literary academics. Yet, at its core, these terms typically explore the entangled relationships and far-reaching influences of European empires on the indigenous cultures and lands they dominated.Kaffir Boy, penned by an African native living under the rule of white European descendants, is a poignant narrative that belongs to this genre and historical discourse. It resonates with themes common to postcolonial literature, such as the exploitation of authority, systemic victimization, racial inequities, the oppression of the masses by the powerful minority, poverty, and the specter of violence. In the preface of his autobiography, Mathabane articulates his dual mission: to convince "the rest of the world" that apartheid must be "abolished," as it is beyond "reform," and to narrate his personal journey of renouncing the tribal customs of his forefathers "in order to escape."

The Literary Echoes of Apartheid
Though racial injustice has marred human history, the over forty-year legalized atrocity of apartheid in South Africa stands as one of modern history's most appalling episodes. This grim reality naturally became a wellspring of inspiration for a multitude of South African writers—both black and white. Writers like Bessie Head and Mathabane found their voice in exile or on foreign soil, yet many others penned their narratives within the oppressive confines of their own country. In 1987, merely a year after Kaffir Boy's debut, Northwestern University's TriQuarterly published a striking collection of over forty pieces of "new" South African writing. By 1991, Nadine Gordimer had been honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature. Meanwhile, J. M. Coetzee captured the Booker Prize in 1988 with his novel The Life and Times of Michael K and repeated the feat in 1991 with Disgrace, becoming the only individual to win the Booker twice. Regardless of the chosen form—be it autobiography, essays, novels, drama, short stories, or poetry—almost all South African literature bears a dual nature: intimate and political. Mathabane's Kaffir Boy is no exception to this intertwined narrative.

Apartheid's Historical Tapestry
In the opening of his autobiography, Mathabane lays bare his political intent. As a child, the harrowing tale of how, on March 21, 1960, white officers unleashed gunfire on sixty-nine defenseless black protesters, echoed repeatedly in his ears. The fact that he was born in the same year as the Sharpeville Massacre profoundly shaped his youthful conviction that all white men were demonic. His daily encounters with relentless racial injustice and brutality eventually propelled him into the heart of the Soweto student uprisings of 1976. When the Department of Bantu Education mandated Afrikaans as the medium of instruction for all black students, they ignited a flame of rebellion that saw students setting their schools ablaze. The unrest rapidly spread to Alexandra, plunging the impoverished neighborhood into turmoil. In a moment of desperation mingled with clarity, Mathabane braved the flames of his local school library, determined to salvage the books within. At sixteen, he recognized education as his sole "passport" out of the ghetto. By saving those books, he was saving himself. Writing his autobiography was an effort to liberate those still shackled by the chains of apartheid.

Setting

Kaffir Boy unfolds in the turbulent land of South Africa, primarily within the confines of Alexandra, a sprawling black ghetto on the outskirts of Johannesburg. This shantytown, a fragile assemblage of rickety wooden and cardboard shacks, crammed over a hundred thousand non-white souls into its scant one-square-mile area. Its twenty-three dirt roads were often reduced to unusable muddy traps by potholes. In this grim locale, sewers and indoor plumbing were but distant dreams, and electricity was a luxury few could afford. The community relied on shared outhouses and a singular water source. On First Avenue, Indians, deemed "the cream of Alexandra's quarantined society," resided behind their bustling shops. Meanwhile, The Coloureds, a mixed-race community born from the 1652 "arrival of white settlers in Africa without women," claimed Second, Third, and Fourth Avenues. The remainder of the ghetto was home to full-blooded Africans, whom Mathabane poignantly describes as being "black as coal."

