Characters
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe, a trailblazer in the world of tennis, shattered barriers as the
first black man to triumph at Wimbledon. His iconic match against Jimmy Connors
in South Africa ignites a fervent dream in Mathabane, inspiring him to become a
formidable tennis player. Although Ashe ultimately loses to Connors, his
presence and prowess serve as a beacon of hope for Mathabane, proving that not
only can blacks excel in tennis, but they can also dismantle enduring racial
barriers. Ashe becomes a heroic figure and a wellspring of inspiration for
Mathabane.
Aunt Bushy
Aunt Bushy, the youthful daughter of Granny, still resides in the family home.
She generously supports her nephew Johannes, often funding his school
excursions and ensuring he always has lunch money for his daily needs.
Granny
Mathabane's maternal grandmother, affectionately known as Granny, captivates
with her "genial brown eyes" that shine like "pristine pearls." Mathabane
describes her as "the most beautiful black woman" he has ever seen. A skilled
gardener, she endures the hardship of raising her family alone after her
husband abandons them. To support her daughter and grandchildren, she toils
long hours for white families in Johannesburg, becoming a pillar of strength.
Her home becomes a sanctuary from the abuse inflicted by Jackson Mathabane. It
is Granny's determination that secures employment for eleven-year-old Johannes
with the Smiths of Johannesburg, marking his first venture into the enigmatic
world of white affluence. There, he discovers the captivating realms of tennis
and literature.
Wilfred Horn
A German transplant, Wilfred Horn operates a tennis ranch dedicated to training
aspiring white professionals. Upon learning of this haven from a teammate,
Mathabane seizes the opportunity to arrange a meeting with Horn, who warmly
invites him to join matches at the ranch. For the first time, Johannes finds
himself honing his skills among exceptional athletes and forming bonds with
white players. The year is 1973, and aware of the potential backlash from South
African officials over a black athlete mingling with whites, he adopts the
moniker Mark Mathabane, perhaps as a guise to conceal his true identity amidst
the oppressive apartheid system.
Dinah Mathabane
Dinah is the sixth-born among the Mathabane siblings, and she holds the place
of Johannes's fourth sister.
Florah Mathabane
Florah, the second of the Mathabane children, is Johannes's eldest sister. At
the tender age of three when the autobiography opens, she shares a makeshift
bed beneath the kitchen table with her five-year-old brother. Johannes is
entrusted with the responsibility of caring for her during their parents'
absences, particularly during the tense moments of police raids when their
parents must hide or flee.
George Mathabane
George, the sole brother among the Mathabane siblings, is the third child in
the family. Just a year old at the story's commencement, Johannes is tasked
with watching over him, just as he does for Florah, when their parents are
unable to.
Johannes Mathabane
See Mark Mathabane
Linah Mathabane
Linah, the youngest member of the Mathabane family, is Johannes's fifth
sister.
Mama Mathabane
The matriarch known as Mama Mathabane, though her given name remains unnamed, hails from Gazankulu, the Tsonga tribal reserve. Married to Jackson, who is two decades her senior, she endures a relentless struggle under apartheid's oppressive gaze. Despite their legal union, their marriage is not sanctioned by the white regime, forcing them into hiding during sudden night raids. While she suffers Jackson's abuse, leaving him is not an option as her father's acceptance of the bride price binds her. Dubbed a "mesmerizing storyteller," Mama's tales serve as a "golden fountain of knowledge," imparting lessons of morality to her children. Her...
(This entire section contains 1778 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
unwavering determination ensures Johannes's education, waking him at dawn to procure the elusive birth certificate necessary for schooling. Even while pregnant with her fifth child, she takes on a cleaning job to support their education, her resolve a testament to her strength. Her values and stories mold Johannes into the humanitarian and writer he becomes, making her the family's heart and soul.
Maria Mathabane
Maria, the fourth child in the Mathabane family, is Johannes's second
sister.
Mark Mathabane
Mark Mathabane, both the voice and author of Kaffir Boy, is born as
Johannes, a name given by his parents. At the story's outset, he is a
frightened five-year-old, hungry and vulnerable during the relentless police
raids in Alexandra. By the tale's end, he emerges triumphant, graduating at the
top of his class, securing a respectable banking job, winning a tennis
championship, and earning a college scholarship in America. Fluent in multiple
languages, Mathabane's journey is one of transformation and resilience.
In 1973, during his pivotal meeting with Wilfred Horn, Mathabane opts for the name "Mark," perhaps preemptively shielding his real identity from less liberal South Africans. His sister Florah reveals in the 1994 book African Women that Johannes adopted the name Mark in 1976 amid the Soweto student protests—a strategic move to evade police detection and safeguard his true identity.
Without the unyielding spirit of his mother, who refused to surrender, tirelessly pursued his birth certificate, coaxed him away from the brink of despair, and worked tirelessly as a housecleaner out of love and belief in him, his path might have been entirely different. From her, he recalls, "I learned that virtues are things to be always striven after, embraced and cultivated, for they are amply rewarded." He came to realize, "that vices were bad things, to be avoided at all cost, for they bring one nothing but trouble and punishment."
