Cultural Identity In The Smell Of Apples By Mark Behr

Introduction
Smell of apples by Mark Behr revolves around cultural identities. Rita Barnard argues in her article “The Smell of Apples, Moby-Dick, and Apartheid Ideology” that the smell of apples ends with narrator excepting of these cultural identities and of his position in society. Thus will this essay firstly discuss the dominant cultural identities portrayed in this novel. Secondly the moments in the novel where it seems as though the narrator resists the cultural identities, will be discussed. Lastly Rita Barnard’s argument and the accuracy there off will be discussed.
Context.
Marnus, the narrator, is the son of Johan and Leonare. He is raised in a household and society which is hyper-masculine and resist. Marnus being a child does adopt these ideologies unconsciously but as the novel continues we see Marnus attempting to reject these ideologies.
Dominant cultural identities portrayed in the novel.
In the ‘Smell of Apples’ two dominant cultural identities comes forth. These two cultural identities can be identified, respectively, as hyper masculinity (patriarchal society) ideologies and resist ideologies. Hyper masculinity and racist ideologies are believed to have shaped Marnus as a person. …show more content…
Rita Barnard argued in her article “The Smell of Apples, Moby-Dick, and Apartheid” that the Smell of Apples ends with the narrator’s acceptance of these cultural identities and his position in the society. This essay thus agreed with the statement of Rita Barnard, that the Narrator thus accept the dominant cultural ideologies and accepted his place in the hyper masculine, and racist society. Thus did this essay firstly discuss the dominant cultural identities portrayed in this novel. Secondly the moments in the novel where it seems as though the narrator resists the cultural identities, will be discussed. Lastly Rita Barnard’s argument and the accuracy there off was