Essay on Tsotsi, by Athol Fugard

This story was written, charmingly, in an unorthodox, yet loving manner. Rich with reality, the novel, led me into the atrocious, but true, glimpse into the world at the time. The phrases and paragraphs, struck me, illustrating the spliced lives of the protagonists, through complex, evocative, at times ethereal, imagery. The plot, progressive, and compelling, is profoundly sad, touching and uplifting. Flowing at a fast-pace, the plot, is a genuine page-turner, of which brought sadness in me when a disaster stroke, or warmth, when the characters embraced their connections to each other. The story covering the effects of hunger, war, prejudice, love, hatred, friendship, deception and growth, through its character development, cleverly stayed faithful to the plot, throughout. The characters, executed flawlessly on the author’s part, though not superficial, were tragic, and believable. The interwoven lives of these characters are complex, inspiring and perturbing. Being memorable, the characters had great prose, and development in the story. In the Book Thief, the use of Death as the narrator, persistent use of unintentional humour, was quite unique. Personally, I enjoyed Death’s utilization of dark, unintentional humour, as it ironically, lightened the saddest of

What happens to a person who has no identity at a time when identity can be one’s last hope – their salvation or a mark for death. In his novel Milkweed, Jerry Spinelli invites readers to experience the Holocaust through the eye of a young boy who misunderstands everything except the love of family and the different forms it can take. Misha, an orphan boy is taken in by a young group of Jewish thieves. He is simple minded of his own identity because Misha adopts the identity of the people around him in his life, first as a gypsy, then as a Jew when he follows his friend’s family into the ghetto. Readers are forced to focus on the simple acts of caring that takes place in a time of suffering because Misha is unable to understand what is really going on around him. Hope and selfless acts of love still exists during a time of havoc in the Warsaw ghetto, is shown through the innocent eyes of Misha. By using techniques such as dramatic irony, revealing characters’ emotion, and a unique choice of a narrator, Spinelli successfully makes his readers to feel empathy.

A common theme in many great works of literature is that of forgiveness. Through studying some of these classics, we can learn the lesson that forgiving others, lets you to let go of hate and anger, and to draw nearer to God; this helps people to be happier and to obtain peace, even in terrible circumstances. First, in Left to Tell, Immaculée was able to find comfort and peace, when she found it in her heart to forgive. Second, in Blood Brothers, Elias found comfort and strength in the understanding that Christ loves and forgives all. Third, in Les Miserables, we see the results of being selfless and choosing to forgive. In this essay, we will examine this fundamental theme in the books Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza, Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

“The Book Thief,” is a No.1 International Best-selling novel by Markus Zusak. In the two chapters: “The Long walk to Dachau” and “Peace,” the themes of cruelty and kindness are strongly portrayed through many literary techniques and other ways. My analysis on this question is to see how and why these two themes are illustrated in the two chapters, and under what circumstances they chose to behave like that.

During a person’s teenage years, one is most vulnerable to trauma that occurs around them. In the book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Marjane lives through a revolution in her own country. The story speaks to her loss of innocence during the revolution and how she goes through her life. In Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie is going through the Holocaust with his father and he witnesses many major and scarring events. In A Long Way Gone: Memoir of A Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, the story is about Ishmael and his life as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone. These individuals all lose their innocence at a very young age but it shapes them to be better people later on in their lives.

In “Cell One” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the main character Nnamabia is immune to punishment due to his manly beauty. Even after he steals his mother’s jewelry and is arrested for an alleged murder, his actions are still overlooked by his parents. His sister, who narrates the story, never does anything wrong and lives in Nnamabia’s shadow. After being placed in Jail, Nnamabia’s father regrets that he was so easy on his child. Nnamabia’s mother favors him because of his looks and charm, but in the end, neither of these physical attributes keep him out of jail. Nnamabia’s mom wants to drive 2 hours every day just to see Namibia, but her love is so naive that she is still oblivious to his wrong doings. The guard at the prison tells Nnambia’s parents, “You cannot raise your children properly—all of you people who feel important because you work at the university—and when your children misbehave you think they should not be punished. You are lucky they released him.” (Adichie) Even though Nnamabia is in Jail due to his corrupt associates, but he begins to see how his negative actions could affect his parents. Initially he thought he was smart while in prison, almost untouchable, but that changes when the old father of a fugitive is jailed simply because nobody could find his criminal son. Over time, Nnambia begins to speak less and less with his parent’s. Every day he is in the cell with the sick old man, and he begins to relate himself to this person’s son. After

Tom’s major concern lies with the way Gatsby obtained his money. With this concern comes Tom’s criticism of Gatsby as a “Bootlegger,” because of his information on Gatsby (76). Tom immediately separates Gatsby from himself, by placing Gatsby into the category of new money. With this sly criticism Tom insults Gatsby’s achievement and connects him to an infamous world of crime, ultimately trying to prove that Gatsby isn’t the man everyone believes him to be. He later says “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife….” (77). In his rage, Tom’s attitude toward Gatsby’s class and morals is displayed through his supercilious critique of Gatsby’s apparel, Tom contest Gatsby’s learning at Oxford by saying “An Oxford man! ... Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.” (65) Within this criticism Tom’s incredulous attitude, brings out his superior social status through his narrow minded view of proper

The story by Abani is set in an African background. It may be unfair to render the people as backward automatically, but their decision to act arbitrarily and against the wishes of the elders speaks of weakness regarding civility. Like the villagers in Jackson’s story, the bloodthirsty mob carries out an illogical and crude act with no regard for the life of the man they perceive to be a thief in the hope that the children will learn a valuable lesson.

