ENG1501

Assignment
3
UNISA 2022
Marius Regardt Nel
Student Number: 36205192
ID: 8208165067084
Assignment number: 168942
 DECLARATION REGARDING PLAGIARISM
DECLARATION

Name and student number: Marius Regardt Nel 36205192

Assignment topic: Short stories

I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been
used (either from a printed source or from the Internet), this has been carefully acknowledged
and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what plagiarism
is and am aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to
borrow or copy my work.

___________________________________
Signature: Date: 30/07/2022
Question:

ASSIGNMENT 03: The novel

Small Things by Nthikeng Mohlele
Due date: 01 August 2022


An introductory paragraph, which introduces your essay topic and explains how the rest of
your essay will be structured. Your introduction should restate the essay question in your own
words and should state what you will discuss.

1. A body of 3-5 paragraphs, in which you develop your argument. The body of your
essay should do three things: o it should explain the setting in the novel;

2. o it should explain how the setting influences the way in which we as readers see
the characters; and

3. o it should consider how inequality and class are presented through the narrator’s
perspective.
4.
5. • Remember that for each point that you make, you should refer to relevant sections
of the extract or text to support your argument.
6. • A concluding paragraph, in which you sum up the main argument that you have
made in your essay.
Sub-total for content and critical discussion: 50 marks
Use of language, organisation, and overall structure of assignment: 50 marks
Total: 100
For information about correct quoting and referencing, consult Unit 1 of Tutorial Letter 501.
Warning!
Using ideas and facts from other people, books or web pages without saying where they
come from is the same as stealing those ideas and facts. This is plagiarism and it is a serious
offence.

_________________________________________________________________________

Revise the sections on ‘Setting’, ‘Narrative perspective’ and ‘Theme’ in Units 3 and 4 of
Tutorial Letter 501.
2. Perform a close reading of the extract above, paying careful attention to diction.
Identify how the themes of inequality and class are explored in the extract and other relevant
parts of the novel. Pay specific attention to how these themes feature in the different settings
featured in the novel, and how the narrator sees and experiences these settings.
3.

or someone’s very personal and subjective

view of the events (first person). As we have a first-person narrator in the story, we really can
see the South African landscape through their eyes, and we really can feel what they are
feeling. However, we don’t have even a name for the narrator, and many other characters
are given a lot more characterization than the narrator is in the story. What is the effect of
this? It seems we are given a first-person narrator who is depersonalized for the reader.
There is still a sense of distance between the reader and the protagonist. This might impact
on how we understand the narrator. We might see the narrator as representing those views
that are marginalized and that are not given any authority in South Africa. For example,
prisoner, unemployed, homeless, artist could all be seen as marginalized identities.

but also depicts

the hardships of living and loving through a political struggle, such as the apartheid era. The
narrator
experiences severe internal conflict throughout the entire novel, most of the conflict stemming
from
his 18-year imprisonment. The narrator’s internal conflict, while stemming from his time in
prison,
develops through his love for two very different women, Desiree and Mercedes, as well as the
changing political climate in South Africa. The narrator’s internal conflict is linked to the major
themes in the novel, being those of injustice, the political struggle and racial bias in South
Africa, as
well as the devastating effects of love and loss.

Since the first part of the novel is depict to still being in the apartheid era. Black individual
were robbed
of their right to freedom of expression .the
daily argue newsroom was a threat to the apartheid regime
because it aimed at exposing any form of exploitation of human rights.

One of the largest themes that the novel explores is the constant sense of injustice. The
narrator first-hand experiences great injustice in the apartheid era. The narrator describes that there
were rules black South Africans had to follow, such as a “10pm curfew”, where “no African [was]
permitted on the streets”. The narrator experienced racial bias and injustice even before his
imprisonment. The narrator’s 18-year imprisonment was another example of injustice, where he was
sentenced an unfair punishment, for writing articles about an oppressive government. He had to
endure a gruelling prison sentence, all for writing a newspaper article, and refusing to detail who
else committed the same crime as he did.

