This essay will examine how the story of Mandisas in Sindiwe Magona's "Mother to Mother" represents the daily struggles of the Gugulethu community, both during and towards end of apartheid and will also refer to specific scenes from the novel which then substantiate the points that will be raised. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay From Mother to Mother: A Narrative of Empathy, Grief and Healing It can be seen that the novel Mother to Mother is a touching and elegant story of Race Relations and misunderstandings in South Africa. We can also see that the author bases her book on true events, but looks at it with the eyes of a mother who loves her son but recognizes his inadequacies. It's also a truly devastating look at apartheid, violence and anger in a society long divided between black and white. Mandisa asks Mother why the Girl was in Gugulethu, where it is not safe for white people. He believes that the Girl was naive in her commitment to helping others, that "people like your daughter believe so much in their own goodness, they know that they have not harmed anyone, in fact, they are helping, they never think that anyone would want hurt them." Mandisa suspects that if Mxolisi had killed one of the black women accompanying the Girl, there would have been no public outcry, no police involvement, and he would likely have remained free. Mother to Mother is based on the real-life murder of a young white woman named Amy Biehl, a kind-hearted and selfless Fulbright scholar who was in South Africa to help residents prepare for their first democratic elections. municipality of Guguletu. The novel never explicitly states that the Girl and Amy Biehl are the same, but the way Mandisa reconstructs the Girl's life and the murder largely echoes Biehl's life and its sudden end. Mandisa claims that the Girl "paid for the sins". of the fathers and mothers who did not do their part in seeing this” Mxolisi has lived a good life. Now that he is in prison, he has access to services he never had as a free man. He wonders, why does Mxolisi "live a better life if chained?" Mandisa once again argues that she should not be responsible for Mxolisi's crime. Instead, he points to “the fathers and mothers who did not do their part” to ensure that Mxolisi could live a good and meaningful life. Mandisa is likely referring to the white settlers here, suggesting that the colonizers (who eventually became governors, then other politicians, then law enforcement officers) are like South Africa's cruel, adoptive "fathers and mothers" who care little for their “children,” only by providing them with basic necessities within the confines of a government-funded prison. Two days earlier, COSAS had ordered school children to join Operation Barcelona, ​​apparently in support of striking teachers. This involves children skipping school to “burn cars and drive reactionary elements out of the city.” Although the students ask the government to improve their education, Mandisa points out that "these big-mouthed children know nothing" and warns that if they are not careful they will end up like their parents, domestic workers for rich white people. The novel pays particular attention to the political and social fabric of South Africa that led to Mxolisi's murder of the Girl, not to justify the crime but to explain how it happened. Here, in describing how certain well-intentioned political movements have degenerated and exploded into pure violence, the novel also traces the growing radicalization ofgeneration of Mxolisi. This passage also reminds readers that Mxolisi's generation is still young and ignorant; although they have an abundance of pent-up energy and anger against the government and their situation, they are still just "big-mouthed children [who] know nothing." Mxolisi and his friends pass the police station, which everyone treats with caution because they don't know "what mood the pigs might be in". Even so, "there is always the possibility of playing sports with them." The group continues to split up as people move towards their homes. Mxolisi and his gang are clearly disdainful of the police, who are probably white and corrupt. This passage also suggests that white law enforcement is unreliable and volatile, serving the township based on their fluctuating “moods.” Desensitized to violence and seething with rage, the boys also view "sport" or playing with the police, meaning they see violence against their white oppressors as a darkly entertaining pastime. Mandisa makes her way onto a bus, densely packed with bodies and packages and shopping bags. The bus driver shouts that Guguletu is “completely surrounded” by police. Mandisa reflects on the problems that have existed in Guguletu since its creation by the government. Consider the irony of the name, which means “Our Pride,” even though residents call it Gugulabo, or “Their Pride.” ”The two slightly different names of the township highlight the anger and frustration of black South Africans towards the government, as well as the way in which language can connect people to their shared experience or history. The name “Our Pride” suggests a unified and harmonious city (or, more generally, a country) that all citizens are proud to call their own, but this is far from reality. Black South Africans feel like foreigners in their own land, and therefore call the city “their pride,” indicating that whites continue to rule