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Hi, let me list the ones OCR seem to have in mind (I don't really agree with them all and most of them are pretty facile to be honest, but hey):
That of course is rather dull and unhelpful, so here follows a more complete summary for you (sorry if it's a bit poorly syntaxed, I wrote it in a hurry a while ago).
Line Quotation Commentary
2 little brick station Together with the ‘grey mud huts’, the ‘grey tin house’ and the
endless dust, this image lays emphasis on the isolation and poverty
the area.
3 venders Craftsmen who sell their wares - crude carved animals – to those
wealthier travellers who pass through the village.
6 skin stretched Again, the idea of poverty, but also the litheness and energy of the
like parchment native Africans
8 kraal an Afrikaans word indicating an enclosure for animals. The use
of a local word gives an authentic feel to the story. It may also suggest an
enclosed people, denied the freedom of movement represented by the train. BUT….
9 sand…sea…sky This impressionistic collage gives their world a sense of space and life.
But have they any energy left? Or have they been entirely subjugated to a
lifestyle in which carving wooden animals for tourists is their only means of support?
13 They waited Notice how the author insists on the idea of time being suspended.
The sense of anticipation is made greater by the way this line is isolated from the rest of the paragraph.
14 The train called out The first indication (unless you include ‘bore down on them’ in line 1)
of the way the train is viewed: as a living organism. Later in the story (37) it is called ‘the resting beast’, and its departure at the end (116) is compared to a snake casting its skin. In this way does the train symbolize something greater and more powerful than the skinny, lithe, African craftsmen who surround it, or something cumbersome and out-of-place?
15 to let it in … Again, the raw power of the train is such that it appears to take over
the minuscule station of the indigenous Africans.
16 Creaking, jerking etc Notice how the participles accentuate the sense of heavy movement.
17 Here, let me see that The woman’s first words. two things to notice: 1) The absence of
one quotation marks throughout the story. Perhaps this adds to the general
impression that the author is dealing with thoughts, emotions, and behaviour rather than speech itself. 2) The abrupt manner in which she demands to see the carving.
20 her hand commanded Again, that abruptness and superiority of behaviour.
20 It was a lion… The lion is to become the centrepiece of the story. Whether or not to
buy it is the essential question. (29, 49, 83) To do so would mark a contract between the woman and the ‘vender’, and also between the woman and her husband. To reject the lion might mean to reject somethin of value, which might be regretted later. As we shall see later, the problem is given an additional twist.
21 like spongecake i.e. soft (cheap?); but we are also reminded of her white European
cultural values (spongecake = tea on the lawn, Vicar?)
22 not from the heart, Before we get too sentimental, we are reminded of the merchant’s view of
but at the customer things. What value does he place on this sale? Or is there a hint of
seduction here? Her husband seems to think so – from the manner in
which he speaks.
24 a real mane, majestic Interesting: the crude toy has had real fur added – as a sign of its
authenticity? or is it a symbol of something more – of life, vitality?
27 the fantasy a wonderful menagerie of carved animals. But to what extent are these
animals really ‘a fantasy’ to the train-travellers?
29 showed no fear what impression of the native Africans do the carved figurines give?
34 behind glass What is going on behind the glass? drinking beer … the cooking of meat
and onion … the lives of the travellers, who are, as it were, hermetically
sealed off from the lives of the native Africans.
35 pale dead flower But the lives of the travellers are, by comparison, lifeless and dull.
37 complaint of the
resting beast The train itself. Why beast? Why complaint?
42 caged faces, boxed in, Again, the image of two separate sets of people,
cut off with different cultural values and different lives (see 34)
43 chocolate The train-travellers are depicted as self-interested and ungenerous: even
though the act is apparently charitable, they are not prepared to give
money; and the chocolate is given not out of kindness, but because
‘It wasn’t very nice’.
50 Three and six Three shillings and sixpence, the price asked (we suppose) by the
African, is considered too much to pay by the woman’s ‘incredulous’
husband. But the strong implication is that they could easily afford it.
51 Yes baas! ‘Yes, boss’ Boss is an affectionate term for ‘the white man’.
But it reminds us that the relationship between black and white in Africa
was one of white domination.
52 No, never mind… Why does the wife respond in this way? Is she, for example, in
agreement that the lion is overpriced? or does she suddenly feel
embarrassed by the whole business of buying and bartering?
55 coupé The travelling carriage - a rather posh word.
