The theme of alienation is prominent in Kaffir boy. Alienation refers to emotional isolation or disconnection from others. Johannes, along with other oppressed children in South Africa, experiences constant discrimination and segregation under apartheid. They are even distanced from their own parents. Johannes serves as a testament to the difficulty of escaping the predetermined life imposed on their community.
Throughout the book, Johannes’ mother has often taken it upon herself to provide for her family, whether it be due to his father’s incarceration or his father’s arrogance in disregarding what is best for the family. On page 77, it is revealed that Johannes’ mother boldly took their children and herself to get baptized, against her husband’s desires. Despite being on her own, she fought for jobs and did everything within her capacity to support her family. In terms of relationships, Johannes primarily interacts with his family.
Despite being poverty-stricken during apartheid in South Africa, Mark’s parents have consistently strived to provide for their children. The apartheid system affected every aspect of Mark’s life, including his family relationships. It completely tore apart not only his own family but also every other black family. The apartheid laws dictated where people could live, resulting in most black families being separated. Wives and children resided in reserves, while the men lived in the cities. However, Mark’s family managed to stay together throughout this challenging period.
In spite of his mother’s dedicated efforts, her hard work is overshadowed by the anger and scarcity of food caused by his father. The children are only conscious of the struggle and remain unaware of their mother’s immense dedication to keeping the family united and alive. Both parents encounter difficulties in providing for their family, resulting in strained relationships. In urban areas, men often labored tirelessly but were still unable to fully sustain their families residing on the reserves.
Despite being together, families like Mark’s often found themselves in illegal situations due to the oppressive apartheid system. This system incited such anger that it led to acts of violence. Mark’s father serves as a prominent example of this. Overworked and struggling to provide adequate food and clothing for his family, he also constantly lived in fear of being arrested. As a result, Papa became increasingly unpleasant. However, despite these challenges, Mark’s family managed to stay united. All these elements contribute to the complex dynamics between the government and the black community, as well as within Mark’s own family. Fear becomes the central aspect defining the relationship between the government and the black community.
The power of apartheid lies in the fear that exists between blacks and whites. This fear is crucial for maintaining the strength of apartheid. The relationship between the government and the people directly impacts the dynamics within each person’s household. Mark’s relationship with his family at home is influenced by how the government affects his parents. Their inability to support their family adequately transforms them into individuals with whom it is challenging to form a connection. Fear is the primary emotion Mark recalls when reflecting on his past in Alexandra.
Mark experiences a heightened level of fear compared to the average child, particularly regarding the police, white people, and scarcity of resources. In South Africa, his daily existence is marked by uncertainty, as survival becomes a constant concern. The hardships imposed by the apartheid system contribute to his mounting fear, shaping a life centered around this emotion. Notably, the police’s habitual raids on his community are a significant cause of terror and suffering for Mark and his family.
The police aggressively conduct raids, forcefully removing black individuals without valid passes. One instance involved the Peri-Urbans forcibly entering Mark’s house, causing a great deal of fear. This incident demonstrates the routine mistreatment of black people by those in higher positions in South Africa, solely because they have the power to do so. Consequently, Mark’s parents were frequently arrested and separated from him and his siblings, leaving them to fend for themselves. This experience is extremely terrifying for young children and all others involved. The elevated status enjoyed by white individuals in South Africa creates an atmosphere of fear for Mark and his family as they perceive themselves to be significantly inferior.
White individuals in South Africa have a significant power advantage over black people, which is incredibly intimidating. They have control over crucial aspects such as the government, housing, and job opportunities for black South Africans. Their authority allows them to dictate everything, and failure to comply with their rules can result in the seizure of all possessions.
The white people in South Africa solely enforce fear in Mark’s family’s life. This fear includes both the police and white individuals, as well as the constant fear of starvation. Mark constantly worries about whether or not he will starve to death, which makes him fear that his future will amount to nothing. This fear of starving also prevents him from considering the potential possibilities that his future may hold. Additionally, his fear of starvation is connected to the apartheid.
Survival in South Africa for black individuals is an incredibly challenging feat due to various government-imposed obstacles. The Apartheid system dictates that all adults must be employed, under the risk of being arrested; however, it is arduous to secure and keep a job. Consequently, Mark’s parents face difficulties in finding employment and supporting him and his siblings. Similar to other black families, they consistently endure severe hunger, malnutrition, and illness. Nonetheless, their struggles extend beyond mere food insecurity.
During apartheid, life was characterized by intentionally causing hardship on the population, resulting in feelings of powerlessness, despair, and a sense of inferiority. This suffering is exemplified through Mark’s personal story. He decides to abandon his life as a gangster and prioritize his education. According to his mother, all young black men in the ghetto face a crucial decision between becoming a tsotsi or choosing another path. By opting for nonviolence, Mark goes against the norm. Many other young individuals respond to their struggles by either boycotting schools or joining the resistance movement.
