4.1 THE WIND AND THE BOY
4.1.3 USING ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE THEORY TO ANALYSE THE STORY
The structural outline of the narrative undertaken in the preceding section enables an investigation of the discourses that underpin this short story. As such I investigate the postcolonial discourse that is privileged in "The Wind and the Boy", and thereafter I
examine those that are marginalized. (Since all quotes from the stories are taken from the anthology "Being Here", I will reference only the year and page number).
The characters of both Friedman and Sejosenye are constructed as special, extraordinary and different from the rest of the village people. The special characteristics attributed to their characters serve to position the reader as respectful and admiring of their lifestyle, simplicity and innocence, whilst condemning the actions and life of the newly
empowered political elite. This character construction is linked to the thematic concern discussed earlier, which hints at the tension conveyed by the story, between the peaceful innocence of the rural poor and the effects of modernity that accompany political
transformation, and the installation of the bureaucratic elite. This tension is connoted in the 'the new, rich, civil servant class' (1994, 46).
This story also conveys the suffering and disadvantage experienced by African communities, in particular the rural poor. They are presented as victims of a post
apartheid society, whose innocence, sincerity and humility are contrasted to the interests of a modern regime (represented by the civil servant and his modernized vehicle), which is conveyed as having no genuine concern for the upliftment of the rural poor. I focus on the issue of modernization, which the story conveys through the death of Friedman. His death at the hands of a corrupt government official raises questions about the kind of transformation that will reach the rural poor, or whether any form of modern progress and development will actually benefit them, so they may experience a lifestyle free of
disadvantage and exploitation. There is cynicism connoted by the closing lines of the
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story in 'this progress, development and a preoccupation with status and living standards first announced themselves to the village. It looked like an ugly story, with many
decapitated bodies on the main road' (1994, 47).
I examine the contrasts conveyed in this story between tradition and modernization, by focusing on the difference between rural and urban lifestyles:
URBAN car drivers city folk individualistic
corrupt wealthy
elite arrogant
worldly hypocritical
RURAL bicycle pedestrians country folk
communal innocent
poor peasant humble naive sincere
TABLE 2: Binary Oppositions representing rural and urban lifestyles in "The Wind and the Boy".
The binary opposition constructs the rural community as peace-loving, innocent and perhaps naive members of a group that remains sidelined, even though political
transformation has long since begun. They are conveyed as a group that will continue to suffer and be compromised in a new age that does not seek to genuinely include nor respect their interests nor concerns. They are presented as enjoying a sense of peace and togetherness synonymous with pre-colonial times. In this regard the story proposes a romantic nostalgia, inherent in Leavis's rejection of modernization and industrialization in Britain in the 1920's (Ball et al, 1992), whereby modernization is viewed as a
disruptive force eroding the innocence of a group of people through political change.
In this light I move to consider the construction of the character of Triedman, the hero and Sejosenye, the member of his family by looking at the language and signification (semiotics) in terms of the following lines taken from the introduction of the story:
For years and years the combination of the boy Friedman and his grandmother Sejosenye made the people of Ga-Safete-Molemo ward smile, laugh and then cry (1994,41).
They are introduced anecdotally as being exceptional people, worthy of admiration, sympathy and perhaps envy and as different from the village people who are conveyed as ordinary. They may therefore be considered as other. These lines also convey the close bond that boy and granny shared. Their specialness is signaled further as they are the only characters named, whilst the others are referred to generically as 'the village people or the village boys' (1994,40).
Friedman is further constructed as different or blessed with some kind of enchantment in the opening lines of the story in, 'perhaps the enchanted wind that blew for him filled the whole world with magic' (1994, 40).
He is described as fulfilling an emotional need in his grandmother Sejosenye, and provided her with a sense of purpose in the experience at late motherhood. This is suggested in the phrase 'the child is a gift to keep her heart warm and she took care of him with extravagant care and tenderness' (1994, 41). The village people's fond recollection of Friedman's growth physically and personally is conveyed in describing him as 'a tall, spindly-legged, graceful gazelle, with large, grave eyes. There was an odd musical lilt to his speech.. .he became the king of all kings in the area... his movements were neat, he could turn his hand to anything and made the best wire cars.. .the village people were hypnotized by him' (1994, 41- 42). I examine the contrast between Friedman and the village boys that is signified in the language mentioned on pages 40 and 41:
FRIEDMAN special
responsible creative intelligent good looking
graceful
admirably mischievous leader
never punished
OTHER BOYS ordinary petty thieves
ordinary dull nondescript
agile
deviantly mischievous follower
constantly punished
TABTE 3: Binary Oppositions contrasting Friedman and the village boys.
The binary oppositions make obvious the process of construction of this character as different and special and offer a reading from which to admire him. Similarly, Sejosenye is constructed as special and different from the ordinary village women. The following grid identifies the contrast between Sejosenye and the ordinary village women, which is derived from the language (semiotics) of the story:
SEJOSENYE bold proud enterprising self-satisfying
independent hard-working
THE VILLAGE WOMEN passive
deferential timid envying dependent
laidback
TABLE 4: Binary Oppositions contrasting Sejosenye and the village women.
The construction by the author of the two main characters as extraordinary contributes to the concept of tragedy used in the new equilibrium at the conclusion of the story which presents the loss of two special lives. This discourse is privileged in the story as it constructs Friedman and Sejosenje as victims of a modern regime that does not consider their happiness and satisfaction. This discourse can be understood as postcolonial and is the preferred discourse as it is structured to disallow seeing Friedman as irresponsible and perhaps primitive in his desire to challenge a motor vehicle with a bicycle.
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