56 sand and bush…
…a thorn tree These isolated images of landscape (see note above) are playing in her
mind.
56 past … her husband Again, her thoughts are elsewhere.
60 What will they mean What indeed? This sentence encapsulates the essence of the story.
away from the places The author aks an important question. Are these two societies
you found them? sympathetic or compatible? BUT ALSO
she is about to ask an even more important one. –
are the husband and wife sympathetic or compatible?
62 He is not part of the Is the marriage at all secure? What is the tone of ‘for good’?
unreality; he is for
good now.
64 Outside, a bell rang The bell summons us back to the train and its imminent departure.
66 safe from the … Again, the idea of two worlds: that of the train, and that of the village.
69 Behind the flyscreen Rather like ‘behind glass’ (34) but seen from the other side, now...
71 the segmented body Again, the train is depicted as some great lumbering beast (or insect)
quite out of place.
76 gasping…splaying The old African’s desperation for the money…Did he expect to be
short-changed? Throwing the lion before checking the money was an act
of faith.
82 blind…helplessly Carriages can only blindly follow along the tracks that are pre-
determined. Are the people within the train equally blind and helpless?
From another camera-angle, we shall now find out...
83 triumph But it’s a hollow victory
88 the wonderful …fur She is attracted by that most of all – the sign of the lion’s vitality
and power, and of the craftsman’s ‘delight’ in making it (see line 25)
94 impotence of anger i.e. the powerlessness that often accompanies great emotion.
95 Why didn’t you take The paradox of this story is that she has been given a gift
it decently…? intended to strengthen her bond with her husband, but the manner
in which he bought it at the expense of the African’s dignity only makes
her husband appear weaker.
96 One-and-six! The price he actually paid for it now becomes a taunting, mocking cry
of complaint, the start of his young wife’s tirade of anger against him.
97 his hands hanging
at his sides The husband’s total bewilderment is shown is his weakened posture.
107 heat of shame… The effects on her are physical too… she feels sick and weary (108);
and psychological, as she realizes the emptiness of her marriage. The
words ‘void’ and ‘atrophy’ (=decay) (109) both suggest this.
113 Smuts Soot blowing in from outside the train. Why might this final image of
dirt be appropriate? Maybe the image of dirt encroaching into the carriage represents her feeling of guilt about the bartering for the lion?
I hope all this stuff is helpful. Good luck in the exam tomorrow!
Eric
•
White and Black people lead incompatible lives.
•
White people are privileged and black people have to endure poverty.
•
White people have power over black people who are humiliatingly dependent on them.
•
White people exploit the creative skills of black people
•
Some white people feel guilty about the exploitation of black Africans
•
White Europeans can never really be part of South Africa; they are just passing through.
That of course is rather dull and unhelpful, so here follows a more complete summary for you (sorry if it's a bit poorly syntaxed, I wrote it in a hurry a while ago).
Line Quotation Commentary
2 little brick station Together with the ‘grey mud huts’, the ‘grey tin house’ and the
endless dust, this image lays emphasis on the isolation and poverty
the area.
3 venders Craftsmen who sell their wares - crude carved animals – to those
wealthier travellers who pass through the village.
6 skin stretched Again, the idea of poverty, but also the litheness and energy of the
like parchment native Africans
8 kraal an Afrikaans word indicating an enclosure for animals. The use
of a local word gives an authentic feel to the story. It may also suggest an
enclosed people, denied the freedom of movement represented by the train. BUT….
9 sand…sea…sky This impressionistic collage gives their world a sense of space and life.
But have they any energy left? Or have they been entirely subjugated to a
lifestyle in which carving wooden animals for tourists is their only means of support?
13 They waited Notice how the author insists on the idea of time being suspended.
The sense of anticipation is made greater by the way this line is isolated from the rest of the paragraph.
14 The train called out The first indication (unless you include ‘bore down on them’ in line 1)
of the way the train is viewed: as a living organism. Later in the story (37) it is called ‘the resting beast’, and its departure at the end (116) is compared to a snake casting its skin. In this way does the train symbolize something greater and more powerful than the skinny, lithe, African craftsmen who surround it, or something cumbersome and out-of-place?
15 to let it in … Again, the raw power of the train is such that it appears to take over
the minuscule station of the indigenous Africans.
16 Creaking, jerking etc Notice how the participles accentuate the sense of heavy movement.
17 Here, let me see that The woman’s first words. two things to notice: 1) The absence of
one quotation marks throughout the story. Perhaps this adds to the general
impression that the author is dealing with thoughts, emotions, and behaviour rather than speech itself. 2) The abrupt manner in which she demands to see the carving.