 
·        The narrative voice changes in tense during the novel. Initially the story of the protagonist’s childhood
is recounted like a story in the past-tense. Once the main character is released from prison the narrative is
told in the present-tense. 

 I would also say that the narrative voice changes in tone during the course of the novel. Initially, the voice
is that of a young, innocent boy. He is in love and sees tremendous exciting possibilities in the world. He is
in awe of the culture, music and talent in Sophiatown and inspired by then political events taking place
around him. 
Later though, the protagonist becomes more bitter, cynical and disillusioned. He is confronted with
the inequality in South Africa and the contrast between the rich and the poor. He offers scathing
comments about the lives of the wealthy. 

Looking at the changes in narrative voice could be significant in this question. The narrator
becomes much more cynical as the novel evolves, and the sense of hope, wonder and freedom
that we sense in the early chapters seems to disappear from the narrative. This could show us a
change in the optimism of the struggle for freedom in South Africa to the postapartheid malaise,
and how many identities are still marginalized and disenfranchised in the country. There might be
a lot that you could unpack about how allegorical the novel is, and how it tells of disillusionment
with changes in the country.

The protagonist can be said to move through different social classes. He encounters those who are wealthy
and he encounters those who are poor. Explain how the protagonist views these different characters, and
how their social class impacts on his understanding of them.

·        After being released from prison the protagonist is homeless and ‘sleep[s] in city squares’ (Mohlele:
27) It is then that he is confronted with the ‘Dark Figure’ – who is certainly not from a welthy social class,
nonetheless, he treats him with a strange from of respect when he does not give much information about
the man to the police stating that ‘no man should hold the power of life and death over others’ (Mohlele:
36). Later in the novel when he finds himself homeless again he describes the life as full of ‘torrential
humiliations’ (Mohlele: 105).
·        In contrast, the protagonist seems to be very disparaging of the rich and their wealth. When working
at the café Mesopotamia he describes the people as ‘catastrophically stupid, people dining in hordes”
(Mohlele: 131). He also feels that his work is demeaning and says he finds waiting on tables
‘wounding work’ (Mohlele: 136). 

Just another thought - at the start the protagonist speaks of "unknown thoughts" in homeless people he
encounters which scares him from engaging with them, and I think this might strongly link to the position
that the protagonist finds himself in at the end of the novel. There is something unknown but also
something that is resisted in the homeless person, and this is the position the protagonist finds himself in at
the end as well, being completely cast out and misunderstood by the rest of society, particularly the
unequal and cynical Johannesburg he finds himself in.
 
It is also significant that the protagonist seems to disdain the wealthy in the novel, as you point
out. He sees this as symptomatic of a country that is in turmoil, and the way that they are able to
not even consider the massive poverty that they are surrounded by is a point of real tension for
the narrator. He finds himself surrounded by people from different classes and judges those who
are wealthy the hardest. He does not even seem to judge the man who robs him as much as he
does some of the wealthy characters in the novel. Do you agree? Why do you think he displays
this level of anger?

The main character seems to feel a great deal of disillusionment with the path that South Africa has taken,
despite the end to apartheid. He feels that he is an ‘accidental politician’ simply because he was involved in
the resistance movement and imprisoned. Nonetheless, he does not want to use his status as a
‘revolutionary’ to gain favor with those in power as a matter of principal and ‘free will’ (Mohlele: 105). The
protagonist also seems disgusted by the wealth and opulence of the rich as seen in Café Mesopotamia in
contrast to the living in deplorable conditions in the same city.  
This is a great response. The transition seems to be "tainted" by inequality.

Johannesburg is described as a decaying, unpleasant and unfriendly city this seems to link to
the sense of despair and disillusionment the character feels about the ‘new South Africa’. On
page 28 of the novel the protagonist observes ‘beggars draped in plastic and grime’ and
pollution. He calls the city an ‘illusion of cosmopolitan prosperity’ – with some wealthy people
but many who are homeless and struggling (Mohlele: 28). Another time he calls the city an
‘unforgiving concrete thing’ (Mohlele: 31) Overall, this description creates a bitter and
depressing atmosphere.  

he novel narrates about the life challenges of an un

named protagonist and his
in a chronological order.in my essay am going to discuss how the narrator
internal conflicts developed and linked to the specific themes .