Merriam Mathabane
Merriam Mathabane
The fifth child among the seven Mathabane siblings, Merriam stands as
Johannes's third sister.
Papa Mathabane
Papa Mathabane
Known as Jackson Mathabane, he is vividly described as a "short, gaunt figure,
with skin as dark as coal," and "large, prominent jaws." His "thin, uneven
lips," seem designed only for "the production of sneers." He embodies "fearsome
features" like a "broad nose with slightly flaring nostrils, small, bloodshot
eyes that never shed a tear, small, close-set ears, and a wide, prominent
forehead." Raised in the tribal reserve of the Vendas, he governs his household
with tribal law, allowing "no deviance." As an uneducated laborer who paid
lobola for his wife, he views her and their children as possessions. He reigns
as the "tough, resolute, and absolute ruler of the house," demanding unwavering
obedience, often enforcing it with violence. His spirit, crushed by apartheid's
harshness, imprisonment, and cruelty, gradually sinks into a bitter life marred
by alcohol.
Mpandhlani
Mpandhlani
A homeless thirteen-year-old entwined in a gang, Mpandhlani embodies the tragic
consequences of apartheid's injustices. He acts as a recruiter for prostitutes
among male migrant workers torn from their families, living in stark, all-male
dormitories. They bribe him to lead innocent boys to their quarters with
tempting promises of food and money. Johannes, hungry and vulnerable, nearly
falls prey but is saved by the wisdom and teachings of his mother, sensing
something sinister in the offer. Rejecting the food, he escapes as others start
undressing, fleeing with his life and a solemn vow of secrecy. Reflecting on
this harrowing episode as an adult, Mathabane sees what was once too dreadful
for a child to grasp was heartlessly ignored by white officials, who chose to
look away.
Peri-Urban
Peri-Urban
Peri-Urban, the notorious police squad of Alexandra, strikes fear with their
terrorizing raids, unwarranted abuses, and arbitrary arrests. They drag
Johannes's father from his bed, half-naked, and shackle him before tossing him
into a truck. For two months, he toils on a white-owned potato farm. After
another arrest and a year in prison, Jackson Mathabane returns, a man
embittered and abusive. Peri-Urban reinforces Johannes's belief that white
people are akin to devils.
Uncle Piet
Uncle Piet
Piet, Granny's teenage son, becomes Johannes's lifeline to education by
providing him with essential clothing to remain in school.
Sacaramouche
Sacaramouche
A self-employed painter and a remarkable tennis coach, Sacaramouche stands as
"one of the best tennis players among people of colour in Johannesburg." Upon
spotting Johannes practicing his strokes against a stadium wall, he voluntarily
takes him under his wing, honing his skills and refining his game. Two and a
half years later, Mathabane triumphs, clinching his first championship at the
Alexandra Open, emerging as one of South Africa's most promising young black
tennis players.
Clyde Smith
Clyde Smith
Clyde, the son of Mathabane's Granny's employers, stirs a fire within the
eleven-year-old Mark with his racist taunts, challenging him to prove his worth
against any white person. "I vowed that, whatever the cost, I would master
English, that I would not rest till I could read, write and speak it just like
any white man, if not better. Finally I had something to aspire to."
Stan Smith
Stan Smith
Renowned Wimbledon champion Stan Smith becomes Mathabane's ally during a tennis
tournament in South Africa. Upon returning to the States, Smith initiates a
correspondence with Mark, paving the way for a full tennis scholarship at
Limestone College in South Carolina. His friendship and support become
Mathabane's ticket from the ghetto towards his dreams in America.
The Smiths
The Smiths
A white family residing in "Rosebank, one of Johannesburg's posh whites-only
suburbs," the Smiths employ Granny as their gardener. They gift Johannes their
son Clyde's hand-me-downs—comic books, toys, games, and storybooks like
Aesop's Fables and Pinocchio. Mathabane reflects that "These
books and toys revealed to me a new reality." They nurtured his imagination,
ignited his dreams, and fueled his desire to learn. Mrs. Smith also bestowed
upon Johannes an old wooden tennis racket, challenging him, "Practise hard, for
one day I want to read about you in the papers, as our next Arthur Ashe."
Tsotsis
Tsotsis
The Tsotsis, lawless gangsters roaming Alexandra, become a young Johannes's
nightmare when he inadvertently witnesses a savage murder committed by them.
Overwhelmed by the brutality and despair of his surroundings, the thought of
ending his life seems like a release at just ten years old, as he struggles to
find a reason to carry on.
A White Nun
A White Nun
In Mathabane's world, a white nun emerges as a beacon of unexpected kindness
and integrity. She assists his mother in acquiring Johannes's birth
certificate, a key to education. Her determination to cut through bureaucratic
barriers set against blacks, her willingness to stand beside them against her
own kind, convinces young Johannes that not all white people are evil.
Mr. Wilde
A distinguished senior manager at Simba Quix, the foremost giant in the realm
of potato chips and rusks in South Africa, graces Johannes with a prestigious
scholarship. This award celebrates Johannes's outstanding academic achievements
during his triumphant three-year journey through secondary school. The
scholarship generously covers all of Johannes's educational costs and extends
the opportunity for enriching summer employment.