The Quest for Living: Resilience and Coping Mechanisms in Sindiwe Magona's Beauty's Gift

The article examines the theme of hope and coping mechanisms in Sindiwe Magona's novel Beautys' Gift (2008). The research addresses the issues and concerns raised in the text through analysing the traumatic experiences of women living with HIV and AIDS and how they deal with their challenges. Different forms of coping mechanisms employed by female characters in Beautys' Gift are captured. Additionally, the article demonstrates the characters' resilience and their agency in overcoming their traumatic experiences. The article will rely on textual critique and close reading of the text, in order to illustrate the structure, functions and content of messages contained in the narrative. This article aims to contribute to the understanding of HIV and AIDS from the standpoint of creative voices which have the ability to imbue meaning and signification to the experiences of HIV positive individuals.