20 her hand commanded Again, that abruptness and superiority of behaviour.
20 It was a lion… The lion is to become the centrepiece of the story. Whether or not to
buy it is the essential question. (29, 49, 83) To do so would mark a contract between the woman and the ‘vender’, and also between the woman and her husband. To reject the lion might mean to reject somethin of value, which might be regretted later. As we shall see later, the problem is given an additional twist.
21 like spongecake i.e. soft (cheap?); but we are also reminded of her white European
cultural values (spongecake = tea on the lawn, Vicar?)
22 not from the heart, Before we get too sentimental, we are reminded of the merchant’s view of
but at the customer things. What value does he place on this sale? Or is there a hint of
seduction here? Her husband seems to think so – from the manner in
which he speaks.
24 a real mane, majestic Interesting: the crude toy has had real fur added – as a sign of its
authenticity? or is it a symbol of something more – of life, vitality?
27 the fantasy a wonderful menagerie of carved animals. But to what extent are these
animals really ‘a fantasy’ to the train-travellers?
29 showed no fear what impression of the native Africans do the carved figurines give?
34 behind glass What is going on behind the glass? drinking beer … the cooking of meat
and onion … the lives of the travellers, who are, as it were, hermetically
sealed off from the lives of the native Africans.
35 pale dead flower But the lives of the travellers are, by comparison, lifeless and dull.
37 complaint of the
resting beast The train itself. Why beast? Why complaint?
42 caged faces, boxed in, Again, the image of two separate sets of people,
cut off with different cultural values and different lives (see 34)
43 chocolate The train-travellers are depicted as self-interested and ungenerous: even
though the act is apparently charitable, they are not prepared to give
money; and the chocolate is given not out of kindness, but because
‘It wasn’t very nice’.
50 Three and six Three shillings and sixpence, the price asked (we suppose) by the
African, is considered too much to pay by the woman’s ‘incredulous’
husband. But the strong implication is that they could easily afford it.
51 Yes baas! ‘Yes, boss’ Boss is an affectionate term for ‘the white man’.
But it reminds us that the relationship between black and white in Africa
was one of white domination.
52 No, never mind… Why does the wife respond in this way? Is she, for example, in
agreement that the lion is overpriced? or does she suddenly feel
embarrassed by the whole business of buying and bartering?
55 coupé The travelling carriage - a rather posh word.
56 sand and bush…
…a thorn tree These isolated images of landscape (see note above) are playing in her
mind.
56 past … her husband Again, her thoughts are elsewhere.
60 What will they mean What indeed? This sentence encapsulates the essence of the story.
away from the places The author aks an important question. Are these two societies
you found them? sympathetic or compatible? BUT ALSO
she is about to ask an even more important one. –
are the husband and wife sympathetic or compatible?
62 He is not part of the Is the marriage at all secure? What is the tone of ‘for good’?
unreality; he is for
good now.
64 Outside, a bell rang The bell summons us back to the train and its imminent departure.
66 safe from the … Again, the idea of two worlds: that of the train, and that of the village.
69 Behind the flyscreen Rather like ‘behind glass’ (34) but seen from the other side, now...
71 the segmented body Again, the train is depicted as some great lumbering beast (or insect)
quite out of place.
76 gasping…splaying The old African’s desperation for the money…Did he expect to be
short-changed? Throwing the lion before checking the money was an act
of faith.
82 blind…helplessly Carriages can only blindly follow along the tracks that are pre-
determined. Are the people within the train equally blind and helpless?
From another camera-angle, we shall now find out...
83 triumph But it’s a hollow victory
88 the wonderful …fur She is attracted by that most of all – the sign of the lion’s vitality
and power, and of the craftsman’s ‘delight’ in making it (see line 25)
94 impotence of anger i.e. the powerlessness that often accompanies great emotion.
95 Why didn’t you take The paradox of this story is that she has been given a gift
it decently…? intended to strengthen her bond with her husband, but the manner
in which he bought it at the expense of the African’s dignity only makes
her husband appear weaker.
96 One-and-six! The price he actually paid for it now becomes a taunting, mocking cry
of complaint, the start of his young wife’s tirade of anger against him.
97 his hands hanging
at his sides The husband’s total bewilderment is shown is his weakened posture.