Setting:

Unpacking the content – Setting pg. 67 (Pg 10 - 12)

•Descriptions of Sophiatown: The narrator describes the place as a ‘myriad heartaches’ and
goes on to show the influence of the oppressive apartheid system in the town. People are
beaten for minor offences and houses are often raided.  A grim and gloomy atmosphere is
created by the character’s description of ‘dark alleys’, ‘midnight wails’ and ‘open sewage’. 

Unpacking the content – Setting pg. 67 (Pg 10 – 12, 27-29)

•Descriptions of Johannesburg: the character seems disillusioned about the changes the new
government has brought. Despite the end to apartheid there are ‘beggars draped in plastic and
grime’ and the city experiences crime, poverty, and pollution. He contrasts the life of the poor
with the rich living in the city and draws attention to the ‘illusions’ and ‘deceptions’ of flashy cars
and restaurants while most people struggle to survive. Overall, this description creates a bitter
and depressing atmosphere.  

Theme:

Theme: Inequality and Class

The protagonist can be said to move through different social classes. He encounters those
who
are wealthy and he encounters those who are poor. Explain how the protagonist views these
different characters, and how their social class impacts on his understanding of them.
The protagonist encounters beggars whilst he is homeless and jobless, sleeping on park
benches. He does not engage in conversation with them, because “they are too involved in
their
unknown thoughts”.
When he gets a job as a waiter at Café Mesopotamia, he observes affluent patrons. He says:
“There is this aura of self-importance about them, an arrogant expectation that disregards the
wishes of others.” (p136). He finds it hard to serve them, “feigning interest in their self-
indulgent
stories”.
The protagonist is of the opinion that the demands of the wealthy people are worse than the
rude
remarks he endured while playing his trumpet. He thinks that their nights out at Café
Mesopotamia have little to do with eating, but more about showing off their “expensive cars
and
promiscuous lovers”. (p132)

Theme: Inequality and Class

The protagonist can be said to move through different social classes. He encounters those
who
are wealthy and he encounters those who are poor. Explain how the protagonist views these
different characters, and how their social class impacts on his understanding of them.
The protagonist encounters beggars whilst he is homeless and jobless, sleeping on park
benches. He does not engage in conversation with them, because “they are too involved in
their
unknown thoughts”.
When he gets a job as a waiter at Café Mesopotamia, he observes affluent patrons. He says:
“There is this aura of self-importance about them, an arrogant expectation that disregards the
wishes of others.” (p136). He finds it hard to serve them, “feigning interest in their self-
indulgent
stories”.
The protagonist is of the opinion that the demands of the wealthy people are worse than the
rude
remarks he endured while playing his trumpet. He thinks that their nights out at Café
Mesopotamia have little to do with eating, but more about showing off their “expensive cars
and
promiscuous lovers”. (p132)

Intoductory paragraph:

The novel Small Thinigs by Nthikeng Mohlele (2013) tells the story of an unnamed protagonist
who tells the story out of a first person narrative perspective. This is limiting in a sense as we
as readers can only see the story out of the biases' and perspective of the protagonist. The
story follows a progression from when the narrator was a child in the apartheid era living in an
unequal classist system to becoming an adult in a changing South Africa. The tale follows his
18 year imprisonment and hardening of his thoughts, and finally the regaining his freedom as
an older adult male in the post apartheid era. The story follows him as he experiences hope,
life and love and the disillusionment thereof and his version of the events that shaped him
throughout his life. It shows how specific formative events sculpted his cynical outlook and
some could say biased views on life in the changing cultural and political climate of a post
apartheid 'New South Africa'. I am going to explore the themes of inequality and class from
the viewpoint of the narrator as pertaining to the similarities and differences from an
apartheid, 'jailed' existence to the post apartheid 'freedom' that the protagonist perceives.

