English Fugard Essay

The saying goes the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. This saying in some ways describes South Africa during the 1950’s. During the era in Africa, white people kept gaining power while black citizens kept becoming weaker. South Africa’s apartheid system favors the white race greatly creating a racist society through out the city state. In Master Harold and the boys, racist attitudes from the apartheid system and Hally’s parents affect how Hally treats Sam and Willie, the families servants. The apartheid system lowered the standards of a black man to that of a child. This was very humiliating, especially for an adult black male. This attitude all begins with the parents of the era. The Parents’ behaviors are passed along to their children. There fore when Hally’s parents have racist beliefs he doesn’t know any different. Hally’s mother owned a small restaurant, which employed Willie and Sam, but they were never looked at as anything more than just servants. The work that Willie and Sam did for her business was never appreciated. Hally says “My mother is right. She’s always warning me about allowing you to get too familiar.” (Fugard 53) Hally proves the respect that white people showed towards the black race by his words. Willie and Sam are hard workers, always completing the task that they were given and more. Willie and Sam are more of father figures to Hally than his actual father. This was never part of the job description, and it went unrecognized. Once, Sam built a kite for Hally because he was depressed about an incident for days. Sam tells Hally, “If you really want to know, that’s why I made you that kite. I want you to look up, be proud of something. Of yourself and you certainly was that when I left you with it up there on the hill. Oh, ja something else.”(Fugard 58) Sam left Hally alone up on the hill, beside a bench. Hally wondered why he was left alone. The bench read whites only. The bench symbolizes the apartheid era and also racism itself.... [continues]

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