107 heat of shame… The effects on her are physical too… she feels sick and weary (108);
and psychological, as she realizes the emptiness of her marriage. The
words ‘void’ and ‘atrophy’ (=decay) (109) both suggest this.
113 Smuts Soot blowing in from outside the train. Why might this final image of
dirt be appropriate? Maybe the image of dirt encroaching into the carriage represents her feeling of guilt about the bartering for the lion?
I hope all this stuff is helpful. Good luck in the exam tomorrow!
Eric
Plot:
A train pulls up at a remote African station. Local people wander over in curiosity, selling goods and trying to get money from the people on the train. A newly married woman sees a wooden lion and admires its splendour and beauty.
She does not buy it, however. She has a flashback of the first few weeks of married life. It seems that she does not know her husband particularly well.
The train pulls off, and slowly crawls along the track. The woman’s husband dashes into her cabin and waves the lion in her face. He has bought it despite her wishes for him not to. They start arguing about the cost of the lion; she believes its worth more. He does not understand that she handed the loin back to the vendor out of respect for its beauty and can’t understand why she is so angry that he got it so cheaply. Their lack of understanding suggests that this marriage won’t work.
Characters:
The young woman on the train is at the centre of the story; the reader is told her thoughts and feelings. She is quite a sensitive person, admiring the beauty of the carved lion and appreciating the skill that went into making it.
She seems to be unhappy with herself and her life; she suffers a feeling of emptiness that she thought was to do with being single and lonely. Her recent marriage doesn’t seem real to her, just part of the holiday experience. She feels powerless and frustrated. The end of the story suggests that marriage was a mistake.
Of all the whites in the story, she alone has a conscience, feeling shame at the way the black artist is treated by her new husband. Her feelings suggest that the whites have little culture or spiritual happiness in their lives; they are empty people unlike the blacks who seem full of life.
• If you wanted the thing, she said, her voice rising and breaking with the shrill impotence of anger, why didn’t you buy it in the first place? If you wanted it, why didn’t you pay for it? Why didn’t you take it decently, when he offered it? (151-154)
• The heat of shame mounted through her legs and body and sounded in her ears like the sound of sand pouring…She sat there, sick. A weariness, a tastlessness, the discovery of a void made her hands slacken their grip, atrophy emptily…She was feeling like this again…(171-178)
Her husband, the young man, is a shallow figure in the story. He perhaps represents the majority of white men who don’t care about the native population and who happily take advantage of them. He is not a particularly sensitive person; he doesn’t appreciate the carving or understand his new wife’s frustration. He has little in the way of integrity or soul.
• ‘The young man swung in from the corridor, breathless. He was shaking his head with laughter and triumph’ (134/135)
• ‘He laughed. I was arguing with him for fun, bargaining’
• ‘He was shocked by the dismay of her face’ (148/149) ‘He stood astonished, his hands hanging at his sides’ ( 158)
The carved lion, although not a human, is still a powerful figure in the story. It symbolises the culture of the local black population, powerful, dignified, fearless, proud.
• ‘Between its vandyke teeth, in the mouth opened in an endless roar too terrible to be heard, it had a black tongue…round the neck of the thing, a piece of fur; a real mane, majestic, telling you somehow that the artist had delight in the lion’ (36-41)
Themes:
An obvious theme in the story is the difference between rich and poor. The whites live very comfortably; they drink beer and eat chocolate. The smell of their cooking food tortures the starving dogs. The locals, however, have no luxuries. The children go barefoot, dried meat hangs from the roofs, dogs and chickens have ‘their skin stretched like parchment over their bones’.
This situation is reversed in terms of culture; the black artists produce work that celebrates their heritage and the landscape and wildlife around them, they laugh and joke, showing signs of enjoying life – despite their poverty they are rich in life. The whites seem poor in culture. They don’t seem particularly happy with each other or themselves, they are cut off and isolated from the real world, being behind glass on the train, the flower meant to be decorating the window is dead. For all their money, they are poor in spirit.
Connections:
• Poverty: Nak in The Gold-Legged Frog; the Dovecot family in The Pieces of Silver; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball
• Isolation: The couple in The Tall Woman; Bolan in The Red Ball; Cathy in The Young Couple; Ravi in Games at Twilight
• Couples: Cathy and Naraian in The Young Couple; The Tall Woman and her Short Husband; Neo and Kegoletile in Snapshots of a Wedding
A train pulls up at a remote African station. Local people wander over in curiosity, selling goods and trying to get money from the people on the train. A newly married woman sees a wooden lion and admires its splendour and beauty.
