Boesman and Lena (Masterplots II: Drama, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Athol Fugard
- First Published: 1969
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The twentieth century
- Setting: South Africa
- Principal Characters: Boesman, Lena, Old African
- Genres: Social realism, Drama, Problem play
- Subjects: African Americans, 1960’s, Self-discovery, Africa or Africans, Racism, Abused persons, Communication, Poverty or poor people, Death or dying, Existentialism, South Africa or South Africans, Apartheid
- Locales: South Africa
The Play
The title characters of Boesman and Lena are South African “coloreds” (this word is in quotation marks because it is a governmental racial designation that is offensive to many of those classified as such). As the first act opens, they have been dispossessed of their home by the white authorities, and they are walking along the mudflats of a river in South Africa. They carry all of their possessions in bundles; Boesman carries his on his back, while Lena carries hers on her head. They are middle-aged, and their dress and demeanor indicate that they have led...
[The entire page is 2685 words long]
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