Country Lover's
Forbidden Love in South Africa By: Charity Duren
ENG125: Introduction to Literature (GSH1106D) In structor: Benjamin Daw February 11, 2011
The reading assignment that intersted me was “Country Lovers” A story about fobidden love on a South African farm by Nadine Gordimer (1975). This story interested me because the main character was a well to do white man, Paulus, who fell in love with a black slave girl, Thebedi. Paulus provided Thebedir with gifts as they grew up together. Paulus and Thebedi had to meet secrelty because during the times this was written it was forbidden, so Paulus and Thebedi had to be very discreet. Paulus and Thebedi had a child together that the main character (Paulus) killed when he found out that the child was his. Thebedi then had to drive to town to make a statement about who the father was and why Thebedi thought Paulus killed her child.
The things that stuck out the most for me were the facts that in the beginnning of their relationship the feelings were so strong between them that they had to sneak around just to see each other. Paulus cared for Thebedi so much that Paulus even made special things for Thebedi and brought them back to her no matter where Paulus was. Yet in the end he killed the child that they had together because it was not proper at that time to have mixed blood children.
The analytical method which would enhace the reading of this work would be a formalist approach. I chose this approach because the setting was during a time that mixing races were unthinkable. Paulus and Thebedi had to sneak around to see each other and when Paulus had a chance he would make things to give to Thebedi and give them to her secretly. The characters were described as a young white male and a young black female. Paulus was a young white male that went off to boarding school and came home every year. Thebedi was a black female that worked on Paulus’ family farm. Paulus and Thebedi both started out as kids growing into
ENG125: Introduction to Literature (GSH1106D) In structor: Benjamin Daw February 11, 2011
The reading assignment that intersted me was “Country Lovers” A story about fobidden love on a South African farm by Nadine Gordimer (1975). This story interested me because the main character was a well to do white man, Paulus, who fell in love with a black slave girl, Thebedi. Paulus provided Thebedir with gifts as they grew up together. Paulus and Thebedi had to meet secrelty because during the times this was written it was forbidden, so Paulus and Thebedi had to be very discreet. Paulus and Thebedi had a child together that the main character (Paulus) killed when he found out that the child was his. Thebedi then had to drive to town to make a statement about who the father was and why Thebedi thought Paulus killed her child.
The things that stuck out the most for me were the facts that in the beginnning of their relationship the feelings were so strong between them that they had to sneak around just to see each other. Paulus cared for Thebedi so much that Paulus even made special things for Thebedi and brought them back to her no matter where Paulus was. Yet in the end he killed the child that they had together because it was not proper at that time to have mixed blood children.
The analytical method which would enhace the reading of this work would be a formalist approach. I chose this approach because the setting was during a time that mixing races were unthinkable. Paulus and Thebedi had to sneak around to see each other and when Paulus had a chance he would make things to give to Thebedi and give them to her secretly. The characters were described as a young white male and a young black female. Paulus was a young white male that went off to boarding school and came home every year. Thebedi was a black female that worked on Paulus’ family farm. Paulus and Thebedi both started out as kids growing into