She does not buy it, however. She has a flashback of the first few weeks of married life. It seems that she does not know her husband particularly well.
The train pulls off, and slowly crawls along the track. The woman’s husband dashes into her cabin and waves the lion in her face. He has bought it despite her wishes for him not to. They start arguing about the cost of the lion; she believes its worth more. He does not understand that she handed the loin back to the vendor out of respect for its beauty and can’t understand why she is so angry that he got it so cheaply. Their lack of understanding suggests that this marriage won’t work.
Characters:
The young woman on the train is at the centre of the story; the reader is told her thoughts and feelings. She is quite a sensitive person, admiring the beauty of the carved lion and appreciating the skill that went into making it.
She seems to be unhappy with herself and her life; she suffers a feeling of emptiness that she thought was to do with being single and lonely. Her recent marriage doesn’t seem real to her, just part of the holiday experience. She feels powerless and frustrated. The end of the story suggests that marriage was a mistake.
Of all the whites in the story, she alone has a conscience, feeling shame at the way the black artist is treated by her new husband. Her feelings suggest that the whites have little culture or spiritual happiness in their lives; they are empty people unlike the blacks who seem full of life.
• If you wanted the thing, she said, her voice rising and breaking with the shrill impotence of anger, why didn’t you buy it in the first place? If you wanted it, why didn’t you pay for it? Why didn’t you take it decently, when he offered it? (151-154)
• The heat of shame mounted through her legs and body and sounded in her ears like the sound of sand pouring…She sat there, sick. A weariness, a tastlessness, the discovery of a void made her hands slacken their grip, atrophy emptily…She was feeling like this again…(171-178)
Her husband, the young man, is a shallow figure in the story. He perhaps represents the majority of white men who don’t care about the native population and who happily take advantage of them. He is not a particularly sensitive person; he doesn’t appreciate the carving or understand his new wife’s frustration. He has little in the way of integrity or soul.
• ‘The young man swung in from the corridor, breathless. He was shaking his head with laughter and triumph’ (134/135)
• ‘He laughed. I was arguing with him for fun, bargaining’
• ‘He was shocked by the dismay of her face’ (148/149) ‘He stood astonished, his hands hanging at his sides’ ( 158)
The carved lion, although not a human, is still a powerful figure in the story. It symbolises the culture of the local black population, powerful, dignified, fearless, proud.
• ‘Between its vandyke teeth, in the mouth opened in an endless roar too terrible to be heard, it had a black tongue…round the neck of the thing, a piece of fur; a real mane, majestic, telling you somehow that the artist had delight in the lion’ (36-41)
Themes:
An obvious theme in the story is the difference between rich and poor. The whites live very comfortably; they drink beer and eat chocolate. The smell of their cooking food tortures the starving dogs. The locals, however, have no luxuries. The children go barefoot, dried meat hangs from the roofs, dogs and chickens have ‘their skin stretched like parchment over their bones’.
This situation is reversed in terms of culture; the black artists produce work that celebrates their heritage and the landscape and wildlife around them, they laugh and joke, showing signs of enjoying life – despite their poverty they are rich in life. The whites seem poor in culture. They don’t seem particularly happy with each other or themselves, they are cut off and isolated from the real world, being behind glass on the train, the flower meant to be decorating the window is dead. For all their money, they are poor in spirit.
Connections:
• Poverty: Nak in The Gold-Legged Frog; the Dovecot family in The Pieces of Silver; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball
• Isolation: The couple in The Tall Woman; Bolan in The Red Ball; Cathy in The Young Couple; Ravi in Games at Twilight
• Couples: Cathy and Naraian in The Young Couple; The Tall Woman and her Short Husband; Neo and Kegoletile in Snapshots of a Wedding
Hi
This is SO GOOD and exactly what I needed?
does anyone know where to find similiar information like this on the other stories/
This is SO GOOD and exactly what I needed?
does anyone know where to find similiar information like this on the other stories/
Original post by ericbobson
Hi, let me list the ones OCR seem to have in mind (I don't really agree with them all and most of them are pretty facile to be honest, but hey):
That of course is rather dull and unhelpful, so here follows a more complete summary for you (sorry if it's a bit poorly syntaxed, I wrote it in a hurry a while ago).
Line Quotation Commentary
2 little brick station Together with the ‘grey mud huts’, the ‘grey tin house’ and the
endless dust, this image lays emphasis on the isolation and poverty
the area.
