Racism In July's People By Nadine Gordimer

From the very beginning, it is clear that “racism” is the central theme that Nadine Gordimer tackles in her work July’s people. South Africa witnessed racial segregation for many years under the apartheid regime. It was based on the belief that some races are better than others moreover the unfair treatment for those who belong to a different race. As a famous satirist and social reformer, Gordimer sheds the light on racism from its different perspectives either physical or mental in order to cure her society ills. First, the readers come across with physical racism which is represented by separation between blacks and whites; they are seen as two different nations because of their physical appearance namely “skin color”. Blacks were forced …show more content…
Through the voice of Martha, Gordimer make such segregation quite vivid when she says “Didn’t tell us many times how they live there. A room to sleep in, another room to eat in, another room to sit in, a room with books … all these things I’ve never seen, my children have never seen.” White people have wide houses that consist of several rooms: living room, bathroom, bed room, and even rooms for their pets and servants. On the contrary, blacks haven’t got houses at all instead, they have huts with many people whose numbers exceed the site of their hut “July’s home was not a village but a habitation of mud houses occupied only by members of his extended family” …show more content…
Second, mental racism which always accompany physical discrimination and segregation. Surfaces mental racism could be the old assumptions and actions which is made unintentionally and unquestionably but reveals discrimination. It is embodied by the fact that blacks were seen as servants, it was an acceptable and very common profession for blacks during the apartheid regime. In addition it would be unacceptable when they aim for a more respectable profession, the reason beyond that is the assumption that the minorities “whites” were seen as the master race who have qualifications which the blacks lack according to particular stereotypes associated with them. This is evident in the opening lines of Gordimer’s work “july bent at the doorway and began that day for them as is kind has always done for their kind” it becomes clear that July’s kind carries “the tea tray In black hands smelling of lifebuoy soap”. There never has been equality between the two races even though blacks are the indigenous people whom whites depend on them completely “we can go to my home July said it, standing in the living room where he had never sat down”. Mental racism is also shown in Maureen’s bad behavior towards