Абай атындағы ҚазҰПУ-нің Хабаршысы, «Филология ғылымдары» сериясы №4(62) 2017 ж.
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mankind must not kill, and they must base on the principle of equal coexistence. These are the theses noted
by Elizabeth. But Elizabeth Costello’s humanist values interest nobody. She is understood neither by her son
and her bride, nor the people having attended her lectures. Her son’s wife does not share her world outlook
and considers Costello’s humanism as something unnecessary. She thinks that when there are so many
problems, it is ridiculous to rise for the defense of animals.
Coetzee as a rule in all his works raises a number of parallel problems. In his novel “Elizabeth Costello”,
he touches upon important parallel themes. Coetzee, who raises the problems as “what is creation”, To what
the fate of a writer and his creative activity serve, does not forget the problem of man which is the constant
problem of literature. Under the polemics on animals causing discomfort, stands in fact world outlook and
attitude of the writer to the cataclysms taking place in the world. L.Zalesova-Doktorova who investigates the
writer’s creative activity writes: “Why this knowledge is not of less importance? Why Costello’s humanism
is not understandable? Coetzee knows that in the world, not only knowledge received in the universities
exists. There are some things more; there are other values equal to these things too. Coetzee sounds his own
polemic ideas by the name of Elizabeth Costello [12].
Derek Attridge who analyzes the novel “Elizabeth Costello” in his article “A writer’s life: J.M. Coetzee’s
Elizabeth Costello” appreciating the mentioned above novel writes:
“The significance of Costello’s suffering
in “The Lives of Animals”, which constitutes the next two lessons; what must also be stressed is that she is
presented (and present in Appleton College) very much as a novelist. Part of the burden she is now
experiencing is the burden of feeling one’s way into other lives, including the lives of animals: the greater
one’s capacity to enter imaginatively into a different mode of existence, the stronger one’s horror at
behavior that denies its value”
[13].
Basing on Derek Attridge’s thoughts it is possible to say that the feeling of interest to “the life of
animals” must be valued as the result of humane attitude of the writer to all living beings. Costello highlights
the fact that living beings as human beings are a part of the nature and that they also are in need of mercy and
care. Costello’s humanism is not understandable to the man, living with the care for necessities of life.
Humanism of the writer is not understandable for the person having been lost in the daily cares of life.
In raising this problem Coetzee gets into a Polemic dialogue with an evil force, raises the questions of the
themes which shall not be touched upon or reveals the themes giving freedom to the writer. In the theme of
animals, he touches upon moral problems, asks the place where the border, which can’t be crossed is situated.
Elizabeth Costello repeatedly compares the concentration camps with cutting of the animals, searches for the
answer if a human being can prevent this brutality. He never agrees with the thought that the question which he
raises is of great importance. Costello, who is sincere and exact in his thoughts speaks of indifference of the
people to this brutality, and mentions the truthfulness of the fact of his raising these problems.
Costello, who raises important thoughts around the theme, links with weakness of man. He ends his
thoughts with the consideration that this “weakness” can be liquidated with his protest against his own
participation in the “slaughter”. But at the same time Elizabeth Costello believes in man and manhood and
states his firm belief that one day this problem shall be solved.
The complicity of the problem arisen in the novel can be read, understood and valued by the modern
reader. The skill of the writer is linked, just with the humanistic value of the problems which he has raised in
his novels.
Costello raises the questions which are necessary and important. It is true that not always she understands
the opposite party, she remains true to herself and to her values, she is not in contradiction to her inner world.
One of the parts, causing interest is the part in which she visits her sister Blanch, who lives in the back-
ward point of Africa and whom she has not seen for years. Blanch is already a Brigitte sister and is one of the
leaders of the hospital named “Saint Mariam”. Like her sister Elizabeth, Blanch who is highly educated in
one of the days, putting an end to all her work, went to Africa to take care of children and had taken an oath
that she would devote all her life to this mission. It becomes clear that Blanch and Elizabeth share different
world outlooks and are unchangeable in their positions. Elizabeth does not accept Blanche’s Christian
obedience, she does not understand the character of obedient person. The abyss created between these two
sisters remain as unsolved. Though Blanch is the aunt of two children of Elizabeth, she has seen them only
twice in her life and though she is taken as dear and native in the hospital Saint Mariam by all the patients,
she never thinks about her biological native relatives. While she takes care of orphan children, having fallen
ill with the illness of AID, she does not accept her own sister. She dogmatizes against her values and her
mode of life, and most often generally she demonstrates bearableness. Coetzee describes the “trouble” of
modern human beings who become “unknown” to one another, and who have lost their foundation ties.
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