English Studies 178 SEMESTER ESSAY

This essay will highlight how violence is demonstrated throughout Pumla Dineo Gqola’s “In the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment” by analyzing the reactions of the specific characters in the story’s reaction to the hooligans’ rude comments and actions that take place in a enclosed train carriage. Specifically looking at how violence can be seen as more than in just a physical way but also in the use of language and by a person’s image. Resulting with the thought that the overall representation of violence is the lack of authority’s rules taking place in this era in South Africa.

Pumla Dineo Gqola’s short story “In the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment” takes place in South Africa in 1996, just after the Apartheid era. The story incudes an odd combination of citizens riding a train who get disrupted by many different ranges of violence. Using examples of how different passengers on the train reacted to a certain situation to provide the different ways violence is represented throughout the story.

When the word violence is brought to discussion there are certain stereotypes and directly associated words to describe violence. Majority of people associate violence with physical and brutal inflicted harm onto people or objects but when not just focusing on the obvious physical aspects of violence there are much more deeper meanings to the word. The Oxford Dictionary explains that violence is not just an behavior involving physical force intended to damage someone but can also be classified as a strength of emotions or an unpleasant destructive natural force. There is a great deal of violence displayed in “In the Clarity of a third class compartment”. Violence is represented in this short story through image, language, and actions. Each classification has a different effect to the situation but each of them signifies the same idea.

One of the ways which violence is represented in “In the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment” is through image. Appearance is a very powerful way of representing an image of one self to the world as to how one would like to be characterized. Unfortunately judgment follows this idea, which is why when a group of rowdy young men climb aboard a still third class train compartment they were classified as hooligans from first glance. They are described by “having an appearance that is accompanied by the image of those responsible for train violence” (Gqola 79). One of the young men carries a scar on his cheek, lips that are similar to an alcoholic’s and blood-shot eyes to match. Strolling onto the train with their reputation and their baggy pants a presence is immediately presented as the atmosphere on the train changes. Resulting just from their image the citizens on the train have made assumptions that these men are capable of violence. Highlighting the idea that violence can be represented through image and attitude not only by out lashing actions. Violent people and places where violent things take place set a scene for intimidation just as how the passengers on the train observed the boisterous men without directly staring. The passengers are intimidated by their violent image. Trying so hard to keep up their violent hooligan image the young men start disturbing the peace on the train by outbursts of inappropriate threatening comments.

Used as an verbal expression violence can also be represented in language. By using harmful words, shouting at a person or any way of using verbal sounds in a demeaning and intimidating way. In “in the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment” the young men shamelessly and openly discuss vulgar violent acts of raping women saying “You jus’ take what you want… from where you want.. even if you have to deal with the husband of father before..” Laughing while the other passengers sit in shock of the men chatting about “grabbing the cherrie.” Rape is a violent crime committed by criminals and these men are conversing and joking about this act. They are discussing this violently with their degrading languages directed at “getting two for the price of one” referring to if there is more than one female to rape at a time. One of the passengers hears this conversation commenting that her lover would never speak any of the languages that the men used to spew hatred on women.” The point that is made when the passenger says this is that these men speak in a different type of aggressive way that is not usually tolerated within her personal life.

The young men then continue in their violent expressions by harassing and insulting a school girl on the train calling her names such as “girlie.” Taunting her they persistently asking her questions. “ What’s the matter, girl, you too good for us?” Verbally harassing her causing much irritation from all this unwelcome attention. There is violence in the voice of these men as they feel they are in charge of the situation, holding power of this girl and making everyone on the train well aware of this by the comments they are making. Majority of the passengers turn a blind eye to the verbal assaults as they feel it is not quite their place to step in although everyone can feel the discomfort formed by their obnoxious comments.

Although none of the passengers budded in standing up for the girl after their remarks once the violence moves into a action the bystanders view the situation as more serious. Everyone is familiar with the term “actions speak louder than words” this quote makes it understandable that physical expressions of hatred makes a much greater impact regarding violence than verbal expressions. Violence applied through actions is a powerful way to express behavior involving physical force. This can be explained through the series of events happening in the train. After the men used a form of violence through language upon the girl there was a discomfort on the train passengers kept to themselves. Only when one of the men physically touched the school girl inflicting physical threats of violence on the girl is when the passengers where quick to jump in to defend the girl. One can easily ignore the voice of someone taunting you but when the threats become physical they become more difficult to ignore. Leaning into and breathing on the girls face was taken further when one of the hooligans reached to touch the girl’s bum. With every violent action there is a great chance of a violent reaction. After the men grabbed the girl she immediately shoved the guy back in a instinct of self defense. The actions of the hooligans not only sparked reaction from the girl but witnesses also lashed out in violent actions. One of the passengers exclaimed that these boys need to be taught a lesson, and that they need a good klap. Others radically mentioned that they should be thrown out the window, like they deserve.

It is made clear that violence can be demonstrated through actions which sometimes even leads to an endless chain of violent action and reaction. The hooligans taunted one girl in reaction the girl and some bystanders acted back in a violent drastic way, wishing death upon the young men. After a few incentives were given to why these men deserved to experience violence themselves the narrator notes that “Nobody really wants to start beating up anybody and get involved in something ugly.” This directly links violence to something negative, something ugly.
Only after violence is desired to punish the bullies is when they realize it may be time to keep quite, as they no longer are in a dominating stance in the situation.
Violence is represented in a physically threatening manner with a destructive value in the ways it is described in this section. From the guys wanting to grab the school girl resulting in the passengers wishing to throw them out the window ultimately ending in a brawl of everyone on the train physically abusing everyone. The offenders do get away without any punishment as the statement is made that “hooligans usually get away with anything on the train” this represents how there is a lack of authority during this time period in South Africa. Authority could make a big impact on the violence tolerated in public areas such as the train.

The definition of violence is summed together as a behavior with intended unpleasant intentions of harm placed on something else. The hooligans on the train in “In the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment” represent this definition of violence in multiple ways. Violence represented through the actions they perform, the language they use and through the image they portray. Being labeled as the “offender” in the story, they initiate violence only to receive their own serving of violence in return. In the end all the violence is looked past due to violence ultimately representing an absence of authority to stop situations like this one from occurring.

Bibliography

Gqola, Pumla. In the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment. South Africa: Pinetown Printers, 2008

Bibliography: Gqola, Pumla. In the Clarity of a Third Class Compartment. South Africa: Pinetown Printers, 2008