3 venders Craftsmen who sell their wares - crude carved animals – to those
wealthier travellers who pass through the village.
6 skin stretched Again, the idea of poverty, but also the litheness and energy of the
like parchment native Africans
8 kraal an Afrikaans word indicating an enclosure for animals. The use
of a local word gives an authentic feel to the story. It may also suggest an
enclosed people, denied the freedom of movement represented by the train. BUT….
9 sand…sea…sky This impressionistic collage gives their world a sense of space and life.
But have they any energy left? Or have they been entirely subjugated to a
lifestyle in which carving wooden animals for tourists is their only means of support?
13 They waited Notice how the author insists on the idea of time being suspended.
The sense of anticipation is made greater by the way this line is isolated from the rest of the paragraph.
14 The train called out The first indication (unless you include ‘bore down on them’ in line 1)
of the way the train is viewed: as a living organism. Later in the story (37) it is called ‘the resting beast’, and its departure at the end (116) is compared to a snake casting its skin. In this way does the train symbolize something greater and more powerful than the skinny, lithe, African craftsmen who surround it, or something cumbersome and out-of-place?
15 to let it in … Again, the raw power of the train is such that it appears to take over
the minuscule station of the indigenous Africans.
16 Creaking, jerking etc Notice how the participles accentuate the sense of heavy movement.
17 Here, let me see that The woman’s first words. two things to notice: 1) The absence of
one quotation marks throughout the story. Perhaps this adds to the general
impression that the author is dealing with thoughts, emotions, and behaviour rather than speech itself. 2) The abrupt manner in which she demands to see the carving.
20 her hand commanded Again, that abruptness and superiority of behaviour.
20 It was a lion… The lion is to become the centrepiece of the story. Whether or not to
buy it is the essential question. (29, 49, 83) To do so would mark a contract between the woman and the ‘vender’, and also between the woman and her husband. To reject the lion might mean to reject somethin of value, which might be regretted later. As we shall see later, the problem is given an additional twist.
21 like spongecake i.e. soft (cheap?); but we are also reminded of her white European
cultural values (spongecake = tea on the lawn, Vicar?)
22 not from the heart, Before we get too sentimental, we are reminded of the merchant’s view of
but at the customer things. What value does he place on this sale? Or is there a hint of
seduction here? Her husband seems to think so – from the manner in
which he speaks.
24 a real mane, majestic Interesting: the crude toy has had real fur added – as a sign of its
authenticity? or is it a symbol of something more – of life, vitality?
27 the fantasy a wonderful menagerie of carved animals. But to what extent are these
animals really ‘a fantasy’ to the train-travellers?
29 showed no fear what impression of the native Africans do the carved figurines give?
34 behind glass What is going on behind the glass? drinking beer … the cooking of meat
and onion … the lives of the travellers, who are, as it were, hermetically
sealed off from the lives of the native Africans.
35 pale dead flower But the lives of the travellers are, by comparison, lifeless and dull.
37 complaint of the
resting beast The train itself. Why beast? Why complaint?
42 caged faces, boxed in, Again, the image of two separate sets of people,
cut off with different cultural values and different lives (see 34)
43 chocolate The train-travellers are depicted as self-interested and ungenerous: even
though the act is apparently charitable, they are not prepared to give
money; and the chocolate is given not out of kindness, but because
‘It wasn’t very nice’.
50 Three and six Three shillings and sixpence, the price asked (we suppose) by the
African, is considered too much to pay by the woman’s ‘incredulous’
husband. But the strong implication is that they could easily afford it.
51 Yes baas! ‘Yes, boss’ Boss is an affectionate term for ‘the white man’.
But it reminds us that the relationship between black and white in Africa
was one of white domination.
52 No, never mind… Why does the wife respond in this way? Is she, for example, in
agreement that the lion is overpriced? or does she suddenly feel
embarrassed by the whole business of buying and bartering?
55 coupé The travelling carriage - a rather posh word.
56 sand and bush…
…a thorn tree These isolated images of landscape (see note above) are playing in her
mind.
56 past … her husband Again, her thoughts are elsewhere.
60 What will they mean What indeed? This sentence encapsulates the essence of the story.
away from the places The author aks an important question. Are these two societies
you found them? sympathetic or compatible? BUT ALSO
she is about to ask an even more important one. –
are the husband and wife sympathetic or compatible?
62 He is not part of the Is the marriage at all secure? What is the tone of ‘for good’?
unreality; he is for
good now.
