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This mini-dissertation deals with Herman Charles Bosman's depiction of racial
prejudice among the different racial groups in South Africa in the period of the
1930s and 40s. The overarching issue of the narrator's racism forms the focus of
discussion. Oom Schalk Lourens's storytelling techniques are a matter of
cardinal importance that colours the entire interpretation of Mafeking Road. The
introductory section of this study provides some biographical details about the
author himself. This is followed by an exploration of Bosman's treatment of race
and racial issues in three stories.
Bosman's exploration of race relations involving blacks, Indians, whites as well
as other minority groups is a reflection of his genuine concern for South Africa's
future society as a whole. In the course of this study a brief analysis is also
made of the author's portrayal of female characters. In the conclusion Bosman's
overall achievement in terms of the major theme, race relations, is assessed. It
is argued that the overt racism of Bosman's narrator Oom Schalk Lourens cannot
be ascribed to the author himself; that it is the case, rather, that the author
manipulates his narrator to achieve an ironic effect. In the final analysis, Bosman
is critical of the racist attitudes his characters display, but his method is to satirise
and debunk these attitudes gently and obliquely. TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE:
Introduction 1
CHAPTER TWO:
Relations between Boer and Briton: "The Rooinek" 7
CHAPTER THREE:
Relations between Blacks and Boers: "The Prophet" 19
C , APTER FOUR:
Representations of Minorities and Women: "Splendours from Ramoutsa" and "Veld Maiden" 33
CH PTER FIVE:
Conclusion 49
BIBLIOGRAPHY 54 ORM OntoducUon
Race and racial consciousness is an issue of supreme importance in
Bosman's first collection of short stories, Mafeking Road. Although relatively few of Bosman's stories focus directly and exclusively on race relations, several of his famous stories do focus explicitly on racial interaction and racial attitudes. Others whose major focus is on some other aspects of the Marico experience nevertheless fulfil the function of confirming that the race issue is of cardinal importance to the Marico's white inhabitants.
In Mafeking Road, Bosman's success in portraying racial interaction can mainly be attributed to his skilful manipulation of his narrator, Oom Schalk
Lourens. So seamless is Bosman's creation that although Schalk's personality can be distinguished from the stories he tells, it cannot be separated from them. His characterisation is achieved by his own narrative, resulting from his speech pattern and views he expresses. The reader is given a variety of signals, "phraseological and psychological"
(Mondry 1989: 59) from which he or she is able to extrapolate the narrator's character and attitude to racial issues.
1 Another feature of the Marico stories is the fidelity with which they mirror
not only the platteland itself but also the Afrikaner of the platteland. The
narrator is the embodiment of the spirit of the bushveld, his perception of
people, places and things remaining rural and Afrikaner. The author also
uses the narrator as a buffer between the characters in the stories and the
reader. Stories tend to focus on an incident which is treated two-
dimensionally. More often than not characters participating in an event give
a one-sided view of the situation, while the narrator is left to comment on
the realities behind their illusions. Schalk Lourens softens the satire partly
by his mellow humanity, partly by his pretended failure to discern
foolishness and folly. This view of Schalk Lourens's character is shared by
L.H. Hugo (1985: 159) who describes him as someone who has ". . . a vast
inability to discern his own shortcomings and prejudices." When there is
indirect narration the reader has to contend with images of the author as
well as those of the narrator. Their non-concurrence and counterpoint give
the stories a heightened dynamism and tension.
The creation of a narrator who responds to all situations by being
"unfailingly himself" (Hugo 1985: 159) makes it necessary to comment
briefly on Bosman's own views regarding race, racism and ethnicity.
2 Bosman's life coincides with a turbulent period of South African history — namely the rise of Afrikaner nationalism. He was born shortly after the
Second Anglo-Boer War and died three years after the National Party's
1948 election victory. Although he had his share of youthful exuberance, it can be argued that his attitudes remained much the same during the last twenty years of his life. Nowhere is this consistency more noticeable than in the issue of race relations.
Bosman's paternal and maternal families (Bosman and Malan respectively) had different views on their Afrikaner status. They supported the South
African Party which favoured reconciliation between the Boers and the
English over Afrikaner nationalism. Bosman himself came to reject the nationalism of the Boer, seeing it as "a destructive, life-denying force"
(Dickson 1975: 124).
Although Bosman ultimately allied himself with the English in accepting a more liberal creed, he never lost sight of the fact that he was by birth and blood an Afrikaner. It is partly for this reason that reconciliation becomes the major theme of "The Rooinek."
3 Bosman's sustained depiction of Afrikaner life and custom does not mean that he identified with the ideals of an exclusive Afrikaner nationalism. His attempt to embrace the two official languages of the time indicates a shift in how he conceived of his role as a writer, and testifies to an expanded awareness on his part of his own South Africanness. His rejection of any identity prescribed by language is obvious. Bosman's rediscovery of
Afrikaans meant that he wished to be associated with an identity which went beyond the artificial barriers imposed by the government of the day.
Publishing in both Afrikaans and English, obviously, meant double royalties for him but it is another confirmation that he saw himself as a South
African, as opposed to an English or Afrikaans writer.
Bosman's attitudes towards other races seem to originate less from a
political ideology than from his humanitarianism. According to William
Plomer, Bosman was not unduly concerned about black—white relations in
South Africa. The stories in Mafeking Road, however, do not corroborate this view. With the exception of stories in which racial prejudice is a central
consideration, almost all the stories in this collection contain a reference to
or some incident involving a "kaffir." The reason for this is that Bosman wishes to drive home the point that blacks are being denied the right to
exist as fellow human beings. The narrator in this context is crucial. A
dedicated `kaffir-hater' on the one hand and a scrupulously honest story-
4 teller, on the other, Oom Schalk is "the incarnation of the ironic paradoxes"
(Chapman et al. 1992: 162) that inform white racial attitudes.
In most of the stories that deal with or comment in some way on white— black relations, blacks are portrayed humorously and sometimes farcically.
However, when Bosman treats a subject humorously it is "a sure indication of Bosman's seriousness" (Chapman et al 1992: 162).
As a writer, Bosman saw English and Afrikaans as being rival but equal languages, but he also saw a role for the African languages. Proof of
Bosman's interest in the indigenous literatures of South Africa is contained in his article entitled "Aspects of South African Literature" (1948). In this article Bosman takes the view that for a white writer to attempt to represent black experience, particularly from within, would be "tantamount to another form of colonialism" (Schopen 1991: 34).
In his view, different strands of South African literature should co-exist and not entrench separation. They should promote literary representation on an equal basis.
Although criticism has been levelled at Bosman for advocating different strands of the South African literary experience, a careful analysis of "The
Prophet" renders such criticism invalid. While in most of Bosman's stories blacks are peripheral and vaguely drawn, in "The Prophet" the black man, iViosiko, is depicted as a round character or human being and not as a racial stereotype.
The inclusion of characters from almost all racial groups in South Africa is further evidence of Bosman's impartiality in matters pertaining to race and ethnicity. Bernard Sachs's declaration that "Herman had no colour prejudice" (Dickson 1975: 131) is therefore not an exaggeration.
Mafeking Road contains several portrayals of Africans, Coloureds and
Indians. The Africans in particular are usually seen in relation to whites, but this should not be construed as a denial of agency or full humanity to
Africans, but seen as an indirect way of critiquing their social and economic dependence on whites in this place and time in South African history.
In all of the three stories selected for detailed discussion in this dissertation, Bosman seems to be urging all racial groups to pursue the ideal of a unified South African culture that transcends the confines of both language and race. The goal that Bosman sets out to achieve in Mafeking
Road is perhaps best described by Joseph Sachs: "There is all of South
Africa in that little book" (Gray 1986: 57).
