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Analysis Of A Day In The Country

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As Deng Xiaoping voiced, “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice”. In like manner, the short story “A Day in the Country”, by Dan Jacobson, is from a young, Jewish son’s point of views as his family eyewitnesses Afrikaaners tormenting a black child. The Afrikaaners swear at the Jewish family, which angers the father. This results in the Jewish family, chasing after the Afrikaaners until they talk out their issues. Another short story “The Old Chief Mshlanga”, by Doris Lessing, is about a young, white girl who grows up on her father’s farm being taught that African servants have no value. As she matures, she discovers that her white colony has just as much value as the native colony and wishes they could live in peace. These authors and many more wrote stories that took place during apartheid, when racial segregation was at it’s peak. In these South African short stories, children are taught racism from cultural traditions which further impacts their lives until they realize these ways are not acceptable; Even though these stories are from different families, the parents still teach the same racist things’ from society. “A Day in the Country” exhibits the prevalent oppression that different races are facing during this time. The oppression leads to encouraged support between more than one ethnic group. “The Old Chief Mshlanga” teaches readers that different cultures can coexist without added drama.
In Jacobson’s short story, the Jewish

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