'The Train from Rhodesia' Discuss the theme of exploitation in the story.

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Sarah Holden 10AT                        

Essay Question 1

                        ‘The Train from Rhodesia’

                                Nadine Gordimer

Discuss the theme of exploitation in the story.

Exploitation is a main theme in the story. Some examples of this are the following;

The newly-weds are on a train which runs through Rhodesia. The woman is looking at the souvenirs that are on offer at the train station, this is where she sees a sculpture of a lion that she falls in love with. Most of the exploitation takes place between the husband and the sculptor. But, the first sign of exploitation is actually between the wife and the sculptor, she may not know that she is doing it though.

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It takes place in lines 32-33 ‘...her hand commanded...’ This suggests that she thinks that she is in control, and has more authority than the sculptor does. She expects her wishes to be carried out by anyone whom she emits them to. She seems very enthusiastic about the sculpture as soon as she sees it, Nadine Gordimer, the author, goes into great detail about the lion almost as if she wants to put the reader in the wife’s place an to try and get us as excited as she herself was. Finally, in line 78 after much pondering, the woman ...

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