The Question of the Self

Born on February 9, 1940, John Maxwell Coetzee is one of the pillars of contemporary South African, if not African, literature. However, it was not in literature that he initially found his vocation. After earning Math and English degrees from the University of Cape Town, he moved to England, where he worked as a computer programmer for IBM in London and ICT (International Computers and Tabulators) in Bracknell. While working as a programmer, he worked on his thesis on the English novelist Ford Madox Ford, for which he would earn his Master’s Degree from the University of Cape Town in 1963. He then moved to the United States, where he completed his PhD in English, linguistics, and Germanic languages at the University of Texas at Austin. His doctoral dissertation was on the early fiction of Samuel Beckett. If it were any indicator, his dissertations point toward a literary career.

Post-graduate school, Coetzee started working in academia; he was an assistant professor of English at the State University of New York in Buffalo. The denial of his application for permanent residence in the United States prompted Coetzee to move back to South Africa in 1972. It was while working in academia that he started writing fiction, and in 1974, the fruit of his labors paid off with the publication of his debut book, Dusklands, in South Africa. International recognition came with the publication of Waiting for the Barbarians. With a literary career that spans decades, he has produced a string of critically-acclaimed works which earned him various accolades across the world. In 1983, Life & Times of Michael K won the Booker Prize, and in 1999, Disgrace also won the same prestigious literary prize, making Coetzee the first writer to win the Booker Prize twice. He also won the Jerusalem Prize, the Prix Femina étranger.

The biggest recognition of Coetzee’s career came in 2003 when he was recognized by the Swedish Academy with the Nobel Prize in Literature. In their motivation, the Academy lauded him as a writer who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider. In the same year he won the highest distinction for a literary career and body of work, Coetzee published Elizabeth Costello; it was also his first novel after becoming the first writer to win the Booker Prize twice. The eponymous character has devoted her life primarily to writing. She lived and breathed writing, often neglecting her own needs. Her sacrifices eventually paid off as she has become a celebrated and successful writer. Now in her mid-sixties, she is on the cusp of receiving yet another distinction, a literary award that comes along with prestige and a pecuniary prize. 

That is not the point of the story, say I, who am, however, in no position to dictate what the point of the story is. There used to be a time, we believe, when we could say who we were. Now we are just performers speaking our parts. The bottom has dropped out. We could think of this as a tragic turn of events, were it not that it is hard to have respect for whatever was the bottom that dropped out – it looks to us like an illusion now, one of those illusions sustained only by the concentrated gaze of everyone in the room. Remove your gaze for but an instant, and the mirror falls to the floor and shatters.

J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello

She accepted the award and, accompanied by her son John, she traveled to Altoona College IN Pennsylvania to receive the Stowe Award and deliver her acceptance speech. During her speech, she left her audience bewildered. Her speech was built around a Franz Kafka story about an ape speaking to an academic audience. Her audience was not able to fathom her idea, underscoring the gap between her and the audience. Further, it also underlined how public speaking was not Elizabeth’s forte. More out of respect than the speech’s merit, the audience nevertheless applauded. The lukewarm response, however, did not hinder Elizabeth from accepting speaking engagements, starting with a lecture on a cruise where she was invited to lecture about the contemporary novel. This was followed up by more speaking engagements where she lectured about a plethora of subjects that delved into complex philosophical and ethical themes.

Deviating from the archetypal narrative structure, the novel came in the form of a series of eight lessons she delivered in lectures in various academic and literary settings around the world, including universities and literary conferences where she was invited to speak. But as the story progresses, Coetzee paints Elizabeth Costello’s life, starting with her past. Born and raised in Australia, she was married and divorced twice. She also has two children. Her son John teaches physics and astronomy at a college in Massachusetts. Elizabeth Costello made her literary debut with The House on Eccles Street, a novel that gave voice to Molly Bloom, the wife of Leopold Bloom in the literary classic Ulysses. The book catapulted her to global recognition. However, the novel’s feminist overtones made interviewers focus on what they perceive to be her feminism. They also expect Elizabeth to be a vocal advocate for equality who, at every turn, would talk with verve about the feminine role in modern society.