64 Outside, a bell rang The bell summons us back to the train and its imminent departure.
66 safe from the … Again, the idea of two worlds: that of the train, and that of the village.
69 Behind the flyscreen Rather like ‘behind glass’ (34) but seen from the other side, now...
71 the segmented body Again, the train is depicted as some great lumbering beast (or insect)
quite out of place.
76 gasping…splaying The old African’s desperation for the money…Did he expect to be
short-changed? Throwing the lion before checking the money was an act
of faith.
82 blind…helplessly Carriages can only blindly follow along the tracks that are pre-
determined. Are the people within the train equally blind and helpless?
From another camera-angle, we shall now find out...
83 triumph But it’s a hollow victory
88 the wonderful …fur She is attracted by that most of all – the sign of the lion’s vitality
and power, and of the craftsman’s ‘delight’ in making it (see line 25)
94 impotence of anger i.e. the powerlessness that often accompanies great emotion.
95 Why didn’t you take The paradox of this story is that she has been given a gift
it decently…? intended to strengthen her bond with her husband, but the manner
in which he bought it at the expense of the African’s dignity only makes
her husband appear weaker.
96 One-and-six! The price he actually paid for it now becomes a taunting, mocking cry
of complaint, the start of his young wife’s tirade of anger against him.
97 his hands hanging
at his sides The husband’s total bewilderment is shown is his weakened posture.
107 heat of shame… The effects on her are physical too… she feels sick and weary (108);
and psychological, as she realizes the emptiness of her marriage. The
words ‘void’ and ‘atrophy’ (=decay) (109) both suggest this.
113 Smuts Soot blowing in from outside the train. Why might this final image of
dirt be appropriate? Maybe the image of dirt encroaching into the carriage represents her feeling of guilt about the bartering for the lion?
I hope all this stuff is helpful. Good luck in the exam tomorrow!
Eric
•
White and Black people lead incompatible lives.
•
White people are privileged and black people have to endure poverty.
•
White people have power over black people who are humiliatingly dependent on them.
•
White people exploit the creative skills of black people
•
Some white people feel guilty about the exploitation of black Africans
•
White Europeans can never really be part of South Africa; they are just passing through.
That of course is rather dull and unhelpful, so here follows a more complete summary for you (sorry if it's a bit poorly syntaxed, I wrote it in a hurry a while ago).
Line Quotation Commentary
2 little brick station Together with the ‘grey mud huts’, the ‘grey tin house’ and the
endless dust, this image lays emphasis on the isolation and poverty
the area.
3 venders Craftsmen who sell their wares - crude carved animals – to those
wealthier travellers who pass through the village.
6 skin stretched Again, the idea of poverty, but also the litheness and energy of the
like parchment native Africans
8 kraal an Afrikaans word indicating an enclosure for animals. The use
of a local word gives an authentic feel to the story. It may also suggest an
enclosed people, denied the freedom of movement represented by the train. BUT….
9 sand…sea…sky This impressionistic collage gives their world a sense of space and life.
But have they any energy left? Or have they been entirely subjugated to a
lifestyle in which carving wooden animals for tourists is their only means of support?
13 They waited Notice how the author insists on the idea of time being suspended.
The sense of anticipation is made greater by the way this line is isolated from the rest of the paragraph.
14 The train called out The first indication (unless you include ‘bore down on them’ in line 1)
of the way the train is viewed: as a living organism. Later in the story (37) it is called ‘the resting beast’, and its departure at the end (116) is compared to a snake casting its skin. In this way does the train symbolize something greater and more powerful than the skinny, lithe, African craftsmen who surround it, or something cumbersome and out-of-place?
15 to let it in … Again, the raw power of the train is such that it appears to take over
the minuscule station of the indigenous Africans.
16 Creaking, jerking etc Notice how the participles accentuate the sense of heavy movement.
17 Here, let me see that The woman’s first words. two things to notice: 1) The absence of
one quotation marks throughout the story. Perhaps this adds to the general
impression that the author is dealing with thoughts, emotions, and behaviour rather than speech itself. 2) The abrupt manner in which she demands to see the carving.
20 her hand commanded Again, that abruptness and superiority of behaviour.
20 It was a lion… The lion is to become the centrepiece of the story. Whether or not to
buy it is the essential question. (29, 49, 83) To do so would mark a contract between the woman and the ‘vender’, and also between the woman and her husband. To reject the lion might mean to reject somethin of value, which might be regretted later. As we shall see later, the problem is given an additional twist.
