‘The infant was very light and did not quickly grow darker as most African babies do.’
When Paulus found out about this, he was not very happy. He seemed almost ashamed – ashamed of his relationship with Thebedi. He was ashamed because Thebedi was from a different background and was not the same colour as him. He did not hide the fact that he had had relationships with white girls.
‘There was a pretty blonde who put her long hair into a kind of doughnut with a black ribbon round it, whom he took to see films.’
‘He took neighbours’ daughters to dances and to the drive-in cinema’
Paulus was so ashamed of the baby, that he killed it. He did not want the society to know that the baby wads his. This led to Paulus and Thebedi having to go to court. The first time, Thebedi said that Paulus had killed her baby, however, the second time she claimed that she hadn’t seen a thing, and that she didn’t see Paulus killing her baby.
First trial – ‘ She cried hysterically in the witness box, saying yes, yes (the glit hoop ear-rings swung in her ears), she saw the accused pouring liquid into the baby’s mouth.’
Second trial – ‘ She said she had not seen what the white man did in the house’
This story shows how Paulus and Thebedi had suffered for falling in love, all because of social pressures and racial discrimination.
Following this, I am going to discuss ‘Veronica’ by Adewale Maja-Peare. This story is about two people, Veronica and Okeke, who grew up together in the same village, but ended up leading very different lives because she was poorer than he was.
‘Her family had been even poorer than mine.’
Okeke became a doctor and moved away to the city, whereas Veronica stayed in the village and took care of her brothers and sisters until they too, moved away.
“What about your brothers and sisters?’
‘They are gone, all of them.”
Veronica got married and had a baby. Okeke comes back after some time, and suggests that she moves to the city, where she can improve her skills and get a well-paid job. However, she refuses to do so, because she feels that it is her duty to stay in the village and care for her husband and child.
“Yo would be better off in the city.’
‘This is my home, Okeke”
Veronica has the chance to go and make something out f her life, but instead of taking these chances, she simply states that the village is her home and she can’t leave due to the duties that she has.
“Yo can go to night school and become a secretary,’ I said.
She shook her head, ‘I leave that to others, my own place is here.”
This can be seen as discrimination relative to gender. Okeke, the make, got a good education which led to him becoming a successful doctor, whereas Veronica, the female, was expected to take responsibility for her family, and not have a very successful life.
Okeke – ‘I had won a scholarship in the university.’
Veronica – ‘I can’t just leave my family.’
This story shows how Veronica is putting pressure on herself, rather than being conditioned by culture and tradition. She has little faith in herself, which is stopping her from making something out of her life.
Finally, I am going to talk about ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ by Amrita Pritam. This story I about lovers suffering due to religious customs. Manak and Guleri had been married for seven years. By this time, Guleri had not yet given birth to a child. Manak’s mother did not approve of this, and arranged for Manak to marry another woman. All of this happens whilst Guleri is on her annual visit to her hometown, and she has no recognition of this until after the marriage. Manak does not agree with this at all, but he knows that he can’t say or do anything, because he must respect his mother.
“Why do yo croak like an old woman?’ said his mother severely, ‘Be a man.’
Manak wanted to retort, ‘Yo are a woman; why don’t yo cry like one for a change!’ But he remained silent.’
He tries to put up with it on the outside, but on the inside he is suffering greatly.
‘Manak’s body responded to the new woman, but his heart was dead within him.’
When Guleri hears of these happenings she is distraught and heartbroken. It is very unfair that both Manak and Guleri must suffer because Manak’s mother has to follow tradition, and that Manak is expected to do what his mother says. Guleri deals with this ordeal by killing herself.
“When she heard of your second marriage, she soaked her clothes in kerosene and set fire to them.”
This shows that Guleri knew that she could do nothing about the situation, as it was necessary for them both to obey and respect Manak’s mother and her wishes. She couldn’t handle this and was pressured into killing herself because she thought that there was no point in going on without love.
In the end, Manak’s new wife gives birth to a baby boy, which makes his mother extremely happy, but Manak is far from happy.
‘Manak began to scream. “Take him away!” he shrieked hysterically.’
This story shows how lovers have to suffer because they have little control over their lives, due to the fact that they are obliged to do what is expected by their elders and by culture.
All the stories that I have discussed have proved that the course of true love never did run smooth. They show that lovers are pressurised by culture and the societies in which they lived. This meant that were unable to have a successful relationship.
I agree that in the stories, the characters find their relationship problematic, due to cultural and social pressures.