Kaffir Boy Book Report

Revant Ranjan
Pierce: 3rd Period


African Novel Assessment

Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth 's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
,
an autobiography written by Mark Mathabane (1986), details the gruesome horrors in a black boy 's life of perpetual racial discrimination and suffering as he journeys on a quest for knowledge and success in a world of ignorance. Mathabane wrote this novel with the entire world as his intended audience. His objective in writing this novel was to expose the truth about his experience with Apartheid in South Africa. Mark argues that one 's family plays an unparalleled role in one 's development, and that education can be an armament against the beliefs of the ignorant. Through his idiosyncratic perspective and deeply emotional memoirs, he was successfully able to convey this message to his readers. This novel begins from the perspective of Mathabane 's childhood; naive, innocent, and pure, he first faces the harsh reality of brutal violence both within and outside of his household, located in Alexandra, South Africa. The root of Mathabane 's tribulations rested in the legislation of South Africa during the time­frame of this novel. In 1948, the National Party gained power in
South Africa, and its all­white government installed policies of racial discrimination into the nation 's legislation under a common name; Apartheid (literally meaning "separateness"). The main goal of this legislation was to separate the white minority of South Africa from its non­white majority, however the National Party’s ulterior motive was to divide black South
Africans along tribal lines in order to decrease their political power and govern them effectively.
In addition, people of color were forced to carry and maintain passbooks, which if out of order, rendered them incapable of attaining the jobs they required to feed their families.

Revant Ranjan
Pierce: 3rd Period


African Novel Assessment

Inundated by poverty, colored people in South Africa, more often than not, succumbed to the vices of alcoholism, violence, prostitution, etc. Mathabane portrays a unique perspective on this subject, detailing these horrors from the eyes of a child, almost as if to highlight the disparity between different definitions of morality. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds,
Mathabane found his chance at freedom from this degenerative cycle through education. His mother dreamt of a better life for her son, and compelled him to join the local Bantu school system. Mathabane details a gradual change in his opinion towards school; initially perceiving school as a pointless burden, his above­average performance and his mother’s inexplicable effort to provide for his education began to change this mindset. Learning broadened Mark 's horizons, allowing him to see the world through a new, educated lens. He began to make connections that allowed him to understand that the violence he once believed to be senseless and frightening was actually the result of a systemic form of control instigated by the oppressive white minority in
South Africa. This epiphany marked a critical point in Mathabane 's development. It piqued his curiosity and enticed him to further his learning, so that he may delve deeper into the root of the troubles bedeviling him and his family since birth. The final major milestone discussed in Mathabane’s novel regards his entry into the
“white world” and his struggle to find his place among the whites while upholding his black heritage. Mark showcased proficiency in the sport of tennis; this granted him access to understand the world beyond the walls which restricted blacks within Alexandra. He faced many challenges along his path, suffering discrimination from both whites and blacks because he no longer truly identified himself as solely one or the other. His new interests and high levels of

Revant Ranjan
Pierce: 3rd Period


African Novel Assessment

education made him less compatible with the black community he wanted to leave behind, and the color of his skin prevented him from ever truly joining the world of the whites. Mathabane overcame this dissension, ultimately earning acceptance to a college within the United States.
The concerted efforts of his family, despite the brutal segregation they faced under Apartheid, finally came to fruition as Mathabane reached adulthood. In the novel, Mathabane argues that one’s family plays a crucial role in their development over the course of their life, influencing one’s personality, decisions, and destiny.
"Whenever the troubles of the world seem too much, it helps to have someone loving and understanding to share those troubles with; and life takes its true meaning in proportion to one 's daily battles against suffering" (Chapter 28) This excerpt is taken from a portion of the novel, in which a young Mark considers killing himself as a route to end his suffering. This drastic decision was halted by the presence of a single person; his mother. Her comforting words and cordial understanding helped him put his daily battles with suffering into perspective; ultimately resulting in his decision to choose life over death. His family relations helped him understand the importance of life.
"‘He 's trying to discipline you. He wants you to grow up to be like him.’ ‘What! Me!
Never!’ I shook with indignation. ‘I 'm never going to be like him! Why should I?’” (Chapter 5) Mark adamantly states that he wants nothing to do with his father. He blames all of the family’s suffering on this one man, and refuses to resemble him in any way. This excerpt gives insight towards Mathabane’s development during childhood; he lost faith in his father because of his inadequacy to provide for the family. Mark refused to let his father shape his destiny, yet ironically, his denial did exactly that­ it led him towards a life of education and discovery.