21 like spongecake i.e. soft (cheap?); but we are also reminded of her white European
cultural values (spongecake = tea on the lawn, Vicar?)
22 not from the heart, Before we get too sentimental, we are reminded of the merchant’s view of
but at the customer things. What value does he place on this sale? Or is there a hint of
seduction here? Her husband seems to think so – from the manner in
which he speaks.
24 a real mane, majestic Interesting: the crude toy has had real fur added – as a sign of its
authenticity? or is it a symbol of something more – of life, vitality?
27 the fantasy a wonderful menagerie of carved animals. But to what extent are these
animals really ‘a fantasy’ to the train-travellers?
29 showed no fear what impression of the native Africans do the carved figurines give?
34 behind glass What is going on behind the glass? drinking beer … the cooking of meat
and onion … the lives of the travellers, who are, as it were, hermetically
sealed off from the lives of the native Africans.
35 pale dead flower But the lives of the travellers are, by comparison, lifeless and dull.
37 complaint of the
resting beast The train itself. Why beast? Why complaint?
42 caged faces, boxed in, Again, the image of two separate sets of people,
cut off with different cultural values and different lives (see 34)
43 chocolate The train-travellers are depicted as self-interested and ungenerous: even
though the act is apparently charitable, they are not prepared to give
money; and the chocolate is given not out of kindness, but because
‘It wasn’t very nice’.
50 Three and six Three shillings and sixpence, the price asked (we suppose) by the
African, is considered too much to pay by the woman’s ‘incredulous’
husband. But the strong implication is that they could easily afford it.
51 Yes baas! ‘Yes, boss’ Boss is an affectionate term for ‘the white man’.
But it reminds us that the relationship between black and white in Africa
was one of white domination.
52 No, never mind… Why does the wife respond in this way? Is she, for example, in
agreement that the lion is overpriced? or does she suddenly feel
embarrassed by the whole business of buying and bartering?
55 coupé The travelling carriage - a rather posh word.
56 sand and bush…
…a thorn tree These isolated images of landscape (see note above) are playing in her
mind.
56 past … her husband Again, her thoughts are elsewhere.
60 What will they mean What indeed? This sentence encapsulates the essence of the story.
away from the places The author aks an important question. Are these two societies
you found them? sympathetic or compatible? BUT ALSO
she is about to ask an even more important one. –
are the husband and wife sympathetic or compatible?
62 He is not part of the Is the marriage at all secure? What is the tone of ‘for good’?
unreality; he is for
good now.
64 Outside, a bell rang The bell summons us back to the train and its imminent departure.
66 safe from the … Again, the idea of two worlds: that of the train, and that of the village.
69 Behind the flyscreen Rather like ‘behind glass’ (34) but seen from the other side, now...
71 the segmented body Again, the train is depicted as some great lumbering beast (or insect)
quite out of place.
76 gasping…splaying The old African’s desperation for the money…Did he expect to be
short-changed? Throwing the lion before checking the money was an act
of faith.
82 blind…helplessly Carriages can only blindly follow along the tracks that are pre-
determined. Are the people within the train equally blind and helpless?
From another camera-angle, we shall now find out...
83 triumph But it’s a hollow victory
88 the wonderful …fur She is attracted by that most of all – the sign of the lion’s vitality
and power, and of the craftsman’s ‘delight’ in making it (see line 25)
94 impotence of anger i.e. the powerlessness that often accompanies great emotion.
95 Why didn’t you take The paradox of this story is that she has been given a gift
it decently…? intended to strengthen her bond with her husband, but the manner
in which he bought it at the expense of the African’s dignity only makes
her husband appear weaker.
96 One-and-six! The price he actually paid for it now becomes a taunting, mocking cry
of complaint, the start of his young wife’s tirade of anger against him.
97 his hands hanging
at his sides The husband’s total bewilderment is shown is his weakened posture.
107 heat of shame… The effects on her are physical too… she feels sick and weary (108);
and psychological, as she realizes the emptiness of her marriage. The
words ‘void’ and ‘atrophy’ (=decay) (109) both suggest this.
113 Smuts Soot blowing in from outside the train. Why might this final image of
dirt be appropriate? Maybe the image of dirt encroaching into the carriage represents her feeling of guilt about the bartering for the lion?
I hope all this stuff is helpful. Good luck in the exam tomorrow!
Eric
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