Waiting for the Barbarians (1980)Character of Colonel Joll

Waiting for the Barbarians (1980)Character of Colonel Joll

v  Introduction:-

            Coetzee’s fictional, dramatic and political works are truly representative of African reality and sensibility. He gives a social – psychological study of his protagonists who are caught in the wed of conflict between will and tradition. The issues that he discusses in his famous novels such as Dusklands and Waiting for the Barbarianshave a universal appeal.

v  A foil to Magistrate:-

            Coetzee’s novels fascinate every one with their rich wisdom and practical knowledge. Human psychology and human behavior have been his interesting topics of study. He is a good analyst of character. He believes that there is a cosmological dualism, world and soul. Intellect grasps reality and our mind reflects on it. An individual reacts to the changing social scenario. In “Waiting for the barbarians” the novelist shows conflict between good and evil through the character of the old magistrate and colonel Joll. The Magistrate represents virtue, while Joll represent vice. Joll is a foil to Magistrate.

v  A hard-hearted man:-

            Colonel Joll is from the Third Bureau which his the most important division of the Civil Guard. He is completely void of mercy and sympathy. He is a hard-hearted man. He arrests and tortures many innocent barbarians in the name of security. For example, two prisoners are lying bound on the floor. The smell of old urine comes from them. Then there is a young boy whose face is bruised and one eye is swollen. The Magistrate asks him, “Who beat you?” The boy looks at Joll beside him but does not speak anything.

v  Impolite man:-

            One day he asks the Magistrate why he mixes with the barbarians. The Magistrate tells him, “We have no enemies unless we are the enemy.” At this time Joll becomes angry and asks him, “Why have our been consorting with them? Who gave you permission to leave your post? “ This shows that he is very impolite even with a man of high status like the Magistrate. One day, he angrily tells the Magistrate, “You have no idea how tiresome your behavior is, you are the only official on the frontier who has not given us his full con-operation. You ca not be allowed to remain in your Post.”

v  A faithful military officer of the Empire

            Joll always tries to prove that he is a faithful military officer of the Empire. Sometimes he goes deep into the forest to trace out the barbarians. He is always escorted by man body-guards. This shows that he is never safe. When he goes deep into the desert wit his body-guards and come back, the Magistrate congratulated him on his safe return. He imprisons many innocent fishermen. If anybody tells Joll that such people can not be helpful to him in his inquiries, he bluntly tells him, “Prisoners are prisoner.” He tirelessly ask them question after question to know the truth. He asks them whether they have seen movements of strange horsemen. He asks even a little child, “Have strangers visited your father during the night?” When such interrogations are over late in the night, he allows the Magistrate to sleep. At this time, the Magistrate feels so much annoyed that he says, “The joy has gone from my life.” Thus he chases the enemies of Empire through the boundless desert with his open sword to cult down barbarian after barbarian ruthlessly

Conclusion:-

            Thus the character of Colonel is foil to the Magistrate. He is the villain of this novel. He is a born devil. He knows little of the beautiful and the good in life. He knows only one side of life. He never feel penitent. He is malignity incarnate. He seems to be the last heir of the ruthless colonial legacy.