Julys People by Nadine Gordimer - Term Paper Example

?"July's people" by Nadine Gordimer The novel July’s People by Nadine Gordimer is one of the several novels that dealt with the concept of apartheid and how it had affected the lives of the people in South Africa. Nadine Gordimer is a well known South African author who has several books and novels to her credit. She is one of the finest writers who dealt with the white – black subject with ease. Though, this novel had brought in a great deal of controversy and the author’s raw dealing with the subject, it showcased some of the events that happened during the period. The book addresses the civil war and its outcomes and how the apartheid caused a great lot of disturbance to the livelihood of the people. The characters of the story have been built in a practical and bleak way by the author Nadine Gordimer. There were a lot of criticisms on the book for its addressing the apartheid system and but still managed to stand out from the rest. This paper will deal with the characters and the parts they got to play in the novel. When the characters are looked into, it becomes clear that there is a multi dimensional approach carried on by the author. The characters in the story differ from one another in a huge way and it could be understood well only with a thorough reading. There is not a single character which was vague and the story is well known for showcasing the strong sides of characters. With the book, we can understand that the character of a person is the bundle of what a person is and it depends hugely over the environment in which the person is brought up. The story revolves around the characters Bamford, Maureen, July and Martha. Bam and Maureen need to leave Johannesburg because of the civil war scenario that disoriented the entire area. The Smale family comprises of Bam, Maureen and children Victor, Gina and Royce. In the 1980s, the civil war broke out and there were scenarios like black killing the white and other way around. As a result of continuous suppression, the black retaliates and wants to take hold of the South Africa. The Smales who are the South African liberals were affected by the sudden turn of events and they had to leave the place to only found shelter with July. July is the loyal black servant and he assures to take them to their house to keep them safe. The characters of the books show some gradual and steady change with time and through the well connected events, the author establishes it to be a practical one. All the characters were etched out well and in a realistic manner. The novel perfectly deals with the aspect, shift of power and what impact it could bring in. The Smales family had to depend on July for their survival and July makes them stay in their mother’s house. When there is a shift in control, things change on various fronts. Nadine Gordimer has focused on this aspect in the novel and has provided a detailed account on it. Gordimer’s characterization touches upon this radical shift of power from the master and the confusing state of behavior and talks that arise out of it. One of the central themes of the book is power and the consequences surrounding it. It deals with great ease how it will be for those who were used to have power or command over a person and how new it will be for the person who has the taste of power for the first time. Overall, the book touches upon different facets of life with greater ease. As far as the characterization of the Smales is concerned, the author made sure to highlight their state as masters who had the blacks as their loyal servant. Gordimer, right from the beginning of the story, gives a wider picture over the happenings in the lives of the Smales how, with greater difficulty, they try to adjust with the current position. They sometimes do not seem to remember their present situation and still continues with the masterly tone with July. Especially, the book deals with conversations between Maureen and July and the confrontations that arise therein. Bam and Maureen still hold backs the masterly relation that they have with July, though, they are now dependent on him. This shows that people never want to lose their power even when the condition turns upside down. There were also areas that make clear that the Smales had accepted their new way of life which could be understood through Maureen’s view on the events. They come to realize that there is no way back and they had to go on with their lives. When July takes and goes the vehicle belonging to the Samles, they get furious and accuse one another for the present condition. They are of the opinion that July had stolen the vehicle but he would actually take it to buy things for the home. “There was nowhere to run to. Nothing to get away in All he could say Maureen was that it was July…When did he get the keys.” When he returns, Bam confronts him and gets rude without giving a thought over the fact that they are just guests in July’s home and they are completely dependent on him for everything now. Maureen shouts at July for taking the vehicle and asks him to give back the key to her. She even goes to the extent of black mailing July that she will let Martha, wife of July; know about his mistress back in the city. The character shows clearly that they are so used to being masters and thus they carry the habit of command with them (Gordimer, 1981). Gordimer also addresses some of the most sensitive issues in a raw manner and is too open about it. Though the situations are explained in an unrefined way, it looks true and practical as some of the events are meant to be that way. July’s character has been the main character all throughout. The black servant provides shelter for the master and his family. Initially, July holds back his subservient nature towards his masters and as days goes by; he gets the confidence to show his side of power as well. He asks Maureen, if they are paying his salary for the month when they are staying in his village helplessly. The first trace of power show from July comes when Maureen argues with him over taking out their vehicle to buy supplies. When Maureen confronts and black mails for the second time about letting Martha know about his past relationship with a mistress in Johannesburg, July retorts by saying that she dares not. This gives Maureen a sudden shock and she realizes that she had stepped the wrong side. Maureen expected this comparison to be a prestige for him and she did not understand that July would take it as an interest. This part of the story brings out the fact that Maureen is still of the opinion that she had ultimate control over her servants like what she had in Johannesburg but the truth is otherwise. July realized that he had found confidence over the dealing suddenly. Maureen is confused over the fact that she has to be submissive over July at some point or though not always. She goes out to work along with the other women in the village and July’s change of state goes to an extent that he questions whether she is doing it to meet up with her daily needs. Nadine Gordimer brings in the true shift of character and power through this part of the story. Martha, the wife of July, does not believe in the Smales family as she had developed a sense of disbelief on whites over the years. She warns July that the white family may bring them some sort of trouble or difficult situation. Also, she turns out to be one woman who had to suffer all alone when July went to city for work. She is also not aware of the relationship that July had with another woman. Nadine Gordimer has portrayed the character of Martha as any other black woman who wants to live along with her husband and family and wants July to stay back in village itself rather than moving out to the city. Yet another interesting characterization in the story is that of the village chief who calls July and Smales for a meeting. The character of the chief is rather portrayed in an interesting way. He comes to know that Bamford has a gun with him and asks him to teach how to use it. He startles Bamford and Maureen when he says that the whites may want him to know shooting for the civil war and there may be a situation where he can kill his own people. Bamford cannot digest that the chief would kill his own people for the white government. The character shows the intensity of the war well and how there are supporters for whites among some of the blacks as well who would do such things to reassure their position. On the whole, Nadine Gordimer made sure that all the characters are etched to bring the reality in front. Her prediction as to how it will end up has come true which shows her strong command on the area and what it means to come out of the social stigma. The book ends with situation that keeps us thinking the kind of situation that July’s people have to face. The strong personalities of the characters give the readers with a true life feeling, though it is not. July’s People by Nadine Gordimer come out as the best novel in terms of characterization and dealt with the sensitive subject with ease. Reference: Gordimer N. July’s People, Jonathan Cape Ltd, (1981) Read More