Mark’s father oppresses his family in response to his suffering. The goal of apartheid officials was to maintain constant suffering among Africans, keeping them submissive and dependent. However, this approach ultimately failed. The systematic oppression endured by black people in apartheid South Africa led many to develop hatred towards all white individuals. At first, Mark also feels frustrated from mistreatment. Yet, as he encounters whites who treat him kindly and equally, his anger and animosity gradually diminish. Eventually, Mark is able to move on from these destructive emotions. Sadly, not everyone in his family and circle of friends is fortunate enough to do the same.
The violence in townships stems from the profound animosity, fury, and resentment felt by numerous black individuals. Throughout the era of apartheid in South Africa, racial classification determined every facet of personal identity – ranging from where one resided and whom they could marry to their educational opportunities, employment prospects, and housing possibilities. The privileged white elite benefitted from superior education options, lucrative jobs, and the ability to exploit black servants for minimal pay. Conversely, blacks faced systematic oppression under an unsympathetic government that viewed them as inferior.
The apartheid system was supported by various social, legal, educational, political, and religious organizations. Their aim was to maintain racial inequality by preventing black individuals from escaping poverty and ignorance in order to achieve equality with whites. Whites collaborated in oppressing blacks while the government officials exploited and endorsed division among blacks based on their ethnic identities and indigenous languages. The Soweto school riots in 1976 marked a significant moment of unity among blacks as they fought against their common oppressor. However, it later became evident that this movement lacked complete unity as the police purposely incited hostility between different groups and tribes. Mark faced ostracism for choosing to pursue tennis independently, causing other black tennis players to turn against him. This decision prioritized his own interests over those of fellow black athletes which angered many within the community. In terms of hunger during Mark’s childhood, he describes it as a state where starvation was imminent.
According to Mark, he describes it as a devouring beast that transforms any emotion into hatred. He states, “At times, it was the silent destroyer, creeping in unseen, unrecognized, except when, like a powerful time bomb, it would explode inside my guts. On other occasions, it assumed the shape of a dark, fanged beast, constantly looming over my dizzy head, as if ready to attack and tear apart my guts with its monstrous talons” (10. 58). Hunger exerts a significant influence on Mark’s life. It eradicated any possibility of him leading a life free from suffering. Mark’s entire childhood revolved around when he would have his next meal.
This ongoing battle for food is a daily struggle. Every page of the book discusses the excruciating hunger that Mark endures. This hunger is a direct result of the apartheid system, which creates insurmountable obstacles for Mark’s family to obtain the necessary food. The government’s stringent requirements, including an updated pass, employment, and proper documentation, are nearly impossible to fulfill due to the barriers imposed by the apartheid. Thus, it is primarily because of the apartheid that Mark and his family constantly face the challenge of procuring sustenance for survival. As Mark articulates in the aforementioned quote, hunger has the power to profoundly transform an individual.
Initially, it was merely a factor in his life, but gradually it began to consume him and transform him. All of his emotions were converted into hatred towards the apartheid, which he believed was the source of his suffering. In Part III: Chapter 6, Johannes’ family is recovering from the recent attack on Peri-Urban while Johannes himself grapples with his ethnic background and sense of identity. His father informs him that he belongs to the Venda people and insists that this is all there is to it. Despite wanting to resist this imposition, Johannes finds himself unable to question his father.
Johannes’ father appears to be dominant, despite his efforts to earn this right. Johannes lacks respect and tolerance for his father because he believes his father does not deserve these rights due to his difficulty in providing for the family. If his father had a stable job, a decent living space, and adequate food, Johannes would understand that his father has worked hard for him and would at least tolerate his dominance.
Despite his father’s inability to accomplish any positive tasks and the hardships in Johannes’ life, Johannes unintentionally holds his father responsible. Shortly after their disagreement, Johannes arrives home in a state of panic to discover that his father has been arrested for the gravest offense a black man can commit – being unemployed. This revelation shocks Johannes. While he is naturally worried about his own survival, he also experiences a sense of relief knowing that his abusive and resentful father will not be present in his life for an extended period.
After calming down, Johannes’ mother understood that it was now her responsibility to take care of her three young children. However, she felt overwhelmed. Johannes never realized that his father’s meager contributions were actually sufficient. Without him, Johannes, Florah, and George now have a different understanding of hunger and poverty. Johannes often faints due to malnutrition. Despite their mother’s best efforts, they are barely surviving. She is working hard to organize her passbook, but Johannes realizes he doesn’t know its purpose.
