Kaffir Boy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaffir Boy is Mark Mathabane's 1986 autobiography about life under the South African apartheid regime. It focuses on the brutality of the apartheid system and how he escaped from it, and from the township of Alexandra, to become a well-known tennis player. He also depicted how the young black children dealt with racism and stereotypes.
[edit] Controversy
[edit] Plot
Mark Mathabane describes his life growing up in South Africa, just outside of Johannesburg. He lives in the ghetto of Alexandra with his mother, father, brother and five sisters. He was very poor growing up, often enveloped in starvation and brutality from the Peri-Urban (an Apartheid police force in South Africa). He learns, though, that prejudice is not justified, even by the oppressed, and begins to take his education to new hights to prove this. He became fluent in English and Afrikaans (the South African national language at the time)and with this education, he is able to apply for a college in America. Also, his tennis was highly impressive, as he was even involved in competitions in the state. He was ultimately banned by the black tennis congregation, as he played in white tournaments. He ultimately leaves with a scholarship to an American college thanks to a few celebrities that helped him out, and he became a tennis player. The story is told through his eyes and experiences.
[edit] Characters and Important People
Arthur Ashe - an American tennis player and wins the Wimbledon tournament. His game play encourages Mathabane to become a tennis player.
Mathabane - The author and narrator of the book
Stan Smith - Relocates Mathabane to the United States by finding a college who is willing to give the author a tennis scholarship.
