Write a short note on apartheid.
The Grass Is Singing is a notable literary work by Doris Lessing. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Grass Is Singing.
Answer
Write a short note on apartheid. [NU: 2019]
Apartheid was a system in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). It divided people by race. Whites had power. Blacks had no rights. Doris Lessing’s (1919–2013) “The Grass is Singing” (1950) reflects this system. Through Mary, Dick, Moses, and Charlie Slatter, we see its cruel effects.
Racial Separation: Apartheid forced strict colour rules. Whites and blacks could not live equal lives. In the novel, Mary orders workers harshly:
“I will take two and six off the ticket of every one of them that isn’t at work in ten minutes.”
Blacks are treated like property. Moses, though loyal, is never seen as human. This reflects apartheid’s belief that whites must rule, and blacks must obey.
Fear and Control: Apartheid was built on fear. Whites feared revolt. Blacks feared punishment. Charlie Slatter once killed a native and paid only thirty pounds. This shows how the law protected whites. When Mary is murdered, Slatter and Sergeant Denham do not seek the truth. They only say:
“A very bad business.”
They care more about protecting white society than justice.
Human Cost: Apartheid destroyed both whites and blacks. Mary suffers from loneliness and madness. Dick suffers from poverty. Moses, crushed by years of service, kills Mary. His act is not just personal. It is the cry of the oppressed. Lessing writes:
‘‘White civilization’ which will never, never admit that a white person, and most particularly, a white woman, can have a human relationship, whether for good or for evil, with a black person.’’
This shows the heart of apartheid: rejection of humanity.
Apartheid was a cruel system of race and power. It broke people’s lives. In “The Grass is Singing”, Lessing uses Mary, Moses, Dick, and Charlie Slatter to show its violence. Apartheid meant fear, division, and tragedy for all.