6 CHAPTER TWO
Relations between oer and riton: "The Rooinek"
In his foreword to Bosman's posthumous collection of short stories, Unto Dust,
Iliam Plomer (1963: 10) appropriately sums up the role assigned to the English in the following terms, "Englishmen are merely the perennial enemy." Of the twenty-one short stories of Mafeking Road almost half refer directly or indirectly to the hostile relations between Boer and Briton. This is not remarkable in view of the fact that relations between Afrikaner and English were one of the major issues at the time that Bosman was writing these stories (ie. the 1930s and
1940s).
With the exception of "The Rooinek" and "Mafeking Road," all the other stories that allude to the subject of racial conflict do so briefly and casually. In these stories differences between the two races are hinted at either through frequent reference to the Boer War or to the other occasions for racial enmity.
"The Rooinek," like "Mafeking Road," deals with the "great bitterness of Boer resistance to British imperialism" (Christie et al. 1980: 90). This bitterness is dealt with differently in the two stories. In "Mafeking Road" the whole issue is treated somewhat comically and obliquely while in "The Rooinek" Bosman is much more thorough in his quest to portray the anatomy of racial prejudice and political strife.
Of all Bosman's short stories, none deals with the subject more exhaustively and with such poignancy. In essence, therefore, the story is an honest and earnest
plea for the longstanding rivalry between the English and their arch-enemy to cease. L.M.D Stopforth (1954: 95) seems to imply this when he states that "The
7 Rooinek" is a reconstruction of the "spirit of great and stirring times." This view is stated in more explicit terms by Emily Buchanan (1983: 32) who sees the story as the work of a man "dedicated to destroying, as gently as possible, even the most understandable prejudices between English and Afrikaans."
The structure of the story is symmetrical. The first and last sections of the story are replete with images of personal loyalty, while the middle deals with group solidarity, which manifests itself through religion and memories of the Boer War.
Like the other Kflarico stories, which "are all in character" (Wessels 1978: 108), the illusion that Oom Schalk thinks
and feels in a certain manner is conveyed by the nature and content of the story.
The effect of the Boer War on the Afrikaner people is poignantly adumbrated by the narrator's description of his reunion with his wife, which is given in terms that make clear the war's terrible effects.
I was in the veld until they made peace. Then we laid down our rifles and went home. What I knew my farm by was the hole under the koppie where I quarried slate- stones for the threshing-floor. That was about all that remained as I left it. Everything else was gone.
My home was burnt down. My lands were laid waste. My cattle and sheep were slaughtered. Even the stones I had piled for the kraals were pulled down. My wife came out of the concentration camp, and we went together to look at our old farm. My wife had gone into the concentration camp with our two children, but she came
8 out alone. And when I saw her again and noticed the way she had changed, I knew that I, who had been through all the fighting, had not seen the Boer War (Bosman 1998: 126-27).
The dominant theme in the above passage is the sharp contrast between individual and group interests. This contrast is apparent in the first sentence: "I was in the veld until they made peace" (126). Although Oom Schalk's intention is to convey the notion that group or public interests take precedence over the
individual's, his tone betrays his innermost feelings concerning the Boer War.
There is bitterness and remorse stemming from a deep sense of personal loss.
He bemoans the irretrievable loss of his "home," "land," "cattle" and "sheep"
(126).
Above the loss of property and livestock, however, Oom Schalk grieves over the
death of their "two children" (126). The narrator's overwhelming sense of
personal loss is particularly conveyed through the possessive form "my" which
appears six times in the passage. The narrator acknowledges his shock at the
sudden realization of the personal sacrifices that he as an individual has had to
make in defence of group interests, "I knew that I who had been through all the
fighting had not seen the Boer War" (127). Bosman subtly introduces this notion
in the first sentence of the passage. The special emphasis given to the pronouns
"I" and "they" illustrates Bosman's awareness of the paradoxical nature of the
relationship that exists between the narrator and his racial group.
9 Oom Schalk's narration affirms the military might of the English, which is implied in the phrases ". . . home was burnt down . . . lands were laid waste . . . cattle and sheep were slaughtered . . . stones . . . were pulled down" (126). The narration also introduces an element of irony at the narrator's expense: "When I saw her again and noticed the way she had changed . . ." (126). It never occurs to Oom Schalk then (and now) that the 'change' he noticed in his wife could have
been averted if the Afrikaners had had the courage to change their attitude towards the English.
The author, like the narrator, agrees that the Englishman's greed for the
Transvaal gold-fields is as much to blame as the Afrikaner's stubbornness: "It was the fault of the English government who wanted our gold mines" (128).
Therefore, waging war or making peace is the responsibility of both parties. It is
not a coincidence that the nouns "peace" (126) and "war" (126) appear at the
beginning and end of the passage respectively.
Although Oom Schalk's reflection on the Boer War is one of pain and a sense of
irretrievable personal loss, his sense of group loyalty appears to have emerged
unscathed from the ordeal. Although he refrains from being a total rebel, he has
reservations about some of the values subscribed to by his community. His
admiration of the two English officers confirms this:
They were mounted on first-rate horses and their uniforms looked very fine and smart. They were the most stylish-looking men I had seen for some time, and I felt
10 quite ashamed of my own ragged trousers and veldskoens (125).
The narrator's remorse reveals his awareness that the Boer soldiers constituted a rag-tag army which lacked material and resources. He is envious, and also admiring, of the style of the British soldiers. The essence of the passage reveals the Boers' rather amateurish, under-resourced character.
The gist of the author's argument is that the Afrikaner has lived in self-imposed
isolation for too long. It is during this period that he acquired unique customs and
habits. But the author recognizes the fact that these do not of necessity obliterate the universality of human nature. The Boer's prejudices are simply a variation of defence mechanisms designed to protect his identity and interests. This is why
Oom Schalk, stripped of all these convenient prejudices, is unable to resist
admiring and appreciating the English system of values.
The individual versus group interaction image continues to be the focal point when Bosman examines another important feature of Afrikanerdom, the
Calvinistic religion. Although religion is not the subject of "The Rooinek"
Bosman's awareness of the part it played in moulding the character of the
Afrikaner is strongly implied in Gerhardus Grobbelaar's style of leadership.
According to Afrikaner mythology, the Afrikaners saw themselves as a chosen
people. Leon Geordenking (Buchanan 1983:25), writing in an article on Afrikaner
nationalism, had this to say:
11 The very survival of Afrikaner families and legends in the face of threats of extinction in wars against the Blacks and English as well as against the difficult terrain and economic domination provides evidence of the divine purpose.
This 'divine' character of the Afrikaner seems even more obvious when seen through the eyes of the narrator. Being an Afrikaner himself, he is in a position to comment from within the Afrikaner community. His "native shrewdness" (Dickson,
1975: 65) gives him an eye for idiosyncracies which enables him to expose some of the Boer's personality traits, as can be seen in the following description by the narrator:
But one thing that now seems strange to me is the way in which, right from the first day, we took Gerhardus Grobbelaar for our leader. Whatever he said we just seemed to do without talking very much about it. We all felt that it was right simply because Gerhardus wished it. That was a strange thing about our trek. It was not simply that we knew Gerhardus had got the Lord with him — for we did now that — but it was rather that we believed in Gerhardus as well as in the Lord (132).
The irreconcilable differences between Calvinism and the Afrikaner's way of life constitute the central idea of this extract, "... but it was rather that we believed in
Gerhardus as well as in the Lord" (132). This remark explains the place of religion in the Afrikaner's life. The Calvinistic religion, instead of serving as a guiding spiritual principle had merely become a camouflage for the Boer's utilitarian way of life. The narrator makes this view more explicit when he concludes that,
12 it is better to have with you a strong man who does not read the Book very much, than a man who is good and religious, and yet does not seem sure how far to trek each day and where to outspan (132).
