Explore the treatment of racism Essay

The writer of this story (country lovers) seemingly portrays a metamorphism of a race from the setting of fantasy and child standardized virtue, into harsh adult reality. The subject of the story is Thebedi and Paulus, two children from very different backgrounds, worlds spaced out, who build up a familiarity plot of land yet in the childhood stage of colour blindness where friendship is based on character, rather than the colour of whizz(a)s skin or their status in the pecking order of indian lodge. Innocence seems to be the theme of the story at the beginning and through out the story. by innocence we glimpse a world full of hatred bias prejudice, favoritism and superiority. Where maven is unmindful(predicate) of the happenings outside the insulating bubble of childhood and innocence, two words that present an image of purity. In the early stages of their companionship, while still in the cocoon of childhood, Paulus, the son of a rich white farmer and Thebedi, the daughte r of a poor blackamoor farmhand (working for Paulus father), interact freely without guilt or secrecy as society does not yet influence or affect their thoughts of each other, reality has not yet seeped into their world. scarcely as they reach the beginning of adolescence they begin to comprehend the concept of the separating line, the stereotypical qualities that divide one race from the other. I think the author uses gender to initiate the master, servant mentality. The writer, Nadine Gordimer thrusts Thebedi the role of a woman, which in society is considered weaker than that of a man, Paulus. Thebedis character is obedient, submissive and this is where the issue of race integrates with her character. Submission is the giving of ones self to a higher, superior creation in this case to Paulus, the white man.In this sniff out Thebedi as expected has to play a subtler role in their relationship as she lets Paulus dominate the full show. Thebedi has two handicaps against her the position that, shes black and the second is that shes female. Her character is also that of a naive, bank person, noiselessly accepting all that she is given, even though it does not please her. The dominance of Paulus character is discipline as the nose on your face with the first and most important reason being the fact that he is white, the second being that he is wealthy.But despite those two characteristics Paulus seems to be a thin fellow, the kind of person who is straightforward with everything around him. Their friendship evolves from a platonic level into the advancement of them fitting lovers. However, everything is jadee in secrecy, as they now understand the imprecision of their- liaison, their affections verge on unthinkable. As their relationship progresses, they become actors on two stages as the outside world begins to obstruct their relationship.They begin to vigorously rent part in the contrasting worlds allocated to them, but when they are together nothin g seems to have changed. Although one cannot span the minor cracks that begin to evidently appear in their relationship. This leaves one wondering whether the racist feelings have been put deep into their mind and like a latent volcano is waiting to burst forth, in a flourish of spectacular force. It seems that both characters seem to be living the present, from the memories of the past.Regardless from which spot one looks at, it is undisputable that there is bound to be no equality in the relationship. As the final scene unfolds it makes one begin to consider that maybe this love affair was destined from the beginning and was more a yield of inquisitiveness than that of love. When Paulus first learns about his child, his true character emerges. We begin to see his selfishness in the statement dont take it out. Stay inside. Cant you take it away somewhere? You must give it to someone. This shows his immaturity in his reluctance to take responsibility for his actions.This highl ights two things first, the relationship between him and Tabedi meant nothing to him, since Thabedi was black and secondly she was a female always being placed under men. It is as if he feels like he can wash his hands off Thebedi whenever it pleases him, regardless of her feelings. However when Paulus kills his child, one cant help but feel totally outraged. The murder of the child is like an act of erasing any traces of his and Thebedis union, their whole variety of ways. Also in the way most of the articles are covered mainly from Paulus perspective with hardly any from Thebedis.The judicial carcass seems to have also failed in the sense of the way they handled the case. We far more uncover the widespread complexities of racism in the Media and Judicial system. In the Media we see it in the haoma of Thebedis name being spelled by variety of ways. A year went by before the equal town the case was brought to trial, and a hearing date was set. This is also a stereotype, the way the judicial system is always failing the blacks, which is basically saying justice is not colour-blind. With all these obstacles stacked in prior of her, why should she even begin to think that she could stand up against a white person?A feeling that is familiar with an oppressed black people. Paulus achievement is a typical one, the moral of the story being the white always win. However I felt this story was too stereotypical and was written with favoritism towards the white, simply because it ended in a stereotypical way. It is also negative in the hidden sum it seems to put across that all unions between white and black cant end up successful. Although I felt all these negative feelings about the story, I am quite pleased in the way Nadine Gordimer handled the stereotypes and showed the discrimination of societys structure in South Africa at that time.