Historical Context

The narrative traces the first eighteen years of Mathabane's life, spanning from 1960 to 1978, a period ensconced in the oppressive shadow of apartheid. This regime, instituted in 1948, would not release its stranglehold until the early 1990s. For over four decades, this white, minority-imposed system legitimized the ruthless segregation of communities, transport, education, and social institutions, including religion and marriage. Non-whites were burdened with the requirement to obtain and carry permits, identifying their tribal roots and current employment, residence, and marital status. They were confined to Bantu areas, with work permits necessary for any form of employment. Even with permits, their presence in white neighborhoods was restricted to daylight hours, unless specifically authorized for after-dark employment. Failure to possess an up-to-date pass often led to unpaid labor on white-owned farms or imprisonment.

First-Person Point of View

The first-person narrative, a staple of autobiographical works, is cleverly employed in Kaffir Boy as Mathabane weaves together the voices of Mark Mathabane, the adult author, and Johannes, the child, alongside Mark, the politically astute teenager. For instance, in the opening chapter, the adult author introduces his tale with the stark legal warning posted at every entry to the Alexandra ghetto—a warning crafted to deter whites from entering the black world. Consequently, many white South Africans remained oblivious to the harsh realities endured by blacks, as the enforced segregation enabled them to cling to their preferred beliefs, ignoring the harsh conditions that apartheid created and maintained daily. "The white man of South Africa certainly does not know me," Mathabane boldly asserts, challenging the white man to disregard the warnings and embark on a journey through his narrative, experiencing the sting of being called a "Kaffir Boy," a derogatory term akin to "nigger."

In Chapter 2, we are thrust into a chilling pre-dawn world through the voice of five-year-old Johannes, who narrates his awakening from a nightmare of black bodies lying lifeless in pools of blood. The nightmare swiftly morphs into reality as his father departs for work and his mother searches desperately for a hiding place. Alongside Johannes, readers are subjected to the capricious whims of Peri-Urban, the Alexandra police squad notorious for their terror, abuse, and unprovoked arrests. Through this immersive experience, readers can no longer evade the harsh truths of apartheid, compelled to face its malevolence directly.

Crucially, the first-person perspective imbues Mathabane's tales of apartheid with immediate authenticity and urgency while illuminating the values that were essential to his survival: his mother's unwavering support and relentless spirit, his own dedication to education, his resolve to excel in tennis, and the camaraderie of friends.

Tone and Mood

The tone of Kaffir Boy sweeps readers through a dizzying voyage of dramatic plunges, dizzying curves, and steep ascents, punctuated by scarce moments of calm. It shifts from irony to instruction, fear to solace, rage to sadness, determination to anticipation, hope to disappointment, and despair to exhilaration. This ever-changing emotional landscape offers readers a profound empathy, urging them to confront the brutalities of apartheid and racism unflinchingly.

• 1960s and 1970s: In the heart of Alexandra, South Africa, where Mathabane first drew breath, the oppressive shadow of apartheid casts its long, forbidding silhouette. Over 100,000 black individuals are ensnared in a life of enforced segregation and grinding poverty. Across South Africa, the brutal hand of apartheid leaves countless blacks battered, jailed, or dead.

  1980s and 1990s: For Mathabane's family, life in Alexandra continues to echo with the harsh realities of apartheid, even as the oppressive regime is dismantled in the early nineties. Little changes in their day-to-day existence.

  Today: The scars of racial discrimination and poverty remain fresh in Alexandra, even with apartheid's legal demise. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, birthed in 1994, tirelessly works to weave threads of democracy and unity. It focuses on three critical areas: human rights violations, amnesty, and reparations and rehabilitation. This commission strives to offer victims a platform to voice their agony, compels wrongdoers to publicly admit their transgressions, and works towards the rehabilitation of those who adhered to the now-condemned laws, while also addressing reparations to the aggrieved.

• 1960s and 1970s: Despite bearing the weight of eighteen years marked by poverty, abuse, and hunger, Mathabane's resolve shines brightly. His academic prowess ensures he remains at the pinnacle of his class, securing essential scholarships for further education. Guided and nurtured by his mother's unwavering support, he not only survives but thrives, earning an athletic scholarship that paves his way to an American institution.

