A short fiction story by Nadine Gordimer questions the authority of a white man in Africa. An African landowner and head of a regional party, Marais Van der Vyver, has killed his Black worker. Even though it might appear unacceptable in today’s culture, it is consistent with the image of South Africa at that time, at least to an outsider.
To Europeans and Americans, who were somewhat supportive of white men’s privileged position there, a black person being shot by a farmer is of no great concern (Gordimer, 1991). This is why Van Vyver, being a white man himself, conceals the reality of what occurred on that day. Van der Vyver hides his feelings, and it is revealed in the story that he is much closer to the black person than one can initially anticipate.
As I read the story, it swiftly became apparent that Gordimer advocates against racism and discrimination. Nevertheless, Van der Vyver is not portrayed as a wrong person. The first notion readers can notice is the fact that the protagonist wept at the police station (Gordimer, 1991). I concluded that I did not have enough information to judge the character. Another notion is that Van der Vyver financially provided for the funeral, a fit that black people there did not see often (Gordimer, 1991).
Furthermore, as Gordimer switches to flashbacks, she details how Van der Vyver and the victim communicated, showing no animosity between the two. Finally, in the story’s last lines, it is revealed that the dead person was actually a son of Van der Vyver (Gordimer, 1991). The latter, thus, cannot reveal his feelings due to societal opinion on interracial marriage.
This revelation allowed me to fully grasp the picture behind the accident, which made sympathizing with Van der Vyver much more accessible than at the beginning of the story. Every subsequent detail increased my understanding and, to some extent, relatedness I felt to the character. This way, the story educated me on how valuable thorough research might be before making a decision, and I believe this lesson is precious in today’s world.
Reference
Gordimer, N. (1991). The moment before the gun went off. Genius. Web.