcising force. Time and again, the liberating process in De Wet’s works isa violent and dramatic process, but one in which the violence takes place internally,rather than physically.

THE TITLE

The title can be interpreted at more than one level:-

  1. “Mis” as fertilizer would certainly be the most conspicuous meaning. Meisie and Miem make a living by selling the manure to the farmers. But the manure also seems to be a great frustration for Meisie, because she complains to Konstabel that it smells terrible and attracts flies. According to her, this is the reason why she does not have any boyfriends. She plants roses in front of her bedroom window in order to disguise the smell of the manure. The manure can also imply fertility. Miem, for instance,says that because it is early spring, all people want to cultivate their soil. As a flower, Meisie grows to liberation from this manure.
  1. “Mis” can also mean mistiness/fogginess – something that prevents one to see clearly. This is symbolic of the inability of Miem and Gertie to see the reality. They live in their own constrictive little world in which everything poses a threat to them, and if there is something that they do not understand (like the disappearance of the girls), they soon interpret it in their own way. They are blind to everything but the facts/realities, just like someone who stares at something through the mistiness.
  1. The expression “Jy het dit mis” (you are mistaken) can be applicable in this case. Both Miem and Gertie are mistaken when they think that the other girls were murdered. They are also mistaken when they think that,by bolting doors and windows, they can really exorcise the “evil” that terrifies them so much. They are mistaken when they think Konstabel will really protect them. It is about a “mis verstaan” (misunderstanding) of matters.
  1. “Mis” can also point to what is earthy-banal, even boorish. The pale that spills human excretion, is symbolic of this. It contaminates their entire world of existence.
  1. “Mis” can also refer to Holy Communion (“Roomse Mis”). The meaning of Meisie’s confirmation dress comes to the front. After her confirmation, the church accepts her as a grown-up, and she is allowed to start partaking in the Holy Communion. She is now regarded as an adult in the eyes of the church. Ironically, her mother does not see it in the same way. The pureness suggested by the white dress, may also come to the front here. It may point to marriage, which, in itself, is the beginning of a new life. For the Christian, Holy Communion is the beginning of a new life (the death and resurrection of Christ, and life for us). Perhaps it is sensible to reflect now on Miem’s saying that her husband, Gabriël, “opgegaan het” (ascended). This gives the impression of some type of ascension. Interesting, too, is the reference that she believes he will not let them down, should something go wrong.

TIME

  1. The Great Depression (1929 – 1933):-

After 1915,South Africa and other countries that stayed neutral during the First World War, made large profits from supplies they sold to the countries at war.South Africa experienced large economic growth, which in turn caused large price increases and inflation. By 1920 an economic flatteningfollowed, but from 1923 until 1929 an economic boom reached unknown heights, especially in countries like the USA and Germany. In the same time, unknown speculation took place on the stock exchange as well as in the property market, especially in the USA. On “Black Thursday”, 25 October 1929, the New York stock exchange in Wall Street collapsed. The economic breakdown that followed affected the entire world and started the Great Depression.

From 1929 until 1932 the industrial production of the world decreased by 37% and the extent of world tradeby 36%, while the unemployment figure in the industries increased by 191%.

In the agricultural field too, indications of surplus production could already be observed. When the depression became a reality in 1929, the price of agricultural products collapsed. Many farmers over-capitalised their farms during the preceding period of prosperity, and mortgaged their farms for large amounts. When the price of products collapsed during the depression, the agricultural sector was hit hardest. Wool, one of the country’s major export products, became practically worthless. Other agricultural products soon had the same destiny.

Furthermore, South Africa was hit by one of the most severe droughts ever. This made the situation even worse. Farmers went bankrupt when banks began to claim mortgages. The farmers, who had no other refuge, started moving to the cities in search of work, but there were no jobs. Industries were hit just as hard. The unemployment figure soared. People moved to the mines, hoping to find a job. Most of them had to work under-ground, at the risk of jeopardising their health. This was the beginning of the “Poor Whites Problem”.

This is the background of Mis. Time plays an extremely important role in this drama.The play is set in the Depression years when the Afrikaner experienced extreme poverty. We hear Miem telling how they lost their farm, and about their present precarious existence on the small holding. She and Meisie sell manure to the farmers in bags which they made from Hessian. We get this information from what Miem tells Konstabel. It is due to the Depression that Gabriël remains sitting in the loft. This is his way of liberation/escapement.

  1. Another important aspect of time is the exact time mentioned, namely 31 August. It is the evening before 1 September – spring day. Spring impliesnew life, beginning, growth. The fact that both previous mysterious disappearances occurred during the same night, implies that those girls were liberated from their oppressive existence, and then advanced towards a new way of living. Meisie, for example, leaves the house,all the way dancing in her white confirmation dress.In other words, she starts a new way of living. White suggests innocence and pureness; at the same time it is associated with a wedding dress – which in itself also implies new life. Also take notice of the numerous references to flowers and growth. The trees are budding already, and the people need manure because they want to start planting.
  1. That Night: It is quite significant that the chain of events takes place during the eveningand later that night at 12:00 – the evil hour of the night. However, it is also the time of the magic world. In this connection, one could refer to Cinderella whose coach and horses would change/transform at 12:00 precisely – and so it fits in with the idea of a fairylike landscape.
  1. The Past: There is a remittal to their past when they were well-off. Within the context of the play, this reference is important; because those are the times they wish back – when Pa was still with them, when they were still rich, when Meisie could still get new dresses, when she was not yet cornered in the smell of dung and the small, oppressive little house.

SPACE

In this connection we are going to attend to an interior space andan exterior space.

  1. Visual Interior Space:The space as seen on the stage represents the kitchen of an extremely poky house. It is clear from the costumes, furniture, coal stove, etc. that the drama takes place in the early years. The little house is built with galvanised corrugated iron. Doors give access to other parts of the house, for example the passage door that leads to the rest of the house, like the bedrooms that are often referred to. Then there is the backdoor that leads to the outside (freedom), and the drop-door in the ceiling where the old man has been living for many years (captivity).
  1. Suggested Interior Space: This refers to the rest of the aforesaid house. We do not see it, but we are aware of it because,from time to time, the characters move to that area.In addition, the loft can also be mentioned. The only part of the loft that can be seen is the drop-door. However, it is an important space, because “Pa” has been living there for seven years.
  1. Suggested Exterior Spaces: The cheerful, mysterious circus space with its lights is in direct contrast with the oppressive, dim interior space. It is this exterior space (circus) that allures Meisie. To her it offers liberation. Note that the other girls, who disappeared, lived in the same oppressive circumstances as Meisie. Miem does mention it, but without realising that her child also feels trapped in similar oppressive circumstances. Meisie once dared to go to the circus unobserved, but her mother caught her there, and afterwards pretended to be “sick” because of the shock and disappointment.In that manner she plays on Meisies’ feelings in order to keep her inside. Through this, the spaces become of cardinal importance in the drama, because the two spaces (inside/outside)are constantly played off one against the other. They become two conflicting forces that increase the suspense level of the drama.

Another suggested exterior space is the yard surrounding the little house.It is enclosed, and the small gate is Meisie’s further liberation after she left the house via the kitchen door. Other than the circus space,whichforms a contrast with the interior space, the yard space joins the oppressive interior space. The closet (once again a reference to manure) is there, with the dunghills nearby. In spite of this, the liberation of Meisie begins no where else than in this space when she and Konstabel go outside to empty the slop-pail. Here he persuades her to put on her white confirmation dress.