the country and treat black residents as pawns to be moved and cast aside – and that whites people are proud of it. Mandisa remembers being dumped in Guguletu with her family as a child. She grew up in Blouvlei, but then, like tens of thousands of other people, she was moved from her old home to this huge city of tiny houses, which she describes as “squatted structures”. Ugly, impersonal and cold…”The housing project in Guguletu functions as a symbol of governance under apartheid; like buildings, government is “ugly,” “impersonal,” and “cold” and cares little about the residents it is supposed to nurture and protect. Mandisa links her problems with education to the current problems in Guguletu, where there are still not enough teachers or schools. Furthermore, he recognizes that mothers are working, or drunk, or dead (“We die young these days”), and therefore are unable to force their children to go to school. Mandisa illustrates how the problems in Guguletu are like a domino effect: due to institutionalized racism, black South Africans are kept in poverty and forced to work long hours for low pay. This disposition is extremely irritating and many people turn to drinking. Whether parents drink, work, or are dead, they simply cannot be involved in their children's lives and be present enough to ensure their children go to school. Furthermore, institutionalized racism means that schools in black townships are poor, underfunded and understaffed, making education not only less attractive but also less effective. At 7.45pm, Mandisa's neighbour, Skonana, knocks on the door. Skonana is curious and wants to know what is happening to Mandisa, but Mandisa hopes to get information from her neighbor.Skonana reveals that she heard that a white woman was killed in Guguletu earlier in the day. Mandisa knows that “Guguletu is a violent place,” but violence against a white woman will have dangerous repercussions for the black community. Mandisa understands that the police are “not our friends” and their involvement will only lead to more problems and “tear this town apart.” In a context of political instability and unreliable government, community provides people with a much-needed sense of stability. Even though the town is already filled with violence, Mandisa knows that at least for the moment it is left to its own devices, as the police and government care little if black South Africans kill other black South Africans. Now that a white woman is the victim of violence, however, the township will receive more police attention, which is not a good thing. Skonana sees that Mandisa is distressed and offers her some tea. Mandisa appreciates the offer but, feeling “teary,” refuses and goes back inside. Mandisa begins to turn to the Mother again, wondering why the Girl was in Guguletu, why anyone would come there. Mandisa begins to tell the story of how she ended up in the township, as if “wrought by a government-created whirlwind,” an “upheaval” so intense that “three decades later, my people are still shaken by it.” Mandisa now begins to tell the story of how the racist national apartheid regime moved her family to the town of Guguletu. Since apartheid has been in place since 1948, Mandisa explains that “three decades later, my people are still shaken by it.” Although Mandisa refers to apartheid, this passage also points to the legacy of colonialism in South Africa, as its symbols (such as racial inequality) are still present three centuries later. Mandisa wonders how the government could move the residents of Blouvlei. There are millions of people in the township, which has served as a home to its residents for generations. An elder comments: “The placentas of our children are deep in this earth,” as are “the bleached bones of our long dead.” Mandisa is reassured by this statement that Blouvlei will remain her home. The idea that the government could relocate such a large group of people suggests that, under the apartheid regime, the government sees black South Africans as pawns that can be picked up and moved out of sight. In other words, the government does not see black South Africans as real people, rooted in their community and their land. A bell rings, announcing a town meeting, and the adults leave their homes to gather and (presumably) discuss the tracts. . Mandisa is happy to have more time to play, as her parents stay at the meeting after dark. When they finally return, they are frustrated. The meeting was filled with endless questions and very few answers. The meetings continue for days and weeks. Representatives are sent to the government, but are rejected. White employers are also being asked to help, but nothing will change the minds of the government and its officials. The only downside is that the move will happen in September, instead of July as promised. The white government cares so little about its black citizens that it doesn't even bother to answer their questions or provide them with adequate information. People in the Mandisa community try to ask their white employers for help, hoping they can act as intermediaries, but the government is inflexible and unresponsive. Early in the morning of September 1st, Mandisa and her family woke up to find their house on fire. Police cars, bulldozers and military vehicles surround the town and white men are destroying homes, forcing residents to relocate. The families try to save what they can from theirs.