Through these lectures and speaking engagements, a vivid albeit eccentric image of Elizabeth Costello, the person, was carefully painted by Coetzee. Elizabeth Costello is a vegetarian, and her first two lectures were built around the moral ambiguities of animal slaughter and the consumption of meat. This was just the tip of the iceberg, as Elizabeth Costello discusses various subjects which are seemingly unconnected. The seeming caprice of her lectures isolated her from the audience, who applauded merely out of duty. However, it was not only with the public that Elizabeth Costello failed to establish a connection. Her relationship with her family was also shaky. Providing further insights into the main character is John, from whom we learn that they resented their mother due to her inattention to them when they were growing up. John was also critical of his mother’s radical views. Norma, his wife, was also at odds with Costello.

Elizabeth Costello’s complex family dynamics were further highlighted during her visit to her sister Blanche. Blanche is a nun serving the Marian Order; she has since adopted the name Sister Bridget and is the administrator of the Hospital of the Blessed Mary on the Hill, Marianhill, in rural Zululand. Sister Bridget cares for children with AIDS. Elizabeth Costello’s visit, however, did not go a planned as the sisters only sparred, arguing over their individual belief systems. Blanche was adamant in her stance of rejecting academics, particularly the humanities, in favor of serving the Church. She also questioned the spiritual aspects of art. Her sister, on the other hand, was vehement about defending the humanities so much so that even after she returned to Australia, she wrote Blanche a letter telling her that she was wrong. Elizabeth Costello also elaborated on what the humanities can teach mankind.

It’s that I no longer know where I am. I seem to move around perfectly easily among people, to have perfectly normal relations with them. Is it possible, I ask myself, that all of them are participants in a crime of stupefying proportions? Am I fantasizing it all? I must be mad! Yet every day I see the evidences. The very people I suspect produce the evidence, exhibit it, offer it to me. Corpses. Fragments of corpses that they have bought for money.

J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello

Providing a summary of the novel’s plot is a challenge. The novel does not possess a robust plot as it digresses from the standard literary structure. This unusual structure of eight chapters, or “lessons,” each centered on a formal address or speech, is one of the novel’s interesting facets. Despite this structure, Elizabeth Costello’s speeches, lectures, and debates on different topics painted a vivid portrait of her life, her beliefs, and her relationship with the people around her. Further, she was a tapestry of the people she met along the way; they also played a germane role in shaping her views and even her writing. This then underlines one of the novel’s most prominent themes: the nature of one’s identity. As the story progresses, Costello starts to grapple with questions about who she is and how she defines herself. Costello starts to question her own beliefs and morals.

Intertwined with and integral to the examination of the self was the novel’s exploration of morality. What rises to the fore is a novel brimming with philosophical intersections, with Costello confronting various cultural practices and philosophical viewpoints. Apart from advocating for animal rights, she also reflects on the death penalty and humanity in general. She is also an atheist, which was another point of contention between her and John, who was devoutly Christian. The stark dichotomy between religion and the humanities was another subtle theme the novel explored. The parallels between Coetzee and Costello are so uncanny – Coetzee moved to Australia and is also a vocal advocate of animal rights – that it has become generally accepted that Costello is his alter ego. As such, Coetzee’s ninth novel provided a different dimension to his oeuvre. Still, Elizabeth Costello stands out on its own.

The complexity of Costello’s character was further highlighted in sections where her son shared his perspective. The conflict between mother and son was one of the novel’s central themes; this and Costello’s relationship with her sister also underscore the novel’s examination of the complexities of family dynamics. John and his sibling grew up feeling like no one cared for them, especially with their mother’s devotion to her craft. Their relationship with their mother was strained and complicated. But while his mother grapples with her ideals and views, John also grapples with his own feelings for his mother, whom he resents. Despite being critical of his mother’s views, John sympathized with his aging mother, eventually becoming her main protector.

