Life and Times of Michael K is the masterpiece of the South African writer J.M.Coetzee. It is set against a background of the Civil War in South Africa and it depicts Michael K— a modest hare-lipped gardener who is constantly attempting to flee from being persecuted and imprisoned by various types of oppression, such as the government and army. This study mainly analyses Michael K’s five attempts to escape under the guidance of new historicism and post colonialism and tries to figure out what is the significance of Michael K's escape,which is the research question of this article.Through analyzing what happens to Michael K and what Michael K does during his journey of running away, it presents a great escape artist who never gives up pursuing freedom and defending his dignity although he suffers from mental and physical torture of being hounded and imprisoned. This study aims at revealing the meaning of Michael K’s five attempts to escape.
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