His mother explains that when he turns 16, he must have a passbook, as it is required for getting a job and being recognized in society. However, his mother’s passbook was not in order, causing her to be unable to apply for jobs. To fix this, she needed money, but was unable to obtain any. Without a passbook, the cycle of detriment continues indefinitely. During another unexpected visit from Peri-Urban, Johannes’ mother leaves, leaving him to protect his younger siblings while his father is still away.
During the difficult period, Johannes and his mother were unsure when his father would return. They eventually realized that it would be a considerable amount of time, and in the meantime, they had to survive on just one meal per day. As the months passed during his father’s imprisonment, their family was evicted, highlighting to Johannes the severity of their situation. Despite being only 6 years old, Johannes faced a bleak future. Following their eviction, both George and Florah fell seriously ill, causing great concern for Johannes. However, lacking the funds to seek medical help, they could only hope for the best. Johannes suggested to his mother that they borrow money from their neighbors and friends, but she laughed in response, explaining that everyone in their impoverished community struggled financially and couldn’t spare any money for others. Against all odds, George and Florah recovered from their illness by some miracle. Johannes often wondered why he had never fallen even slightly ill. Surprisingly, despite their circumstances, Johannes and his family were not left homeless but ended up residing in a tiny shack that hardly resembled a home.
Right around the time George and Florah fell ill, it was Christmas time. They were unable to celebrate as they couldn’t even afford food to sustain themselves. This affected all three children and diminished their sense of hope. Christmas is a special time for even the most impoverished kids to have something to anticipate. Now, Johannes, Florah, and George can only observe as other children proudly display their possessions, even if they are not new to others, they are new to them.
Johannes noticed that his mother’s bloated stomach reminded him of George and Florah’s sickness. Concerned, he confronted his mother, who revealed that she was pregnant and would return from the clinic with a baby. This news made Johannes feel belittled and betrayed, continuously questioning why his mother would do this to their family. Despite feeling helpless, Johannes failed to realize that his mother couldn’t control the situation and that his father was responsible. Ultimately, this revelation ignited a newfound anger towards his father.
Part IV: Chapter 10: Johannes discusses his newfound hunger, despite enduring it for a considerable period. He explains that this unique craving not only leaves him physically famished with an empty stomach but also emotionally vacant, with an empty heart. Johannes has grown accustomed to the physical discomfort and pain that accompany extreme hunger, yet he has never before experienced the emotional toll it takes on him as he does now. He is beginning to comprehend the reality of his life and how it will remain. It seems that Johannes has completely lost hope for any potential improvements in his situation.
Everyone, at some point, always holds a glimmer of hope and believes that things may change for the better, despite knowing deep down that it’s not true. Johannes experienced this too, briefly thinking he could have a different fate from other kids in the ghetto. However, now he no longer believes he can overcome apartheid. He expressed his feelings of constant hatred, helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety, loneliness, and selfishness. Johannes has become angry and bitter, mirroring his father’s behavior. Is this pattern prevalent among all individuals living in the ghetto?
People are becoming increasingly helpless, prioritizing their own well-being even when their own family members are in need. They perceive this self-centeredness as the only means of ensuring their survival. In Johannes’ account on page 64, he describes his overwhelming hunger that led him to resort to drinking animal blood as soup. This drastic measure was taken out of desperation, as there seemed to be no alternative unless they wanted to face death. Subsequently, on pages 70-73, Johannes recounts his most desperate attempt to procure food by following some other young boys from the ghetto to a location where he was promised a substantial amount of food and payment.
Despite Johannes not knowing what he was getting himself into, he soon discovered that the boys were resorting to selling themselves – their bodies – in order to avoid starving. Johannes, unwilling to stoop to such a level of desperation, acknowledged the profound hunger these children must be experiencing. It is truly disturbing to realize that there are individuals capable of providing ample amounts of food and additional money to pay young boys for sexual acts, while thousands of men and women remain homeless. One must wonder where these sick men acquired their vast wealth.
Chapter 15: The Challenges Faced by Immigrant Workers
In this chapter, the focus is on the difficult and unappreciated job that men do, a job that most people refuse to even consider. These men are immigrants and unfortunately face a great deal of disdain from society. It is disheartening to see even children finding amusement in mocking these individuals. One night, Johannes made the regrettable decision to join in this mockery, and he faced the consequences. As a form of retribution, he was made to stand and stomp around in a bucket filled with feces. Given the nature of their work, it is understandable that these individuals do not derive any enjoyment from their jobs. After all, who would willingly choose to perform such tasks?
Why are people in ghettos disrespected and unappreciated? I recently understood that their lives are terrible. So, when immigrant workers come and try to take the limited job opportunities available to ghetto residents, it’s understandable that they despise them. However, the immigrants never get the jobs and remain stuck as “Sh*t men,” facing mistreatment. One would think they, of all people, would understand the struggles and hardships they go through. I suppose they don’t.
