By Aisling Wyer and Luke Tai

Lessing's

two great

concerns:

The evil of colonialism

The evil of patriarchal societies (societies in which men set the rules and standards and women are thus subordinated)

These form the fundamental theme of power in this novel.

The unity between the opening and conclusion makes a powerful statement about the issues treated in this novel. Both show the murder of Mary by Moses together with the immediate reaction from the white population.

Mary’s relationship with her black servant shatters the complacency of the whites in Africa.

Moses’ power in the relationship is unquestionable and real.

His action in murdering Mary shows the control which he exerts over her and in which the blacks have in their own country still.

The whites retain a hold based on lies and corruption. The system of gross injustice dominates this society.

THE RICH PROVIDE THE SUPERIORITY

Charlie Slatter is an example of such success for the Turners.

He uses his financial power to gain respect in the community and to take over the Turners' farm.

For Dick the lack of money reduces them to the level of the natives, although to admit this would be unacceptable.

For the sake of appearances, the community must pretend to support the white's.

"Dick did not like the mission boys, they knew too much.

And in any case they should not be taught to write and read; thy should be taught the dignity of labour and general usefulness to the

white man".

The natives are treated like machines and a commodity to be passed around.

They were kept in a state where they

"did not know there were any other ways of living, besides when producing gold".

Mary is effectively forced into marriage by the weight of social expectations and traditions.

She had a nice job, numerous friends, and valued her independence.

Friends in the city assumed she would not marry, which pushed her into a doomed marriage and into a fascination with Moses.

She was engaged in a losing battle to hold on to her own identity.

Mary, like most Rhodesian women, is overtly racist, believing that whites should be masters over the native blacks.

She works them hard reduces their break time, and arbitrarily takes money from their pay.

Her hatred of natives results in her whipping the face of a worker because he speaks to her in English.

This shows the power of communication and again the power difference between races.

Mary was once self-sufficient but still had to conform to what society wanted and when she came back she had lost her control/power. When she first comes to the farm she is outraged at the new lifestyle when her power is undermined.

"She could not understand any white person feeling anything

personal about a native".

Mary's attitudes are not unique, she represents the attitudes of women in this society as a result of the ingrained racism.

Dick is not exempt from the effects of society, he contradicts himself saying once "he's a human being, he has to eat" and then referring them as to "lazy black savages" .

The racism escapes nobody.