Beating the Statistics In Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane and To Sir with Love by E. R. Braithwaite, both protagonists are in a search for meaning and identity. Starting with Kaffir Boy, Mark grew up in South Africa in apartheid, growing up his neighborhood would be constantly invaded by police raids. This essay will dive into the journey Mark goes through to find his true meaning and identity. In To Sir with Love, Rick is a black teacher in Post-war London who has to face the harsh realities of racism. Their stories show how a search for identity is a lengthy process faced with different challenges and obstacles both internally and externally. In Kaffir Boy Mark faces numerous obstacles and challenges such as the system of apartheid in South …show more content…
Both protagonists experience a rough start in a search for true meaning and identity, but their personal growth reflects how anything is possible against all odds. In T Boy, Mark realizes that his potential is far beyond the restrictions put on him by apartheid. This becomes clear when he reflects on his education and accomplishments of others like him, “I found it beyond me to believe that they, whom history depicted as descendants of slaves, slaves taken from the very Africa in which I lived, could have achieved so much. (Mathabane 234)” This quote is the first to relate to the title, “Beating the Statistics” as in this world Black people especially from apartheid are preconceived to have no chance in this world for success. This quote reveals Mark's knowledge that his abilities are not restricted by apartheid and prejudice, which completely changes his search for meaning and identity. “I suddenly became aware of an important change in my own relationship with them,” this moment is a reflection on Braithwaite’s realization that his identity is no longer defined by the racist attitudes of the society but by the respect he has earned from his
teaches you how to think, and education opens the door for opportunities. Education lets you see the world differently. For instance, when a person is not educated, they can see the world as hopeless, tough, or even cruel. This was shown in the book Kaffir Boy, written by Mark Mathabane. The father in the book was not educated. He had an oppressive time trying to make a living for his family and himself. If he would have gone to school, there would have been a better chance of making a successful living
In the autobiography Kaffir Boy, Mark Mathabane, a black boy, describes his life during the Apartheid- a system of racial segregation in South Africa which begun in the year 1948 to the year 1994 - and how he became an exception by creating his own identity through his determination and intelligence. By using his talents in tennis and by taking advantage of his education, Mark was able to create a new life in America and escape the ghastly Apartheid which consumed his childhood. In the course of
Overcomming Obstacles in Kaffir Boy In the book Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathebane there are many obstacles that Mark the protagonist has to overcome. The first of his problems was to get through school in his poor South African ghetto. The second was to achieve his goal and receive a tennis scholarship to an American college. Mark’s father is one of the major antagonist, he was opposed anything to do with Mark getting an education in a school. He was a very traditional man and he didn’t like anything
Mississippi and Mark Mathabane’s Kaffir Boy are both coming-of-age narratives that were written through the eyes and experiences of young people who grew up in a world of apartheid. Although, it should be noted that they both have parallels in their stories as well as distinctions one should take into account the times and places in which each occurred. While Coming of Age in Mississippi occurred during a Jim Crow era in the American South, between 1944 and 1968, Kaffir Boy’s autobiographical narrative