Revant Ranjan
Pierce: 3rd Period


African Novel Assessment

Mathabane champions the importance of education; his attitude toward education transmuted from ambivalence to adoration, leading him on a path of self­discovery.
"My mother on the one side, illiterate but determined to have me drink, for better or for worse, from the well of knowledge. On the other side, my father, he too illiterate, yet determined to have me drink from the well of ignorance." (Chapter 21) In this excerpt, Mark refers to the two conflicting ideals within his household: that of his open­minded mother, and that of his rigidly obdurate father. As a child, Mark was unable to choose between the credence of his father and mother. Mark’s father wanted to mold him in his own image; however, his mother believed that a wholesome education would be the only way
Mark could grow to earn a respectable wage from a stable job. Mark’s choice proved to be climacteric; Mark entered the African school system, and stayed off the streets, ultimately keeping him from entanglement in the felonious band of African gangsters, known as the tsotsi .
"I was a fool all right, but I was a fool of my own free will. I was not prepared to prostitute myself for food or money. I would rather have died than do that…. Throughout all the years that I lived in South Africa, people were to call me a fool for refusing to live life the way they did and by doing the things they did. Little did they realize that in our world, the black world, one could only survive if one played the fool, and bided his time." (Chapter 10) Mark recalls an episode in which he made an unpopular decision in abstaining from prostitution in exchange for payment in food. This highlights Mark’s innate tendency to make decisions of his own volition, despite what others may think of him. A formal education only helped him realize this quality already within him. His pursuit of knowledge caused him to question the events around him, guiding him towards his destiny in a world free from Apartheid.

Revant Ranjan
Pierce: 3rd Period


African Novel Assessment

Mathabane 's arduous journey through the perilous world of Apartheid South Africa enlightened readers across the globe about the fundamental truth of human equality. His tales of gruesome terrors showcased the evils of racism during the early 20th century, gripping readers with his skilled use of moving emotional rhetoric. Mark’s descriptively detailed endeavors were especially enjoyable, and in addition, gave the book depth, and intrigued a global audience.
Perhaps almost identically, the theme of this book mirrors that of
The Diary of Anne Frank, written by Holocaust survivor, Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank, in 1947. Both of these novels were written as autobiographies, from the perspectives of individuals who experienced unimaginably grim repercussions due to unjust discrimination. In addition, literature served as a form of salvation for both Mathabane and Frank, as their pursuit of education gave them an outlet to express their emotions regarding the horrors they faced each day.
Kaffir Boy was and always will be an illuminating novel; it has shed light on historical human conflicts, and the struggles we face within ourselves.

Revant Ranjan
Pierce: 3rd Period


African Novel Assessment

Works Cited: 1. Goodrich, Frances, Albert Hackett, and Anne Frank.
The Diary of Anne Frank
. New York:
Random House, 1956. Print. 2. Mathabane, Mark.
Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth 's Coming of Age in Apartheid
South Africa
. New York: Macmillan, 1986. Print.

Cited: 1. Goodrich, Frances, Albert Hackett, and Anne Frank. ​ The Diary of Anne Frank​ . New York:   Random House, 1956. Print.    2. Mathabane, Mark. ​ Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth 's Coming of Age in Apartheid   South Africa​ . New York: Macmillan, 1986. Print.