The developmental stage of a young child’s life is very crucial and can be impacted by the media. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger is a young girl living in a very important part of Germany’s history, the Second World War. Liesel’s childhood unfolds and develops against the backdrop of a time when words, books specifically were used for power and control. Liesel is someone who has a love for reading and, as such, books become very important to her, not only for her education but for her rebellion and discovering her true identity. Throughout the novel, books become a crucial symbol used to convey the desires and discovery of identity for the main character as her childish ignorance changes to her mature adulthood.

For some, coming of age is a time of obstacles and success in a young youth's life. It involves a number of trials that is needed to overcome to become mature. Although, obstacles are not the only features that a young adolescents will encounter. The journey will happen beginning with successes and triumphs that will come to the shaping of who they are to become. One can simply presume that the occurrence taking place in the world would have a strong impact on how an adolescent comes of age. The tale Old Chief Mshlanga focuses on the main character, the protagonist known as “she” or little Nkosikaas her encounter with an African chieftain that causes her to see the differences between her people and the natives of the land they reside. The author, Doris Lessing, uses the protagonist to show radically changing attitudes towards the Old Chief Mshlanga.

The recuperative power of language is revealed when Liesel begins an intrepid career in book thievery, finding solace in books and words amidst the cataclysmic historical period of Nazi Germany. Liesel’s unconscious desire to overcome her traumatic experiences is discovered within the confines of the basement. This is symbolic as, in Freudian psychoanalysis, the basement represents unconscious drives, repressed fears, traumas and fantasies. In Liesel’s journey to process her trauma and acknowledge new traumas, she psychoanalytically seeks out the comfort of the womb due to the absence of a motherly figure in the form of the basement. Zusak alters the archetypal image of the basement, picturing it as a metaphorical ‘womb’ for Liesel, a place of salvation and safety. “Liesel revisited those dark rooms of her past.” (p. 117) When Liesel discovers it is unlikely she will ever see her biological mother, she retreads underneath the table in an attempt to alleviate her pain. However, when Liesel feels psychologically strong enough to face the trauma of her abandonment, she is able to leave her place of safety and security and share her story with Max. This demonstrates the complexities of trauma and how an individual utilises differing coping mechanisms to confront their psychological suffering. Liesel, whilst opening herself to the pain of others, learns to express and

Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, is the timeless novel about South Africa in the 1940’s. As powerful white men use the land for their own benefit, the tribal system of the African natives is broken down and replaced by poverty, homelessness, fear, and violence. A black priest, Stephen Kumalo, ventures to the great city of Johannesburg in search of his lost sister and son. His journey demonstrates the unhealthy lifestyle and mutinous atmosphere of the black people; yet he is the beholder of forgiveness, love, hope, and the restoration of a country overwhelmed with problems.

Born around 1165 and first known as Temujin, our universal ruler experienced many hardships in his time, he was the son of Yesugei, a minor chief. When Temujin turned 10 years old, Yesugei was poisoned by the evil scheming Tatars and died. Thinking Temujin was too young to be their chief, his tribe left him to die. How foolish they were…

Living in constant fear with his family and siblings in South Africa since young, he has grown comfortable in his own setting and his house without education. Mathabane’s parents hide from the police if they do not have their pass book and is force to do labor work for months. Without food supply, he and siblings suffers without food and plays in the yard each day, occasionally finding food with their mother. “Each day we spent without food drove us closer and closer to starvation” (Mathabane, 37). He lives in the neighborhood with rascal boys that have a bad influence on him. “Since staying at home meant hunger and chores, I began attaching myself to gangs of five-, six- and seven-year-old neighborhood boys who daily roamed the filthy streets of Alexandra in search of food and adventure” (Mathabane, 53). His mother realizes that he needs schooling so that he does not choose the same lifestyle of his parent. “I want you to go to school, because I believe that an education is the key you need to open up a new world and a new life for yourself, a world and life different from that of either your father’s or mine” (Mathabane, 133). Excelling through education will give them knowledge and know more about the world.

The apartheid era in South Africa, uprooted the lives of many people who were forced to endure oppressive laws and inequality based on the colour of their skin. It continues to remain a painful memory to those who lost loved ones in their struggle for freedom. In Chris Van Wyk’s novel, Shirley, Goodness & Mercy (2004), he explores fond memories growing up in a township called Riverlea. This township is predominantly occupied by coloured people as a result of segregation laws. Contrary to the negative connotations that apartheid holds, Van Wyk shares the memories which enriched his life during his formation. It is against this setting that I will explore various moments in the novel that contributed to Van Wyk’s views of a pre-apartheid time in his growing up. I will establish this by discussing the given extract, and looking at how he perceived a sense of freedom with his friends, his open state of mind towards knowledge, his outlook on justice and the wrongs that were not evident in his growing up. I will also discuss how it relates to the whole novel.