Oom Schalk's opinion on this matter reflects a general feeling among the Boers.
The same applies to the question of leadership. The extent to which the Boers have been welded together by the Boer War as a result of the suffering they had to endure, made them indifferent to the question of leadership. The narrator's implied criticism of Gerhardus's leadership suggests this: "That was a strange thing about our trek" (132). While the narrator's criticism is directed at Gerhardus individually, the author is concerned about the Afrikaner's overall destiny.
The author's implicit lack of confidence in the Afrikaner leadership is expressed more explicitly by their consistent search for stability. This is metaphorically conveyed through the noun "trek" which the narrator mentions three times during his retrospective commentary on the Kalahari expedition. Van Zyl (1958:4) confirms this view when he writes that "the history . of the Afrikaner is largely one of trekking and of changing domicile."
When Karel Pieterse refuses to take part in a religious service Gerhardus resorts to violence in order to "soften the brother's heart..." (133). The narrator is appalled at their leader's "strange" (132) disciplinary measures. Bosman is horrified by a religion that elevates the interests and values of group solidarity at the expense of the individual's. The Pieterse incident is a dramatic enactment of
Bosman's criticism of the Afrikaner's use of religion as a cloak for "self-righteous
13 apathy and cruelty" (Dickson 1975: 137), an observation supported by Viljoen
(1977: 37) who concludes that the incident reveals the "incompatibility of
Christian doctrine and Christian conduct."
The weaknesses inherent in the Afrikaner religion and group solidarity form a sharp contrast with the theme of personal loyalty portrayed by the English officer
as well as Webber's sense of loyalty which remains consistent until his death.
The narrator's loyalty, on the other hand, is consistently inconsistent. On one
occasion, during the Boer War, his instinct of self-preservation makes him forsake not only a companion but a veldkornet.
The veldkornet who was a fat man and couldn't run so fast, was about twenty yards behind me. And he remained on the wire with a bullet through him (125).
The roguish streak in his character manifests itself when he concludes his
boasting by remarking that, "All through the Boer War I was pleased that I was
thin and never troubled with corns" (125). The incident is a comical affirmation of
the military superiority of the English. The narrator's awareness and
acknowledgement of this is encapsulated in his boasting about his ability to run
faster than his unfortunate companion.
The narrator's action during battle serves to express the author's reservations
about group decisions being imposed upon individuals. If the narrator were in an
influential position in the Afrikaner commandos he would have advocated peace
with the English. The narrator's actions are the exact opposite of the English
14 officer whose bravery makes him ignore the enemy's bullets in order to save a wounded colleague.
The theme of personal loyalty is explored in more detail when Oom Schalk describes the arrival of the Englishman. His arrival causes quite a stir in the community:
He was dressed just as we were, in shirt and trousers and veldskoens, and he had dust all over him. But when he stepped over a thorn-bush we saw that he had got socks on. Therefore we knew that he was an Englishman (128).
The narrator appears to be more perplexed than pleased by the similarity of the
Englishman's attire with the farmers': "He was dressed just as we were" (128).
There is a distinct hint of anxiety in the tone of his speech, as if the similarity in their clothes poses a threat to the Afrikaner's identity and existence. This is because it is differences rather than similarities that the narrator is looking for, since such 'differences' would become a justification for any preconceived ideas.
This explains the sudden tone of relief and triumph at the 'discovery' of this
'difference': "But when he stepped over the thorn-bush we saw that he had got socks on. Therefore we knew he was an Englishman" (128). The author, however, regards the similarity of clothes as suggestive of the fact that essentially there are no differences between Boer and Briton. This is suggested by the special emphasis he places on the clothes: "... in shirt and trousers and veldskoens" (128).
15 The "dust" (128) image serves a dual purpose. In the narrator's opinion "dust" denotes the almost mystical union between the Afrikaner and his soil. Therefore, like his colleagues he unconsciously but firmly detests the notion that the
Englishman is also entitled to the 'privileges' of the chosen race. The second meaning of "dust" is meant to elude the narrator who seems to be unaware that
"dust" or death is the common destiny of people of all races and colour.
Therefore the thrust of Bosman's argument is that the first responsibility of the
Afrikaner farmers is to accept rather than reject the Englishman. Bosman's
implied argument is that prejudice, like "socks," (128) can be acquired or
discarded.
The racial bias finds its extreme expression in some sections of the Afrikaner
community who reject an opportunity for reconciliation on the basis of past
unpleasant experiences. The farming community's annoyance on account of
Steyn's growing friendship with Webber prompts Grobbelaar to observe bitterly
that "Boer and Englishman have been enemies since before Slagtersnek" (130).
The narrator seems to subscribe to this view when he observes that they "...
decided that if we Boers in the Marico could help it the rooinek would not stay
amongst us too long" (128). Steyn, who accepts Webber completely, defends his friendship with the Englishman in terms that concur with the author's verdict on
the matter: "when we get to understand one another perhaps we won't need to
fight any more" (130).
While the author sympathises with the Boer's cause he is horrified at the
Afrikaner's obsession to "win . . . this war" (130). At the same time Bosman is
16 amused by the Boer's blindness in failing to realize that Webber's choice to join them is a remarkable victory as well as reconciliation. The narrator expresses this sentiment when he observes that: "we disliked him less than before for being a rooinek" (131).
The narrator's loyalty, as already mentioned, fluctuates between the group and that of a dedicated individualist. This is also a technical device on the part of the author to ensure that the narrator does not become too distant from the community he describes.
Although in both instances of personal loyalty the hero is always English, it would be untrue to conclude that the author is claiming that the English are more kind- hearted and courageous. The death of the narrator's "two children" (126) would render such a claim fictitious. Bosman is equally opposed to the English preconceptions about Afrikaners and to the idea of Afrikaner cohesion. In his opinion both attitudes are causes for the "debilitating fragmentation of society"
(Buchanan 1983:16). The essence of Bosman's argument is that both the
Afrikaner and the English should make an effort towards a genuine reconciliation.
His implied view is that in order to achieve this goal a compromise is the only solution. The author succeeds in illustrating this point through Oom Schalk's fluctuating sense of allegiance. Although externally the narrator remains a staunch supporter of Afrikanerdom, his occasional inner conflicts are symptomatic of the shortcomings of extreme views. Through the narrator's complexity as a character Bosman successfully argues that neither group nor individual opinion provides the ideal solution to the problems of society. He
17 accurately illustrates the fact that preference for one point of view at the expense of another always leads to disunity and chaos.
18 CHAPTER THREE
Relations between Blacks and oers: "The Prophet"
In the years subsequent to the Boer War race relations invariably meant, in a political context, relations between the British and the Boers. The other inhabitants of the country constituted "the native problem" (Dickson 1975:
127). This view is corroborated by Gillian Siebert (1977: 4): "they [whites] were habitually intolerant of the native for the simple reason that most of them did not regard the native in any sense as a human equal."
In Mafeking Road blacks are always seen in relation to their Boer counterparts. Lewis Nkosi has argued that in Bosman's work generally, blacks are "scarcely more than shadows" (1975: 144). This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in "The Prophet," a story that explores the relationship between violence and a sense of identity. In this story an
African "witch doctor," Mosiko, squares up to a white "prophet" by the name of Stephanus Erasmus. "Makapan's Caves" is another story in
Mafeking Road in which race-relations between Boer and black are examined. A black servant, Nongaas, is consistently portrayed in relation to the service he renders to his white master, Hendrik. In "The Prophet" the role assigned to the "kaffir" is chiefly one of exploring and exposing the whites' shortcomings. Of particular significance, however, is the perspective from which Oom Schalk narrates the story. He is ostensibly
19 one of the white men taking umbrage at the 'cheeky kaffir' witchdoctor who usurps the role assumed by the white prophet Stephanus Erasmus.