Paragraph 1:

On page 27 of the novel, we observe the narrator in JHB after being released from prison.
Apartheid has ended and he is loving homeless on the streets. He feels that his ‘freedom
seems like a mockery of all things decent’ – he is unsure quite how to use it or what it means.

Paragraph 2:
Despite the change in government many of the deplorable conditions that existed in Sophiatown are still
present in JHB. I noted that on page 108 the narrator experiences a roadblock in which he is lined up
against the wall and searched with various other people by the police, he is not ‘frisked’ but it seems others
are. This is almost the same situation as occurred on page 10 with ‘police lining loitering people up’ and
‘frisking them’. It does not seem that much has changed in the character’s life at this point.

The reader’s attention is drawn to the narrator’s mention of (pg.104) Animal Farm
(Orwell : 1945), thus he alludes that a society’s dreams of equality and freedom is thwarted
by “Comrade Q’s” who are corrupted by power and tyrannizing the very same society
because of it. His social commentary is evident in the questions “is eighteen years that long,
that existence seems to be turned on its head?” (pg. 130); and “who are these
catastrophically stupid, soul-deprived people dining in hordes?” (pg.131).
Paragraph 3:
I dine at a window table and listen to student practice sessions at the academy’s cafeteria.
The view is of a light drizzle, of Johannesburg’s capitalists chasing the remains of the day:
people speaking into cellphones; courier motorbikes chasing delivery deadlines; pricy
automobiles emerging from underground parking into gridlocked peak-hour traffic. Things
have been done to The Hugh: renovations, extensions, new paint shades. But most notable of
all is the oval stage that hosts bland comedies and atrocious renditions of Shakespearean
tragedies. These are on Monday and Wednesday nights. Mercedes tells me that Thursdays
are the most interesting, with early evenings awarded to MC rappers spitting gut-wrenching
insults, furiously waving their hands in the air, their over-size trousers hovering around their
knees. The Rhyme and Reason sessions pull in a mixture of youthful and middle-aged
patrons, who see nothing wrong in being commanded: ‘Throw your motherfucking hands in
the air. Now say Oh Oh, say O!’, whereupon the performance hall blossoms with hands
caught in a trance of stage lights, swaying like grass in a storm. I, upon Mercedes’s
insistence, catch Quiet Storm, a jazz quartet from her class. While I wait, I thaw my soul with
Russian and Latin American poets on sale at the second-hand bookshop on the second floor,
competing with anything from Masai bead embroidery to Yoruba masks and sculptures. The
view from The Hugh window is of a street suddenly swelling with the early evening crowd,
attending to cellphones, exchanging hugs; one individual displaying admirable skills with a
Michael Jackson moonwalk, to cheers from smitten young things, barely dressed. There is
laughter, a youthful buzz, before the street clears. I leave my poets in the company of Guitar
Lessons and Tennis for Beginners, and make my way to the ticket office. I speak into the
intercom, behind which is a young girl chewing gum, with earrings the size of rear tractor
wheels. A thick glass separates us.
Paragraph 4:

Paragraph 5:

Conclusion:

Reference list:

1) Mohlele, N (2013) Small Things, University of KwaZulu-Natal Press (Pages 5 -151)

2) Franshoek literary festival, 2022, Nthikeng Mohlele, FLF, Accessed: 18 July 2022,
<https://www.flf.co.za/authors/nthikeng-mohlele/>
3) Mohlele N, 2020, The Portfolio: Nthikeng Mohlele, Mail & Guardian, Accessed: 18 July
2022, <https://mg.co.za/friday/2020-10-16-the-portfolio-nthikeng-mohlele/>
4) Fourie, R; Knoetze, R; Norgíe, L and Pretorius, A (2020) Tutorial Letter 501/0/2020,
ENG1501 -
Foundations in English Literary Studies, University of South Africa (Pages 63 – 82)

BBC NEWS. (2008) Factory gloom worst since

1980. [Online] Available from:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7681569.st
m.
[Accessed: 19th June 2012].
…as reported by the BBC
(2008)
“Quotation” (BBC, 2008)