“It’s a bloody awful world when you come to think of it. People can be real bastards.” (Hally, pp. 15) In Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”… and the boys, the text explores the dynamics between Hally, a 17-year-old white boy, and Sam and Willie, two black men. Through the lens of the Apartheid policy in the 1950s, Hally succumbs to the influence of white supremacy and racial intolerances, ultimately leading to the downfall of their longstanding friendship.
This quote highlights the perpetuation of an “awful world” due to ignorance and passiveness. One way to address these intolerances is through the delivery of a liberal education, aiming to educate students about issues such as racial and social inequality. By exposing students to literature that delves into these subjects, they can acquire knowledge about historical and social aspects of the world, as well as the brutal cruelties that exist between races. The quote emphasizes the importance of not simply being clever.
According to Hally (pp. 35), it does not suit you. The play highlights the theme of whites considering themselves intellectually superior to blacks, a prejudice that still exists in modern society. An example of this can be seen when Hally and Sam argue about the value of ballroom dancing. Hally fails to appreciate its simple “beauty” and dismisses it as a primitive expression of black society. However, Sam, with his supposedly more refined intellect, convincingly refutes Hally’s prejudiced argument. This exposes Hally’s intellectual inferiority as he pompously ponders, “What is art? What is life?” (Hally, pp. 40) Thus, the injustice of such prejudice is emphasized as the white Hally is revealed to be intellectually inferior to the black Sam.
The Apartheid policy perpetuates white supremacy and prevents South African society from achieving racial harmony. The kite serves as a metaphor for overcoming segregation. Initially, the successful flight of the kite suggests that the barrier has been overcome. However, Sam’s inability to join Hally on the whites only bench later on shows how Apartheid can divide friendships. Another example of segregation is seen when Hally and Sam recall their time in the Jubilee Boarding House, with Hally getting in trouble for being in the “servants’ quarters.”
25) Thus, Hally’s quote from Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold” … and the boys, emphasizes the significance of social reform. It suggests that an intrepid social reformer should not be discouraged by the enormity of their task (pp. 17). To achieve this, one crucial approach is through implementing a comprehensive educational curriculum that teaches students to become responsible, aware, and tolerant individuals in a fair society. Consequently, it becomes essential to include plays like “Master Harold” … and the boys in schools’ curriculum as a means to tackle societal disparities.
When Australian children read plays like this, they gain awareness of the inhumane treatment of humans. Martin Luther King emphasized the importance of education and tolerance towards others in his famous speech: “I have a dream. That one day our nation shall rise up and live out its creed. We hold these truths to be self – evident – that all men were created equal..” (Martin Luther King, 1963, Washington D.C.)