However, his sceptical distance from the attitudes of his fellows, and from
Erasmus in particular, becomes clear by the story's conclusion.
Although three sections can be distinguished in the story, they cannot be separated. Like most of his Marico stories "The Prophet" has the
"compactness of a sonnet" (Dickson 1975: 79). Stephanus Erasmus's reputation as a prophet in the white community occupies the first section.
The second one deals with Mosiko's arrival on the scene and the threat he poses to Erasmus's practice. The third and final section focuses on the direct confrontation between the two men, as well as the significance of iViosiko's victory.
The story begins with the narrator's musings about prophets and the nature of prophecy. It is the tactful but deliberate inclusion of a "kaffir" prophet by Bosman that throws Oom Schalk into a state of great confusion and perplexity. Bosman reaches his verdict even before the arrival of
Kflosiko. He gives numerous hints to the reader that his interest lies beyond prophets and prophecy. The first of these hints is his reference to
Prophet van Rensburg and General Kemp's being "locked up in the
Pretoria Gaol" (98). Other clues include Erasmus's "broken" "veldskoens,"
"ingrowing toe-nail" and "two corns" (98). In this manner Bosman alerts
20 the reader to the fact that he does not always agree with the narrator who sometimes "stretches his imagination to breaking point" (Stopforth 1954:
93).
The confrontation takes place against the backdrop of the Anglo—Boer
War. There are at least three references to the English. The frequent reference to the "right time to go into rebellion" (98) has the significance of creating an ideal setting and tone for the looming confrontation.
The manner in which the narrator introduces 'prophet' Erasmus indicates that he has become a feared and unpopular figure: " All the farmers in
Droedal talked about Stephanus Erasmus with respect" (98). Bosman is able to inform the reader by "subtle implication" (Stopforth 1954: 60) that this respect is actually tinged with fear. This explains the farmers' readiness to inform Erasmus whenever someone makes "some slighting remark" (98) about him. By means of understatement Bosman also jettisons the notion of the prophet's power to "actually make the future"
(98). Erasmus's capacity to prophesy must be severely limited since he relies on the farmers' fears for information about events in the neighbourhood. Through the highly suggestive images of "veldskoens" and "corns" Bosman tactfully conveys the idea that Stephanus is just another man trying to earn a living.
21 The theme of self-delusion is made more explicit by the narrator's belief that the death of his "best trek-oxen" (98) through miltsiekte, is a curse from Erasmus, about whom Bosman wonders as to why he is incapable of prophesying himself a new pair of shoes or a cure for his "two corns." The more information the narrator gives about the 'prophet,' the more information he reveals about his own character. Bosman's gentle dismissal of the narrator's illusions is both a rebuke and a reminder that deluding oneself is a disease as devastating as the `miltsiekte.' It is this illusion that the arrival of Iiiiosiko facilitates to dispel.
Ktiosiko's arrival reveals another serious shortcoming of the narrator's personality. His tolerance for other races is almost non-existent. The narrator's loss of his "trek-oxen" augments his fear for Erasmus to the point that he had to go "into the veld and did it there" (98). But it is the `kaffir prophet that unsettles him in a manner a white prophet cannot:
. . . a very old kaffir had come to live at the outspan on the road to Ramoutsa. Nobody knew where he had come from, except that when questioned he would lift up his arm very slowly and point towards the west. There is nothing in the west. There is only the Kalahari Desert. And from his looks you could easily believe that this old kaffir has lived in the desert all his life. There was something about his withered body that reminded you of the great drought (100).
22 A casual survey of the narrator's speech might deceive the reader into concluding that the above speech is an objective report by an eyewitness.
But it is through the remarks the narrator makes that Bosman gives the reader a clue as to how the speech should be interpreted: "I have noticed how often things like this start with the stories of kaffirs and children" (100).
It is the concept of 'inequality' that constitutes the central idea of the sentence. The rest of the speech becomes a supporting argument for this notion. "Kaffirs" are associated with "children" because the latter generally do not constitute a threat to the adult world. Children need guidance and education from adults. By the same token "kaffirs", not being 'equals' of the whites in the Marico, need guidance and education from the latter.
Therefore "kaffirs" must accept the 'fact' that whites are the masters while they are the servants.
An analysis of the speech soon reveals all the details the narrator attempts to conceal. More often than not Bosman's method of characterisation achieves its purpose "not so much by what he says as by what he leaves unsaid" (Stopforth 1954: 73). This idea is perhaps expressed more explicitly by Sarah Christie et al. (1980: 84) who believe that "the process of understanding [Bosman] is like a peeling of skins from an onion." Only by a careful 'peeling away' of the various levels of the narrative can the real meaning of the story be discerned
23 The intention of the narrator appears to be to discredit Mosiko. Not only is the stranger a "kaffir" but "very old" with a "withered body" (100). His physical condition is such that it hinders the proper use of his limbs: "[he] lift[s] up his arm very slowly" (100). The prominent emphasis on the physical defects is calculated to accentuate the 'differences' between a
"kaffir" and a Boer. The cumulative effect of "very old" and "withered body" evokes the notion of decrepitude and even death.
There is a subdued tone of superiority in the narrator's voice as he explains that "nobody knew where he had come from" (100). Mosiko is associated with the "desert" (100) where there is "nothing" (100).
Therefore, lurking somewhere in the narrator's subconscious is the belief that Mosiko is less than human since his identity as well as his country of origin cannot be established. The 'act' of questioning the "very old kaffir"
(100) reinforces this sense of superiority, because the "right thing" (101) is for the 'master' to do the questioning.
Bosman detects further serious flaws in the narrator's 'reasoning.' The speech is, in his view, a blatant act of self-justification and self-assertion.
Once again, Bosman raises his concern at the narrator's arrogance and prejudice that inevitably leads him to judge things from the outside.
Bosman shows that the narrator is not aware of the religious significance of the "desert" image. If Jesus spent forty days in the "desert" and
24 emerged with his faith unscathed, Mosiko's faith is equally intact since he has spent "all his life" in the desert. Bosman's irony, at the expense of the narrator, is based on this principle.
According to the narrator there is "nothing" in the "west." Again, Bosman relies on the reader's knowledge of Christianity for the effectiveness of the irony. in "iViakapan's Caves," the narrator implies that his knowledge of the
Bible is sound. This can be concluded from the advice given by his father, on the eve of the campaign against Makapan, "'Do not forget to read your
Bible, my sons" (66). According to the scriptures the wise men came from the east and their destination was in the "west." Therefore the narrator's vehement denial, "there is nothing in the west," becomes ironic.
Apparently, in the narrator's opinion, the values of Christianity can only be understood and implemented properly in relation to one's racial affiliation.
The manipulation of the narrator by the author at this juncture is superb.
Craig Mackenzie (1993:13) concurs with this view when he observes that in typical Bosman's style, "satire is subtly interwoven into Oom Schalk's narrative." The satire is sustained when the narrator blasphemously claims that "nobody knew where he had come from" (100) since he, being a God-fearing Afrikaner, would presumably know that man is created in the image of God.
25 It is fear, reminiscent of King Herod's, which prompts the narrator and his people to find out more information concerning Mosiko. But it seems to be his level of proficiency in prophecy in particular that seems to bother the narrator: "they said he was a great witch-doctor" (100).
