Nadine Gordimer 's story "Six Feet of the Country" has an apartheid as its historical context. The term “apartheid” means separateness. It refers to an official system of racial segregation that was in force from 1948 to 1991. The story show instances of racially motivated oppression and unfairness through the marriage between the two main characters. Gordimer writes a story that parallels the failed marriage to a failure of society in terms of physical separation, mental separation and inequality.
At first, the couple shown apart-ness in their marriage, even though they are husband and wife. The narrator has a distant relationship with his wife, Lerice. The author writes that, “I, of course, am there only in the evenings and at week-ends.”(Gordimer) …show more content…
The narrator feels that he is more superior and his wife Lerice is interior. According to the author, “My wife and I are not real farmers—not even Lerice, really.”(Gordimer) This demonstrates that the narrator is putting Lerice down, as he thinks he has more power than his wife, indicating gender inequality exists between the couples and hinting that patriarchy is underlying in society. Moreover, when the narrator discovers Petrus’s brother’s dead body, he says “Now, I’m the one who’ll have to do all the dirty work, I suppose.” (Gordimer) It indicates that the narrator would like to take control of the situation as he does not think Lerice has the right to do so. In addition, the workers only call the narrator “baas”, which means boss or master. However, they do not call Lerice “baas”, which demonstrates that the narrator is more superior than his wife. Regarding the fact of inequality, the narrator, who is a white male landowner always calls his workers poor devils. “In fact, we’ve always rather prided ourselves that the poor devils have nothing much to fear, being with us;”(Gordimer) It states that the narrator is prided as an employer, he thinks that he is treating them good in a way that the whites treat the black.
In conclusion, the story “Six Feet of the Country” parallels the failed marriage to a failure of society in terms of physical separation, mental separation and inequality, the author Gordimer uses apart-ness in the marriage of the couple to symbolize the apartheid in society, indicating that the word “apart” would worsen any kind of relationship, no matter among couples, family, or
At first, the couple shown apart-ness in their marriage, even though they are husband and wife. The narrator has a distant relationship with his wife, Lerice. The author writes that, “I, of course, am there only in the evenings and at week-ends.”(Gordimer) …show more content…
The narrator feels that he is more superior and his wife Lerice is interior. According to the author, “My wife and I are not real farmers—not even Lerice, really.”(Gordimer) This demonstrates that the narrator is putting Lerice down, as he thinks he has more power than his wife, indicating gender inequality exists between the couples and hinting that patriarchy is underlying in society. Moreover, when the narrator discovers Petrus’s brother’s dead body, he says “Now, I’m the one who’ll have to do all the dirty work, I suppose.” (Gordimer) It indicates that the narrator would like to take control of the situation as he does not think Lerice has the right to do so. In addition, the workers only call the narrator “baas”, which means boss or master. However, they do not call Lerice “baas”, which demonstrates that the narrator is more superior than his wife. Regarding the fact of inequality, the narrator, who is a white male landowner always calls his workers poor devils. “In fact, we’ve always rather prided ourselves that the poor devils have nothing much to fear, being with us;”(Gordimer) It states that the narrator is prided as an employer, he thinks that he is treating them good in a way that the whites treat the black.
In conclusion, the story “Six Feet of the Country” parallels the failed marriage to a failure of society in terms of physical separation, mental separation and inequality, the author Gordimer uses apart-ness in the marriage of the couple to symbolize the apartheid in society, indicating that the word “apart” would worsen any kind of relationship, no matter among couples, family, or