As the novel approached its inevitable conclusion, its complexion also started to transform. Costello was initially unsure of her beliefs; when placed under scrutiny, she struggles to defend her beliefs. Costello eventually started to show development. Pondering on her life and choices, she starts to acknowledge her flaws. With this acknowledgement came the understanding that her choices impacted the people around her. To make up for her previous actions, she attempts to reconcile with those who were most directly affected by them, primarily her son. All of these underline how Costello was not only an enigmatic character but a compellingly complex one. She devoted her life to her craft, but as she goes through the motions, she is slowly humbled, tackling her own humanity, and how her work influenced the world.

No consciousness that we would recognize as consciousness. Not awareness, as far as we can make out, of a self with a history. What I mind is what tends to come next. They have no consciousness therefore. Therefore what? Therefore we are free to use them for our own ends Therefore we are free to kill them? Why? What is so special about the form of consciousness that we recognize that makes killing a bearer of it a crime while killing an animal goes unpunished?

J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello

Beyond the enigmatic character, the novel is also an extensive exploration of literature. During Costello’s lecture on the cruise ship, she ran into Emmanuel Ergudu, a fellow writer who was also aboard the ship to deliver a lecture; Ergudu was also once Costello’s lover. During their conversation, they discussed the challenges that African writers face, particularly in appealing to the Western audience. Costello believes that they should not kowtow to the Western audience and instead, focus on the audience they were given, i.e., African readers. Further, one of her speeches deals with censorship. Costello also questions the role of the writer and the power of storytelling. While she believes that fiction can transcend reality and reveal deeper truths about the human condition, she also acknowledges the responsibility that comes with it.

The consequences of storytelling were further explored when Costello encountered one of the characters of one of her novels. As the lines between fiction and reality were blurred, Costello’s beliefs were challenged. The novel was, symbolically, an extension of the exploration of the role of literature. Its structure does not conform to literary norms. The novel’s unconventional structure made for a fragmented read. The subjects of Costello’s speeches and lectures also varied. Nevertheless, these discourses and the philosophical inquiries that came along with them were compelling and made up for an interesting literary experience. The novel also subtly underscores the struggles female writers encounter. They are often boxed, expected to advocate for certain causes. In Costello’s case, it was feminism because it was the focus of her first work. Female writers also must work harder to gain recognition and gain an ounce of respect.

In its unconventional blend of fiction and philosophical inquiries that pushes the boundaries of storytelling, Elizabeth Costello is nevertheless a dazzling and thought-provoking read, dexterously woven together into a lush tapestry by Coetzee’s marvelous writing. Coetzee literally pushes the boundaries of storytelling and writing. In the eponymous Elizabeth Costello, he crafted a complex and compelling character. Exploring a plethora of complex themes such as identity, morality, religion, and even the role of literature, the book charts the journey of the enigmatic character as she examines these concerns. This leads to an interesting but meaningful resolution. But it is also about the human condition. Elizabeth Costello finds magnificence in its philosophical meditations, although its unconventionality can pose a challenge.

That at least she does not have to invent: this dumb, faithful body that has accompanied her every step of the way, this gentle, lumbering monster that has been given to her to look after, this shadow turned to flesh that stands on two feet like a bear and laves itself continually from the inside with blood. Not only is she in this body, this thing which not in a thousand years could she have dreamed up, so far beyond her powers would it be, she somehow is this body; and all around her on the square, on this beautiful morning, these people, somehow, are their bodies too.

J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello
Book Specs

Author: J.M. Coetzee
Publisher: Viking
Publishing Date: 2003
Number of Pages: 203
Genre: Philosophical, Literary

Synopsis

In 1982, J.M. Coetzee dazzled the literary world with his novel Waiting for the Barbarians. Five novels and two Booker Prizes later, Coetzee is a writer of international stature. Now, in his first work of fiction since the New York Times bestselling Disgrace, he has crafted an unusual and deeply affecting tale.

Elizabeth Costello is a distinguished and aging Australian novelist whose life is revealed through an ingenious series of eight formal addresses. From an award-acceptance speech at a New England liberal arts college to a lecture on evil in Amsterdam and a sexually charged reading by the poet Robert Duncan, Coetzee draws the reader inexorably towards its astonishing conclusion.

About the Author

To learn more about the Nobel Laureate in Literature and two-time Booker Prize-winning writer, click here.