Thomas Mofolo’s novel Chaka

According to the English author and philosopher, Edmund Burke, “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” (Burke) This often proves to be true in Thomas Mofolo’s novel Chaka. Power is a corruptive concept. If you do not have a genuinely selfless heart, you will become corrupted by your own power, which often happened to those of power in this novel. However, even though power is often seen as having influence over others, power can also be distinctly self-centered. Power can be expressed through controlling others, but it can also be expressed by disabling others from controlling you. Powerlessness occurs when you lose the determination to stop others from controlling you. Now, power is something that everyone can relate to since everyone is affected by it in some way, shape, or form. In Chaka, Thomas Mofolo distinguishes between the powerful and powerless by making one more relatable than the other, while also showing how very few of the powerless were able to acquire power.
The powerless and the powerful have two very distinct roles in this novel. Mofolo takes his time to make sure that the powerful have a backstory—he wants his readers to be able to relate and see the humanistic side of the powerful, since a majority of them gravely misuse their power. The powerless, however, are portrayed just as they are: powerless. They are the pawns used to each person of power’s advantage and are not given as much of a backstory, unless their story is relevant to a person in power. For example, Nandi, being the illegitimate mistress of Senzangakhona and mother of Chaka, originally had no power. However, we know of Nandi’s background because it is relevant to the upbringing of Chaka and his struggle to obtain legitimate ownersh...

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...er due to his upbringing was valid; as was Senzangakhona’s internal battle between being with his family and keeping the throne, and Nandi’s yearning for a grandchild. All of those who were in power in this novel were portrayed as slightly to extremely evil, although relatable. On the other hand, the powerless were portrayed as pawns; people with very little backstory who were meant to be controlled, making it hard for the reader to develop a very strong attachment to them. Thomas Mofolo’s usage of power and powerlessness in this novel greatly emphasized the difference between the two and taught his readers how corruptive, manipulative, and sometimes rebellious power can be.

Works Cited
Burke, Edmund, and Peter J. Stanlis. Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1963. Print.
Mofolo, Thomas. Chaka. London: Heinemann, 1981. Print.