  1980s and 1990s: Mathabane emerges from Dowling College, New York, brandishing a degree in economics and the title of best-selling author. He defies societal prejudices and taboos, marrying a white American woman, co-authoring a book with her, and building a family.

  Today: Now a devoted husband and father, Mathabane flourishes as a celebrated writer and leads as the director of multicultural education at a private institution in Portland, Oregon.

• In 1988, the world received an abridged audio rendition of Kaffir Boy, brought to life by the stirring voice of actor Howard Rollins, courtesy of Dove Audio Inc. Although this captivating three-hour tape is no longer in print, eager listeners can still discover it on Amazon.com.
• The Library of Congress offers a beacon of hope through its complimentary reading service, designed specifically for the blind and handicapped. By visiting http://www.loc.gov/nls/, one can explore unabridged audio versions of Kaffir Boy, available to qualifying individuals or their educators upon request.
• Mark Mathabane invites you to delve into his literary world through his online sanctuary at http://www.mathabane.com/index.html. Here, enthusiasts can immerse themselves in a treasure trove of speeches, essays, prefaces, and introductory chapters of his works, including his latest novels: Ubuntu, The Last Liberal, and Deadly Memory. Visitors are welcome to request complimentary articles or purchase personally autographed editions of Mathabane's masterpieces.

Sources
Larson, Charles R. Washington Post Book World. April 20, 1986.

Manuel, Diane. Chicago Tribune Book World. April 13, 1986.

Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy. Penguin Books USA Inc., 1987.

———. "Memories of a Native Son; Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa." In People Weekly, Vol. 26, July 7, 1986, pp. 67-71.

Olney, James. "African Autobiography and the Non-African Reader." In Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature. Princeton University Press, 1973, pp. 26-78.

Thomas, Lillian. New York Times Book Review. April 27, 1986, p. 23.

Further Reading
Achebe, Chinua. "Girls at War" and Other Stories. Heinemann Educational Books Limited, 1972. "Girls at War" and Other Stories is a collection of twelve short stories including the often anthologized "Marriage Is a Private Affair" and "Dead Men's Path." Set in the twentieth-century changing world of Nigeria, the stories focus on conflicts arising from the clash between eroding tribal customs and the growing influences of the modern world.

Fugard, Athol. Master Harold and the Boys. Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. In this sadly poignant play, Fugard forces his audience to confront the depth and power of racism that has become repressed or hidden. He demonstrates just how tenuous white and black relations can be, how easy it is for one moment of hurt and anger to destroy years of love and compassion.

Head, Bessie. Maru. Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1971. Maru is one of three significant novels by Head that are set in Botswana, where she herself lived in political exile for fifteen years before gaining citizenship. The protagonist, like Head herself, is an orphaned girl and teacher who seeks refuge in a small Botswana village, only to be treated as an outcast whose presence divides the village.

Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom. Little, Brown and Company, 1994. Long Walk to Freedom was published after apartheid had been abolished. It is the deeply moving memoir of Nelson Mandela, president of the African National Congress and the 1993 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Having spent a quarter of a century in prison for his anti-apartheid activities, he was the first black to be elected in South Africa's first-ever multiracial elections in April, 1994.

Olney, James. "African Autobiography and the Non-African Reader." In Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature. Princeton University Press, 1973, pp. 26-78. Olney explains that African autobiography is paradoxically both diverse and unified. Despite its "diversity of motives, points of view, and forms," African autobiographical literature shares a unified "vision of the human experience'' that is uniquely African.

Paton, Alan. Cry the Beloved Country. Scribner, 1948. Published in February before the National Party and apartheid came into power in May, Cry the Beloved Country was the first book to make the international community aware of the coming horrors of apartheid. It was adapted into the Broadway musical Lost in the Stars in 1949 and into two major films under its original title. The 1951 version starred Sidney Poitier; the 1995 version starred Richard Harris and James Earl Jones.