Country Lovers - Analysis

Country Lovers – Analysis
Describe the two physical settings - the river and the farmhouse - and include details such as nature, plants, temperature, light -dark, colours, various objects, how things feel etc.

In Country Lovers the river is a symbol of a new beginning in life, the innocent childhood and the discovering of sexuality. For Paulus and Thebedi the river is essential for their childhood. This is the place they meet and discover new aspects of life together.
As it is written the river is “a good spot for children’s games” (l.52 p.2). All the bushes and the trees are described positively and lively, which makes the nature and atmosphere pure and peaceful. The river is full of light, happiness and joy. It is the place where Paulus and Thebedi feel free, so it’s the perfect place for exploring there youth without any concerns about skin color.

The farmhouse on the other hand is a symbol of the more serious adult phase of life filled with darkness and danger. As it is said the farmhouse is “an old one, thick-walled, dark against the heat” (ll. 99-100 p. 3). The house is very cold, filthy and messy which makes the atmosphere very negative and dark. “The sitting-room curtains were drawn and the T. V. set silent” (ll. 105-06 p 3). It is like a scary movie where everything around this farmhouse is filled with danger. Use your description to explain the difference in atmosphere in these settings and how the difference reflects the development of the love affair.

The river is kind of a place of freedom where everything is legal for Paulus and Thebedi, whereas in the farmhouse it feels like a prison for them. The river is the place of opportunities and the farmhouse is the place of restriction. The river is warm but the farmhouse is cold. This also reflects in the development of the love affair between Paulus and Thebedi. In the childhood when they played around by the river, there relationship where filled with love, innocence, harmlessness and happiness. They played together because they loved each other in spite of their skin color.
But as they grow older the relationship gets more restrictive. They are not aloud to be seen together or even talk to each other. So they have to meet each other in secret, and hide their relationship.

How do the two settings underline the social setting and political context of the story?

As we know, the story takes place in South Africa under the apartheid time from 1948-1994. South Africa was under the system of racial segregation where white people where superior to black people. So the two settings underline the apartheid very clearly by showing that Paulus and Thebedi during their upbringing are forced to hide their love relationship from the public/the white people because of racial difference. Thebedi the black girl together with Paulus the white boy was not legal at that time. They would get punished if someone found out. That is also the reason Paulus is obliged to murder his own kid born by Thebedi, because of the fact that a black can’t be together with a white.