23 https://doi.org/10.1080/00138390508691332 English eng Vuuren, Marijke Van Contributor <p>The article examines the role of <span data-start="599" data-end="610" style="">silence</span> in William Golding's <em data-start="632" data-end="650" style="">Darkness Visible</em> and J.M. Coetzee's <em data-start="670" data-end="699" style="">Life and Times of Michael K</em>. Silence is not merely the absence of speech but a mode of expression reflecting <span data-start="781" data-end="821" style="">inner life, suffering, and isolation</span>, while also serving as a form of <span data-start="855" data-end="869" style="">resistance</span> against oppression and external definition. It highlights the <span data-start="932" data-end="954" data-is-only-node="" style="">limits of language</span> and provides space for characters to assert self-representation and preserve their humanity.<br></p> Taylor & Francis 2005 pdf ISSN 0013-8398 Literary criticism Beyond Words: Silence in William Golding's Darkness Visible and JM Coetzee's Life and Times of Michael K. mixed material Taylor & Francis