The narrator's speech is also a typical example of Bosman's being "a prober of undercurrents" (Blignaut 1980:200). The narrator's unconscious intention to erect artificial racial barriers between whites and blacks does not escape Bosman's hawk-like eye. Earlier in the story Mosiko is just a figure on the landscape. But later on, due to his great reputation among the whites as a diviner, "he acquires a human stature" (Christie et al. 1980:
92). The manner in which the narrator introduces the prophets to each other towards the end of the story appears to confirm this. The narrator seems to experience difficulty in seeing black and white as equals. Mosiko is a great prophet but he is "Witch-doctor Mosiko," while the white man is
"Baas Prophet Stephanus Erasmus" (102). In his view, addressing them in equal terms would be tantamount to putting a "kaffir on the same level as a white man. This is further confirmed by the narrator's unconscious wish for Mosiko's death as implied in "very old" (100). In the narrator's wishful thinking the absence of a rival "kaffir race would remove the necessity for competition and fear.
26 Inevitably Mosiko's great reputation becomes a threat to Erasmus's standing in the community. The loss of his status as prophet leaves him with no alternative than to exercise his power as a white man: "'you have no right to be here on a white man's outspan'" (102), he informs Mosiko.
Having lost the loyalty of the white community, physical violence becomes the only means left at his disposal to restore the jeopardized master- servant relationship.
In the Marico one of the most favoured forms of disciplining a "kaffir" is the kick, which is intended to be "instructively painful to the victim" (Lawson
1986: 150). In the story "Marico Scandal" every argument that breaks out between Gawie and his 'baas' always ends with the latter kicking the former. A similar situation prevails in "The Music-maker." In one of his performances, Manie Kruger kicks the "kaffir" each time there is something wrong with the "green curtain" (46). The casual manner in which he executes this emphasizes its "habitual acceptance as a form of correction"
(Lawson 1986: 151). This explains Erasmus's eagerness to perform the ritual kick. It is his attempt to restore the master-servant relationship that has been disturbed by his visiting the black prophet, rather than the other way round. As Oom Schalk observes: "the right thing always is for the servant to visit the master" (101). This remark is a confirmation of the fact that Oom Schalk's "sympathetic understanding of other people does not on the whole extend to blacks" (Lawson 1986:146). Erasmus's imminent but
27 inevitable defeat is hinted at early in the story when the narrator observes that his veldskoens were "all broken on top" (98).
In his outburst Erasmus provides yet another example of the white man's attempts to maintain the master—servant relationship at all costs. This is the practice in which the kaffir is subjected to caricature and stereotype, for no other reason than to emphasize the "distinctions" between "kaffirs" and
Boers. Says Erasmus on his way to the meeting with hilosiko:
"I'll kick him all the way to Zeerust. It is bad enough when kaffirs wear collars and ties in Johannesburg and walk on the pavements reading newspapers. But we cannot allow this sort of thing in the Marico" (101).
The dominant image of time in this speech is another of the author's indictments of the narrator's stubborn but futile attempt to refuse to accept the inevitable changes that always accompany the passing of time. The narrator's faithful regurgitation of Oom Erasmus's statement indicates his apparent approval. Bosman finds the view contradictory because while the
Boers refuse to embrace change they, however, wish to retain the right to be the standard-bearers of Western civilization, as symbolised by "collars",
"ties" and "newspapers" (101). The plural pronoun 'we' confirms that the conflict is no longer confined to two individuals only. This is implicit in the farmers' volunteering to accompany Erasmus: "all of us went along with
2R Stephanus" (101). It is not the racial aspect that Bosman is interested in, but "the social and personal implications" (Lawson 1986: 151).
The narrator begins by observing that Mosiko "had hardly any clothes on"
(101) which associates Mosiko with animals and primitiveness: "He sat against a bush . . ." (101). In Bosman's eyes Mosiko's nakedness is a celebration of naturalness and innocence. It is not a mere coincidence that earlier in the story Mosiko is associated with "children" (100). The "bush", which the narrator interprets as a further confirmation of his uncivilized state, in fact implies a holy setting. Ironically, the narrator is the Moses who is blind to the fact that he is standing on 'holy' ground — "bush". The hundreds of "wrinkles" (101) are a metaphor for wisdom. There is a hint of cheerful sympathy from Bosman for the narrator who mistakes all this for physical defects, which is why he seems to show more appreciation for the artificial world of "clothes" (10). At the same time Bosman is horrified at the state of moral degradation on the part of the farmers. In their search for self-preservation, they have resorted both to "working hard and using cunning" (101). Their desire to be "more powerful" (101) has made them unnatural, the exact opposite of Mosiko. He appears to be more in tune with nature, "the sun shining on him . . ." (101). This is strongly suggested by more images from nature — "sand," "grass" and "stones" (101). The
"bent back" (101), which the narrator suspects to be a sign of physical
29 deformity, suggests the strong back of a camel, which in turn implies
Mosiko's moral strength.
The narrator's conclusion that Mosiko "could sit down and do nothing and yet be more powerful than the kommandant—general" (101), is partly true as well as ironical. This policy of exhibiting strength through a kind of
powerful immobility, Bosman argues, is precisely what the Boers should
adopt. Unfortunately the narrator believes it is Mosiko who would benefit from it, and not him and his fellow farmers.
Mosiko's polite offer to "prophesy" (102) for the "Baas" (102) elicits shock
on the part of the narrator, "for it was a deadly thing that the kaffir had said to the white rhan" (102). This shock is accompanied by a long pause.
What Bosman regards as being more "deadly" is the narrator's
overwhelming sense of identity that seems to intensify his moral blindness:
"but for a while I neither saw nor heard anything else" (102). The
narrator's behaviour fails to elude the sharpness of Bosman's eye for "the
absurd and incongruous in human behaviour" (Dickson 1975: 70).
Bosman's message is implied rather than explained in detail. For him
knowledge has never been a prerogative of a particular race.
30 The laughter that erupts immediately after Erasmus fails to 'boot' Mosiko heralds the latter's victory and the former's lapse into insignificance. This victory can be attributed to a variety of factors. The whites' tried and tested method of caricature and stereotype does not apply to Mosiko. Like an outcast he exists outside "the social and racial conventions which govern the Marico" (Lawson 1986: 152). Consequently he is immune to
Erasmus status as a prophet or white man: "Mosiko did not move, it did not seem as though he had heard anything Stephanus had said to him" (102).
Mosiko denies the white community the familiar situation in which they
have always defined themselves in relation to "kaffirs." To put it another way, the whites are unable to "maintain their many and saving illusions"
(Lawson 1986: 153).
While the narrator seems to derive personal satisfaction from Erasmus's
being a spent force, the author's concern is one that affects humanity in general. He regards the spontaneous laughter as an expression of
humanity and naturalness. It is a laughter that momentarily removes all forms of barriers between races: "we laughed loudly and uproariously.
You could have heard us right at the other side of the bult" (103). in this
sense the laughter dramatically signifies the endowment of both races with the capacity for forgiveness and reconciliation.
31 Bosman recognises the indisputable fact that the farmers are laughing at themselves, an exercise he justifiably recognises as being very healthy.
The insincerity of the narrator's remark, "it was only Erasmus' quarrel"
(101) becomes obvious when he later explains that "when we had finished laughing we got him to come back home" (103).
The author understands and sympathizes with the whites' fears that
"kaffirs" constitute a threat to white society. In "The Prophet" he sets out to illustrate vividly how this threat becomes a necessary condition for the survival and stability of the white community. Racial conflict always strengthens the sense of racial identity. Paradoxically, therefore, conflict is a unifying force.
