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Mxolisi

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In Mother to Mother, the author Sindiwe Magona humanizes Mxolisi by challenging white supremacy with perspective, realism and historicize to educate readers on the impacts of apartheid. Perspective is defined as “a visible scene; a view or prospect, esp. an extensive one” (OED), and it gives an insight on what black South Africans experience during apartheid. Realism is defined as “a real fact, experience, or situation” (OED). This emphasizes the realities of the separation of powers between the whites and the blacks. The definition of historicize is “to make (a person or thing) historical or the subject of a history; to situate in a historical context” (OED). The history of apartheid impacts Mxolisi’s life and actions towards white South …show more content…

The use of imagery in this quote represents oppression, a system that is all around them and “forced” into them. Magona use perspective to humanize the community of Guguletu even though blacks were moved there against their will. The imagery of the community gives a sense of value, “the people there, a well-knit community. Knowing each other: knowing all the children” (33). This quote humanizes the community, that the people in these townships are humans too and their lives are just as valuable. Irony and perspective is used to humanized Mxolisi during his time in jail, “I do not understand why it is that the government is giving him so much now when it has given him nothing at all, all his life” (3). The irony of this quote is equivalent to the injustice black South Africans had to face from the day they were born. Mxolisi was invisible before Amy’s murder, now he is visible to the government because it enforces the system of white supremacy. Mandisa’s perspective of the conditions her son is living in illustrates what apartheid is like for the whole community. Magona humanizes Mandisa as “a mother, with a mother’s heart” (3), she feels the hurt of Amy’s mother as her own because she is a human with emotions and sympathy. Mandisa’s perspective on the death of Amy symbolizes the humanism in her and her son, the way she feels sadness for the Biehls even though her own son killed Amy, shows she is human. Magona uses realism to emphasize how the system

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