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Mine Boy

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Submitted By shilinenguyen90
Words 2428
Pages 10
In the face of utter, absolute shock, even the most adamant convictions can crumble. This breakdown blurs the line between what is rational and what is radical. In Peter Abrahams’s Mine Boy, Xuma (the main character of the book) is thrown into this state of insensible shock as a result of seeing the realities of city life. Abrahams is hailed by many because he informs to the whole world of the horrific reality in the apartheid system of South Africa. The setting of the story takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa and follows Xuma, a villager who is looking for a better life in the city, and monitors his up and down progress as he tries to find answers in an unjust world. The central theme of this novel is Xuma’s struggle to be freed as a human being in a society where the ruling minority controls the oppressed majority in the apartheid system. In the novel, we will explore the psychological, social protest, mine work, lifestyles, and law enforcement aspects that are depicted in the novel. In the book, the reader is introduced to a few new characters and how they deal with the stresses of racial discrimination in the city. Eliza, the niece of Leah, lives behind a façade that drives her to madness. She lives in a denial that she is black and she will still be judged even if she was born in the city and is literate. She also expresses interest in Xuma, but is hesitant because she asserts her needs for a man who lives a white man’s way of life. He loves her but she does not love him because he does not fulfill a white man’s way of life. Leah confirms this by reasoning with Xuma, “You know who I mean. Eliza. However, she won’t have you. You’re not good enough for her. She thinks she’s a queen, that one! She wants people who smoke cigars like a white folk, have motor cars, and wear suits everyday. Come on, Xuma, don’t waste your time on her, she’ll

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