In this story, the narrator's habitually intolerant attitude to the "kaffir" is gently elbowed aside by the author whose ironical views portray how indispensable the "kaffir" is in the iViarico. Simultaneously he seems to be urging the white community that perhaps it is "the right time to rebel against" (98) racial intolerance and attitudes.
32 CHAPTER FOUR
Representations of MllnorMes and Woman: "Spllendours from Ramoutsa" and "VeN MeAden"
There are several minority groups that are alluded to from time to time in
Mafeking Road. There are the Coloureds, the Germans, and the Jews — who share the Indian's passion for trade. The Coloureds are a "constant and visible reminder" (Dickson 1975: 128) that despite the social, legal and religious prohibitions that existed during the time that Bosman wrote his stories, love still occurred across the Colour Bar.
In "Marico Scandal," for instance, a rumour that the young bywoner Gawie
Erasmus is Coloured forces him to leave the Marico district forever. The fact that he leaves his pregnant girlfriend behind is an implicit indication that the whites are as much the victims of their own prejudices as are the supposed "Coloureds." It is never clear in the story whether Erasmus is of mixed race or not, but, whatever the truth of this (and Bosman's point surely is that it doesn't really matter), his lover will have to bear his child and struggle on alone against the prejudices of the society.
Women characters do not form a minority group in this collection, but they are portrayed as if they constitute one. Virtually all of them are identical regarding the role they play in the stories. It is in "Veld Maiden," however that the author symbolically unveils their function in relation to the narrator.
33 I shall return to a discussion of Bosman's treatment of women later in this
chapter. I wish first to consider his treatment of the Indian community.
Among all the minority racial groups the Indians stand out as the most
formidable in Bosman's stories. Although they are never presented as
central characters, their resilient character manifests itself in their ubiquity
as traders and shopkeepers. In this capacity they supply the Marico
community with most of their needs such as cattle-dip, axle grease, rolls of
barbed wire and blotting-paper.
There are three stories in Mafeking Road in which Indians make an
appearance: "Splendours from Ramoutsa," "Bechuanaland Interlude" and
"The Gramophone". Of the three, "Splendours from Ramoutsa" is the only
story in which the Indian vies for centre stage with the Afrikaner. In the
story the narrator's reputation as someone who can tell "better stories than
anybody else" (139) is suddenly threatened by "the Indian behind the
counter of the shop at Ramoutsa" (139). Reconciliation, however, is finally
achieved when the narrator realizes the futility of his racial prejudice.
34 Like "Mafeking Road," "Splendours from Ramoutsa" deploys a great deal of reflexive commentary on storytelling as an activity. It is therefore partly a story about the telling of stories — and, more particularly, Oom Schalk's abilities in this regard.
The Indian shopkeeper is portrayed as corrupt and greedy. We read that he regales his customers with stories "in between telling them that the price of sheep-dip and axle-grease had gone up" (141). The author, on the other hand, expresses his genuine concern at the general South African reading public's prejudice towards their own indigenous literature. He metaphorically exposes their readiness to embrace exotic literature at the expense of their own, through Oom Schalk who complains that "several farmers had hinted to me . . . that I would have to start putting more excitement into my stories if I wanted to keep in the fashion" (141). The narrator's concerns are more personal. He is piqued by the mere thought of being replaced by a member of a race who, in his opinion, does not belong to the Marico: ". . . I began to think that there was much reason in what some of the speakers said at election meetings about the Indian problem" (141). The racial nature of the narrator's complaint is corroborated by historical accounts of such prejudice. Surendra Bhana and
Bridglal Pachai (1984: 74) write that: "The new and competitive presence of Indians in the country created panic among the whites".
35 The narrator's jealousy becomes more obvious during his conversation with Krisjan Geel. He cannot accept the idea that Geel and the other farmers enjoy the Indian's stories: "It was foolish of him to have listened, of course, especially as I hadn't told it to him" (139). The narrator not only feels uncomfortable with the Indian's unexpected 'challenge,' he also
presumes that he is the only one who is in a position to judge what constitutes a good story: "I told him (Geel] straight out that I didn't think
much of it" (139). The narrator's jealousy becomes ridiculous when he
betrays his anger to Geel for listening to a story told by someone other than himself: "I wasn't going to allow him to impress me with a story told by an Indian" (140). The narrator's implication is that a story can only be appreciated by an audience that comes from the same cultural background as the narrator. At the same time Bosman is having fun at Lourens's expense.
The magnitude of the narrator's prejudice is such that it even affects his
memory. The narrator is unaware that he is being inconsistent regarding his comments and advice on storytelling. In "iViafeking Road" he advises
his audience that it is "not the story that counts but the way you tell it" (53).
In his discussion with Geel the narrator dismisses both the content and method of the Indian's story. This contradiction is confirmed in Bosman's
(1980: 34-36) article on Edgar Allan Poe, in which he explains that "it is
36 the spirit of a writer's work that is of significance, not the content, the subject matter."
The narrator's holier-than-thou attitude in "Splendours from Ramoutsa" is partly due to his taking advantage of Geel's absence. There is an element of exaggeration in his tone as he attempts to paraphrase Geel's responses during their discussion: "he had no doubt that I was right, but that the man who told him the story was only an Indian" (140). All the lies the narrator fabricates as reasons that "made it more difficult" (140) for the shopkeeper's being in a position to tell the story "properly" (140) are an attempt to conceal the personal confrontation between him and the shopkeeper: "Just because I had stopped buying from his shop after that unpleasantness about the coffee-beans and the sugar..." (140).
The narrator's complaint is a genuine one, he feels, since he has been (he claims) defrauded more than once by the Indian shopkeeper. It is the manner in which the narrator tries to resolve the conflict that unmasks another facet of his character. He is the kind of character who believes in an eye for an eye. He ironically accuses the Indian of resorting to "unfair methods" (141) in what he believes to be their storytelling contest.
37 The narrator is both an agitator and manipulator since he does not hesitate to involve the entire community in order to solve a personal problem. His unsuccessful attempt to agitate the other farmers to boycott the store at
Ramoutsa is an instance of this. He finds nothing sinister in his attempt to incite the entire farming community against the Indian shopkeeper.
Most of the narrator's exaggerations about Geel's Indian story are designed to achieve one obvious purpose, that of preserving his reputation. The fact that he boasts about it is proof of this: " . . . even though they all know that I can tell better stories than anybody else" (139).
Apart from his narrative skills Oom Schalk is potentially a dictator. This is what makes him such an unwilling listener. When he has an opinion that has to be expressed he does so in an authoritarian manner. Geel's sympathy for the Indian incenses Schalk to the extent that he resorts to intimidation: "So I spoke to him firmly" (140).
It is only at the beginning of the second half of the story that the narrator seems to adopt a more conciliatory attitude towards the "Indian problem"
(141):
But when I had thought it over carefully I knew it didn't matter. The Indian could tell all the stories he wanted to about a princess riding around on an
38 elephant. For there was one thing that I knew I could always do better than the Indian. Just in a few words, and without even talking about the princess, I would be able to let people know, ... subtly, what was in her heart. And this was more important than the palaces and the temples and the elephants with gold ornaments on their feet (141).
The narrator gives up his obsession for revenge because he fails to enlist
the support of fellow farmers, "as I explained to a number of my
neighbours" (140). But at the same time he realizes that his fears were
merely the figment of his inflamed imagination. True to his character, he
admits this indirectly: "Perhaps the Indian realised the truth of what I am
saying now . . . after a while he stopped wasting the time of his customers .
