Sunday, May 6, 2012

In Kaffir Boy, what is the author's philosophy? Is it credible? Give a brief analysis. What support is given in the book?

Mark Mathabane, the author of Kaffir
Boy
, believes that a person should behave with strength and determination and
stand by his or her own beliefs. His story of life as a black child in apartheid South
Africa includes many scenes of poverty and extreme degradation. In one description of
his life as a young boy, he is called a fool by other boys for refusing to prostitute
himself for food and money, although he is almost starving. He
writes,


readability="11">

Throughout all the years I lived in South
Africa, people were calling 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.



Mathabane's story lends
credibility to his perspective. He refuses to debase himself, as others do, even when
starvation seems the only alternative. By the end of the book, through determination and
a little luck, he ends up overcoming his harsh circumstances.

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