The theme if racism is furthermore used in “The Green Leaves”, racism is presented here when the policeman from “Europe” speaks to the community,
“How many times have I told you, that you must abandon this savage custom of butchering one another? Your-people are deaf”
The policeman asks a question to make it clear and to furthermore to downgrade their (the people) “vigilante laws”. The vocabulary used by the policeman like butchering compares the people to the animals they live with and eat, hence “racially” abusing them.
However the people in “The Green leaves” seem to show racism directed towards the foreigner when they gather up,
“We have ancestors-the white man has none.”
This verdict removes identity of the man and shows great unity amongst the tribe/community.
This theme of racism is again used by Alex la Guma in “Coffee for the Road”. Segregation plays a big role in this story,
“A foot-square hole where non whites were served”
All coloured or “non-whites” are to be placed somewhere else, from this we see there is a conflict between cultures, this is further proved as derogatory words are used-
“Coolies, kaffirs and Hottentots”
The writer expresses the whites I this story as racists that believe in “white supremacy” whereas on the other hand the protagonist (the Indian lady) is described as “handsome”. This shows the writers sympathy with this culture. As the story continues there is a sudden eruption of violence as a consequence of prejudice,
“…the thermos flask hurtled at the white woman. Bloody white thrash she cried. ‘Coolie yourself!’”.
This is again similar to “The Green Leaves” as there is prejudice aimed back at the original racist. The writer uses exclamation marks in the remarks aimed at the white people; this strengthens the force of the remark to the reader- to show the Indian women’s “angry tone” in her words.
There are also differences as well as similarities; the main character in “Coffee for the Road” is presented as a caring mum that fears for the safety of the children,
“You two behave your selves and there’ll be coffee. Don’t you want a cool drink?”
Where as the lady in “See me in me Benz and T’ing” is presented as materialistic and shallow she looks down on Jamaicans- very hypocritical, “you people”. She takes out her anger out on the maid and insults her, she continuously shows her authority and status wherever she can and tells her own people to look for employers, though she actually does not work but collects her fortune from her lover Carl. In “The Green Leaves”, he characters of the play are shown as united community, they perform rituals in order to make sure they have no ghosts haunting their village, their strong unity is clearly shown when Nyamundhe starts to sing;
“My lover the song of ochieng’...”
In “The Green Leaves” the author tells us the readers that the community carries out certain rituals; this shows us their culture,
“He put some on his hand and blew it in the direction of the gate”
Another main act of culture we see in this story is male dominance and female submission,
“…., but they dared not to talk”
In “Coffee for the Road”, the author presents the identity of protagonist as to her background, “handsome Indian face”. This gives the reader an insight as to what she might be going through, driving in a land dominated by white supremacy and segregation, “a bedamned coolie girl here!” There is a further aspect in this story that presents culture, “mind rattling like a stale nut”.
In the short story ‘See me in me Benz and T’ing”, there is a interracial relationship. The lady is Carl’s “possession” according to the way he treats her, she undergoes verbal and physical abuse but, however is rewarded by materialistic gestures. The lady has no self respect and treats her fellow countrymen as she would not want to be treated, she fears for her own life but against this she still has no independence. She tolerates abuse so she does not loose everything she has. People carry weapons in Jamaica, it has become cultural for violence to occur and for weapons to be carried, violence is an integral part of their culture. It has also become traditional for the lady to take “beating” leashed out by her husband,
“By their swoops for weapons that they were angry”
In conclusion, this essay has proved that each story revolves around culture, tradition and racism, without doubt reflecting the author’s background and upbringing. The writers, through setting and character lets the reader explore the unique, indifferent insight of others, whereby which we learnt that each author is mere product of society that through racism, violence and tradition, have altered intolerance in which the stories has been influenced by.
