Shades

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Two issues in particular should concern the reader:

• Victor and his relationship with Frances;



• and the tentative but growing friendship between Walter and Frances.

The Victorian Age — named after Queen Victoria who ruled the British Empire for 63 years (1837-1901) — was marked by a deeply conservative morality. Indeed, it was a morality which covered every facet of society from sexual mores to codes of dress.

The Victorians were essentially middle class English, caught up in a very strict religion. They were wealthy but believed their wealth came as a blessing from God.

But what God gives, He can also take away. If that were to happen, the Victorians believed they would be plunged back into abject poverty.

To avoid such a catastrophe, the Victorians followed a puritan way of life. Anything that brought sin upon their heads was to be avoided.

The ultimate sin lay in unbridled sexuality. Avoidance of temptation therefore lay at the forefront of their morality.

For the Victorians, the purpose of marriage was primarily for the bearing of children and to prevent husbands from burning up with sexual desire. Sex for the wife was therefore a duty and was not meant to be pleasurable. It was, however, something that was strictly to be confined to marriage.

Sexual rules were therefore simple: there could be no sex until after marriage. Even kissing was considered dangerous.

A woman who lost her virginity outside of marriage was regarded as "fallen" and therefore a harlot. Indeed, few men would seek a marital alliance with such a person.

Since middle class Victorian women were not expected to work, a good marriage was therefore essential to them. A "fallen" woman, however, had little marital prospects and was therefore doomed to a life of poverty.

On the other hand, couples did engage in sex outside of marriage but, if they were found out — usually by an unexpected pregnancy — it was expected that they would immediately marry. Indeed, not to marry would bring humiliation to the whole family.

Should a father even suspect that a prospective marital partner was having sex with his daughter, he was justified in forcing the young man into marriage.

The Victorians were also noted for their dress codes. Men always wore long pants, polished shoes, jacket, tie and hat on almost all occasions.

Women ensured that almost every part of their bodies was covered: long-sleeved dresses with the lace overlapping the wrist, high collars and wide skirts which reached to the ankles. Corsets were popular as a means of keeping the waistline narrow.

Men were never to be seen nude or semi-nude in front of a woman. Women were in fact expected to avert their eyes even if the man was merely without his shirt.

Women were certainly never to be seen nude or semi-nude in front of a man, even if that man was her husband. Sex within marriage therefore happened in the dark and usually fully dressed in bed-clothes. The woman's night-dress might be rolled up but not removed!

When it came to sea-bathing, separate areas were designated for men and for women. Women were often taken out into the breakers on board bathing booths on wheels, so that the men would not even see them alighting into the water.

Even so, the ankle length skirts of their bathing costumes were weighed down with lead pellets lest the skirt float and reveal even so much as the woman's legs under the water.

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

Read the notes in the left column before answering the questions below:

VICTOR:

"The ultimate purpose of the war game was for Victor to get Frances beside him on his horse, and ultimately to kiss her."

• Comment carefully on this statement and on Victor's relish for playing the "war game". (6)

[Need help?]

Although the "war game" was ostensibly to re-enact Victor's father's heroism in battle, Victor became irritated if the "impi" failed to kill "Trooper O'Flaherty". Why? It seems a critical feature of the game that Victor had to collect O'Flaherty's widow (Frances) and ride back with her, eventually to give her a gentle kiss at the end. Why? In the days of Victorian morality, how else could Victor get physically so close to Frances — allowing her to ride in front of him on the horse — without attracting suspicion? And kissing her to boot! So, once again, what was the main purpose of the war game? Surely precisely to get close to Frances and finally to kiss her!

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Did Victor deserve the thrashing he received for locking Sonwabo Pumani in the vestry cupboard? (4)

[Need help?]

Was Father Charles merely totally exasperated with a boy who was growing increasingly arrogant and irresponsible? Did the priest realise what a dreadful act Victor had committed? Or could he simply think of no other suitable punishment? By now, Father Charles was also aware that his son had probably been having sex with Truter's daughter. Although he had no proof that this had happened, he was probably deeply disappointed in Victor. This knowledge might have influenced his decision to thrash the boy. By the way, do you think a thrashing like this would have had any effect on Victor?

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MR PLOTZ:

"Had he listened he might have heard Plotz laughing at his back, relishing his folly."

• Who was Mr Plotz? (2)



• Why would he be laughing behind Walter's back? (4)

[Need help?]

Mr Plotz was a character invented by Walter Brownley to enable him to get closer to Frances. It was not actually a make-believe name but was German — the name of one of the German families who had emigrated to the area some forty years previously. But was the invention of Mr Plotz bringing Walter too close to Frances? Plotz was always hunting the fictitious green lion. Was Walter himself perhaps hunting his own fictitious lion, i.e. love? Would Plotz ever find the green lion? Would Walter ever find love? And was not Mr Plotz laughing at Walter's bumbling and futile attempts at finding love?

• What role does Mr Plotz play in fostering the growing relationship between Walter and Frances? (4)

[Need help?]

Frances was one of those people who could not easily reveal her innermost feelings. Walter knew she would not ordinarily confide in him — but what if they played a game, a roleplay?

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FRANCES:

Are Victor and Frances in any way related? Explain. (4)

[Need help?]

Frances and Victor have a slightly complicated link, don't they? You can work it out easily enough. Use pencil and paper to link all the relevant people. But, no, they don't seem to be related in any genetic way, but rather through marriage.

Why does Frances appear to be emotionally attached to Victor? (4)

[Need help?]

Frances and Victor had been together as family since she was very young. Would she not therefore think of Victor as her big brother? It's also very common for a little sister to trust her big brother implicitly — and believe and do anything and everything he suggests.

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WALTER & FRANCES:

Walter invented the character of Mrs Brodowski.

• What was the purpose of this invention? (2)



• In what way did Frances quickly begin to imitate this fictitious character? (3)

[Need help?]

Frances was one of those people who could not easily reveal her innermost feelings. Walter knew she would not ordinarily confide in him — but what if they played a game, a roleplay? And please notice the various ways in which Frances begins to imitate Mrs Brodowski — from her posture to her clothing, and even the way in which she thought. Indeed, it was a very natural thing. As Frances became more open through being Mrs B., so she would naturally tend to assume the characteristics of Mrs B., i.e. allowing Mrs B. to become real in her life.

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In what way was Walter's friendship more beneficial to Frances than Victor's friendship with her? (5)

[Need help?]

Who would you rather be friendly with: Victor or Walter? Why? Victor was self-sufficient, arrogant and conceited. Did he really care anything for Frances's feelings? Walter, on the other hand, had many admirable qualities which would attract someone like Frances. What would these be?

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ST MATTHIAS MISSION:

"A strange, transplanted monument to England, an imposter in the wild stretch of veld"

• Why does Walter refer to St Matthias Mission in these terms? (4)

[Need help?]

Just think about it: Rose bushes and such like things in the midst of the veld and thorn trees! English dress and culture in the midst of rural Africa! Everyone being forced to speak English, rather than the little English group learning to speak Xhosa!

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