" (141). The "truth" (141) is that the narrator realizes that the
shopkeeper's stories about "palaces" and "rajahs" (141) would not diminish
his own ability to narrate stories. It also dawns on him that the Indian's
stories come from a different cultural background. His own stories are
more readily assimilable by his audience, he believes: "Just in a few words, and without even talking about the princess, I would be able to let people know, subtly, what was in her heart" (141). Initially the narrator had believed that the presence of "temples" and "elephants with gold
39 ornaments on their feet" in the Indian's stories was indicative of the fact that the latter had "hit on this uncalled for way of paying me back" (140).
The reasons for the Indian's abrupt cessation to his storytelling are ironical.
Firstly, the Indian is oblivious of any competition between himself and the narrator. Secondly, the cessation suggests the idea that the Indian narrator is as much obsessed with the "number of customers" (140) as Oom Schalk is addicted to telling stories to his fellow farmers. Although Oom Schalk makes the following remarks with the intention of scoring points for himself, there is some truth to them:
He also said that there were quite a number of customers in the place, and that made it more difficult for the Indian to tell the story properly, because he has to stand at such an awkward angle all the time weighing out things with his foot on the scale (140).
In this story points of agreement between author and narrator far outweigh those of difference. Metaphorically the author is expressing his disapproval of those writers or artists who venture outside their range. Regarding short story writing Bosman suggests that irrelevant details in a short story, no matter how spectacular they may be, remain an "empty discourse" (142) and therefore ridiculous. It is for this reason that the narrator dismisses Frik
40 Snyman's suggestion that he "mention that there was a procession . . . nearby when whatever you are talking about happened" in some of his stories (141). The narrator dismisses this and other similar suggestions by telling his listeners that "they were talking very foolishly" (141).
While the narrator remains firm and confident regarding his views on storytelling, he expresses doubt and uncertainty in certain areas. The nature and function of a short story is one such area in which he unwittingly exposes his ignorance. As usual the narrator is more interested in his personal achievements as a skilled narrator ". . . my story keeps him
[a farmer] from having to go to the borehole . . ." (139). In his view farmers listen to his stories only when they wish to avoid manual labour "in the hot sun" (139). In short, he is not so much accusing them of laziness as revelling at the thought that he is not the only one who is lazy. Oom Schalk even regards his indolence as less of a vice because he has to tell the story while others merely listen: "he [a farmer] can sit on the stoep and smoke his pipe and drink coffee, while I am talking . . ." (139). What seems to perplex the narrator is when people desire to listen to stories even when there is no "ploughing to be done and there are no barbed-wire fences to be put up" (139).
41 Bosman's own views on the role of a short story or literature in general differ from his narrator's. His belief is that the notion of a nation without its own indigenous literature is inconceivable. Being unable to find "other reasons" (139) why people listen to stories even when there is no hard work to be done, the narrator philosophically concludes that there is no answer to this: "these reasons are deeper than . . . the water in the boreholes when there is drought" (139).
Bosman seems to concur with the narrator on the question of the correlation between culture and literature. Bosman (1944: 88), writing in an article entitled "An Indigenous South African Culture is Unfolding," emphasizes this when he writes that: "the essential soul of a culture is that it must be indigenous" (88). This is why the narrator overcomes his racial prejudices the moment he becomes aware that stories of elephants decorated with "yellow and red hangings" (141), simply imply that they are part of Indian culture. This idea is corroborated during a brief confrontation in which the narrator accuses Geel of being unpatriotic. Lack of patience by both characters results in their talking at cross-purposes. This incongruity is also evident in the subtle but symbolic images of the
"princess" (140) and "pig" (140). Bosman tacitly agrees with the narrator on the absurdity of any artist who attempts to perform outside his range.
Bosman (1944: 89) also felt that a country must have its own literature as
42 well in order to make a distinctive contribution to world culture: "we [have] set something against which no type of colonial literature can hope to compete."
The rejection of "that unpleasantness about the coffee beans and sugar"
(140) forms another point of concurrence between author and narrator.
While the narrator regards the "unpleasantness" as an affront, the author is metaphorically and amusedly expressing his sympathy for any nation incapable of producing its own "stories." Such a nation, Bosman believes, remains vulnerable to "Kalahari sand in the sack of yellow sugar" or "pig's - mealie-meal" (140). In plain terms, the author advocates the production, development, and maintenance of one's culture and identity, as a guarantee against the intrusion of harmful influences.
In "Splendours from Ramoutsa" the portrayal of Indians is highly ironical.
Their greed and obsession with trade are contrasted with Oom Schalk's hypocrisy and iniquities. Contrary to the narrator's confidence ("I knew I could always do better than the Indian" (141)), Bosman regards the whole idea of competition between Boer and Indian as being of no consequence.
As he always does on all matters pertaining to race, Bosman expresses his well-considered verdict in a gentle spirit, "I knew it didn't matter" (141).
43 The lack of individuality in the portrayal of women characters in Mafeking
Road is another thorny issue that warrants a brief discussion. This particular view is confirmed by Michael Chapman (1986:191) who sums it up thus: "Bosman is also slapdash in his treatment of women characters."
In his portrayal of male characters Bosman succeeds extremely well in presenting male characters who are "individually delineated" (Roberts
1985: 154). There is hardly any doubt in the reader's mind as to the type of male character Bosman wants to depict. In her article entitled "The Women in Bosman's Short Stories," Roberts concludes that Bosman could "hardly create one solid, recognisable farming woman" (154). There is a divergence of opinion among the critics regarding Bosman's reason for the
"cliched depiction" (Roberts 1985: 155) of women. Roberts believes that the answer lies in the author's "sense of audience" (155). This line of argument leads her to conclude that Bosman's target was largely male, since men constituted the bulk of his readership at the time.
Edward Davis (1948: 69) attributes the "flatness and vagueness" of
Bosman's female characters to something else. In his view Bosman had no intention of explaining the "idiosyncrasies in his women characters." He argues that the author found women too "vital to be explored" (69) within the confines of a short story. It is not a simple matter to agree or disagree
44 with either view, as each one is valid up to a point; but Bosman's true intention seems to have eluded both critics.
The portrayal of "idiosyncrasies" or the "individuality" of the characters is not what the author is concerned about. His main focus is on the nature of the narrator's interaction with female characters. The role assigned to women in Mafeking Road seems to be restricted to the serving of coffee and betraying their husbands or being betrayed. A closer analysis, however, soon reveals that the narrator's interaction with the opposite sex always almost reveals a new trait in his character. "Veld Maiden" is the story that best illustrates this phenomenon.
The idea that the narrator admires his neighbour's young wife, Sannie, is ironically mentioned by the husband, Frans Welman: "'A Boer girl is good enough for ordinary fellows like me and Schalk Lourens'" (123). An alert reader is immediately aware that the narrator is not an ordinary fellow. He is a schemer who never misses an opportunity to get his own back. He has not forgiven his neighbour for not voting for him: "I hadn't a very high regard for Frans's judgment since the time he voted for the wrong man at the School Committee" (122). But this lack of respect for his neighbour does not make him stay away from his neighbour's farm. The 'reason' for this apparent contradiction between word and deed is betrayed by the
45 narrator's flimsy excuse that he "had no other neighbour within walking distance, and I had to go somewhere on a Sunday" (122).
The real reason for the narrator's consistent and frequent visits to "so irresponsible a person [who] should not be allowed to vote at all" (123), is his neighbour's wife, who is "young and pretty" (122). Considering himself too advanced in age to elope with Sannie, the narrator is content to admire the neighbour's "very shy" (122) wife from a distance. Old as he is, Oom
Schalk is "not above flirting with another man's wife" (Stopforth 1954:62).
