Thesis Of Fiela's Child

Research question: What does Matthee want readers to understand about the relationship between race and power?
Research Summary In modern day society, people look down upon the existence of racism itself. During the 19th century, when Dalene Matthee’s novel Fiela’s Child takes place, the perspective of racism diverged downward. During this era, there was still been a division between the two races, Africans and Caucasians. Benjamin, one of the main characters in Fiela’s Child, experiences both superior Caucasian power and contemptuous African power. In an article, “Corruption Pervades Poverty: In Perspective of Developing Countries” the authors explain why racism and discrimination in the 19th century were wrong. This article details economic inequalities and the injustice experienced by black Africans (Javaid and Faruq). An article titled, “mission: the racialized consequences of
“Recent Supreme Court jurisprudence has increasingly marginalized claims that intentional racial discrimination exists in the criminal justice system” (Cox). Barta reveals the truth about Benjamin, she has felt pitiful for holding a burden so long against him. “‘I took somebody else’s child that day. I only found out when it was too late, after we came home with him” (Matthee 337). Barta acted very bold during the time they spent with Benjamin, especially when they were alone together. The moment Benjamin was given to Barta by the decision of the magistrate, it was because the census takers exposed who Benjamin was to Barta because she was a Caucasian lady. The census takers felt that it was right to take Benjamin away from Fiela because she was African. Fiela could not go against her own will to make the magistrate consider that Benjamin is her child because of her racial background. When it comes to a legal system, Caucasians usually have the upper hand against Africans and other