The narrator's love and sympathy for Sannie affects him like the "ploughing sickness" (120) because "most of the time Sannie sat silent in the corner"
(122). The narrator's sympathy for Sannie is deepened by Welman's treatment of her. He treats his wife in the same manner as he would
"kaffirs" (122). The narrator's frustration at being unable to marry or rescue her is so severe that he starts talking about his neighbour's domestic matters in public: "it was something of a mild scandal the way he treated his wife . . ." (122). He attempts to persuade the artist, Johnny de Swardt, to label one of his "barren and stony" (121) pictures as showing Frans
Welman's farm. Although the narrator is poking fun at 'art,' this detail also reveals his resentment at his neighbour.
46 The arrival of De Swardt provides the narrator with a long-awaited opportunity for retaliation and 'rescuing' Sannie from the "hard man" (122).
This explains De Swardt and the narrator's visits to the Welman farm "on several Sundays in succession . . ." (122). De Swart and both Frans and
Sannie Welman remain in blissful ignorance of the narrator's manipulative
mind.
The author hints at the narrator's scheming nature in various subtle ways which Stopforth (1954: 62) refers to as "swift and subtle characterization."
When De Swardt shows Oom Schalk the nude picture of the "veld
maiden," he responds in a manner that reveals his hypocritical and
complicated character. "'But I am a broad-minded man. I have been once
in the bar in Zeerust and twice in the bioscope when I should have been
attending Nagmaal'" (121). He has no objection to viewing the nude picture
away from the public eye or the church in particular — "'If the predikant saw
it he would call it by other names" (121). This is why he does not hesitate
to "hang the remains of it openly on the wall in my voorhuis" (124).
The author seems to sense a contradiction in the narrator's views "on all
that nonsense about art" (122). Initially the narrator expresses his
disapproval of both the artist and the "art school" (122). The reason why he
does not hesitate to display the "remains" is obvious. He relies on his
47 imagination to complete the rest of the picture. The narrator's feelings for
Sannie are so persistent that he tacitly supports the young artist's "dream"
(121) the moment he senses his intentions: "I knew everything by the look he had in his eyes" (124). He deliberately goads the artist into discussing his paintings, in the presence of host and hostess, fully aware of the implications and consequences of his actions. During the course of the artist's explanations the narrator watches gleefully as the "Boer girl" (123)
"looked on the floor with her pretty cheeks very red" (123).
It is only in the last line that the reader becomes aware of the "real cure"
(120) that Oom Schalk has been yearning for: "it was quite a long time before he [Frans Welmanj gave up searching the Marico for his young wife." Schalk Lourens shows no remorse both for encouraging the elopement or withholding the information from his neighbour regarding the whereabouts of the "spirit of the veld" (123).
In "Veld Maiden" Sannie's interaction with the narrator directly and indirectly illuminates a variety of character traits in the latter. If the reader accepts the fact that the author intends the "veld maiden" to stand as a symbol for all the women in the Marico just as the narrator symbolically represents the men, it enables one to understand that women are as
"individually delineated" as their male counterparts.
48 CHAPTER IFNE
Conchgallon
I have tried to show that Bosman's success in his treatment of race
relations depends partly on his juxtaposing attitudes of characters from
different racial backgrounds. Much of this success, however, can be
attributed to his superb manipulation of his chief narrator. The narrator's
main duty is to refract other characters' speech and behaviour, giving the
reader startling new perspectives. In Mafeking Road the introduction of a fictional narrator serves as a literary device enabling Bosman to distance himself from the narrative. It is also an ideal method of recreating the milieu of the setting and capturing the ambience of Oom Schalk's direct and intimate contact with his audience. The narrator, therefore, becomes both participant and presenter in his own narration.
Bosman's short fiction shows the author's sharp awareness of the times in which he writes. The intensified sense of decay prevalent in the years following the Second Anglo—Boer War, as well as the tensions and power- struggle between English and Afrikaner, informs most stories in the
Mafeking Road collection.
49 Bosman is the first major South African writer in English to grapple with the thorny issue of racism in a sustained way. He regarded it as his moral duty as a writer to make the reader aware of the race-relations issue. The three principal stories in this collection constitute a substantial artistic documentation of race relations in South Africa then (and perhaps even today). These stories are a reminder that racial discrimination, if left unresolved, can have disastrous consequences for the country as a whole.
The thrust of these stories is towards greater equality in society.
The butt of Bosman's satire is frequently the moral blindness of his primary characters. This short-sightedness is often closely associated with a failure to relate on "equal and decent terms" (Gray 1986: 173) with their fellow black countrymen. Bosman has much to say about white justice, morals and religion. The way he pokes fun at sacred tradition reveals to the reader the hypocrisy of part of an Afrikaner tradition. But in his stories Bosman is dealing with universal human emotions and not with a particular racial group as H.I. Hugo (1985:161) explains: "Bosman never holds his characters, and by extension Afrikaners as a whole, up to malicious ridicule". This view is also confirmed by the narrator himself. At no stage does he allow anything that denigrates the Afrikaners, exposing them to the reader's condescension.
50 Bosman chose the Afrikaners for his material for obvious reasons. The
Afrikaners were a small farming community with a simple lifestyle. It was therefore not a complicated process to see them as having "a unified and patterned culture" (Wesselsl 973: 34). Stated differently, the Afrikaner community conformed to Bosman's idea of a complete community with
"accepted and fixed set of rules" (Wessels 1973: 34).
Although the three main stories in this collection deal with a variety of socially, politically and religiously related issues, all of them reveal
Bosman's interest in the root causes of racial tensions and conflict. In "The
Rooinek," for instance, the narrator supports the other farmers' initial decision not to accept Webber into their community simply because he is an 'Englishman.' The author however manages to convince the reader that friendship and loyalty can be a more powerful and beneficial association than racial affiliation.
"The Prophet" is a story in which Bosman explores race relations in human and not ideological or political terms. The narrator becomes one of the witnesses to the fact that the colour of a man's skin is not the best criterion or guiding principle with which to gauge his potential. Again
Bosman successfully but succinctly portrays some of the consequences of racial pride and prejudice.
51 In "Splendours from Ramoutsa" Bosman is able to show, at the narrator's expense, though, that different racial customs and traditions do not of necessity constitute a threat to each other. But it takes the narrator some time to come to the realization and acknowledgment of what the author
has known all along — namely that different races can co-exist without threatening one another's cultural identity.
In this discussion and analysis of the three principal stories another important dimension of Bosman's stories manifested itself. Any discerning reader would realize that Bosman's fiction is a plea to all human beings to emancipate themselves from all kinds of ignorance. This explains his sympathetic treatment of the subject of race-relations. His observation, at close quarters, of life in the Kilarico convinced him that violence, passion, scandal and suffering are part of the "everyday fabric of human existence"
(Siebert 1977: 9). In spite of all this he seems to be challenging South
African society then (and now) to scrutinise all kinds of behaviour and attitude that need change or modification.
In Mafeking Road Bosman does not pretend to have solutions to the moral issues he raises. Though not didactic in his approach Bosman shows, through Oom Schalk, an awareness that white and black experience are
52 inseparably bound up with another. In this sense Bosman is a writer- prophet who foresaw forgiveness and reconciliation.
There are, however, some critics who are still obsessed with the question, to what extent Bosman's short fiction is more 'regional' than 'universal' and vice versa, L.H. Hugo is one of those critics who has no illusions as regards Bosman's stature and reputation: "embedded for the most part in the soil of the Marico, they [Bosman's stories] are of course far more than regional studies" (1992: 168). This sentiment is echoed by Lionel
Abrahams when he writes,
Bosman's gifts were essentially playful. It was nearly always by playful means that he communicated his most moving and illuminating utterances. Not to see this is entirely to miss the central principle of Bosman's work. (quoted in ugo 1992: 161).
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