Shades

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We are transported to Johannesburg where the brutality of the gold mines is revealed. Reuben and Tom go to work underground, while Sonwabo becomes a "bride" for the indunas.

Crispin begins his downward spiral that will end in his death. He learns with a shock what is happening to Sonwabo. Then Victor, whom he has always trusted implicitly, not only introduces him to prostitutes but is also forgetting Frances in his pursuit of the Warburton girl.

Capitalism means the exploitation of people for the sake of wealth. The gold mines in Johannesburg were typically capitalistic ventures.

The mines were owned by a few wealthy people who forced labourers to work under harsh conditions, live in dreadful circumstances, and be paid pathetically small wages in order to mine the minerals and so make the capitalists wealthier.

Although Shades does not deal with the mainstream capitalists like Cecil John Rhodes, it does nevertheless involve the lesser capitalists like Victor Drake, Charlie Fraser, Sonny Hoek and Harold Stanbridge.

These were the people who saw the opportunity to enrich themselves by exploiting an unsuspecting labouring group that had been devastated by the rinderpest epidemic.

The recruitment of black labour for the gold mines was a typically capitalistic venture. People like Charlie, Harold and Victor saw in the rinderpest devastation the ideal opportunity to become wealthy.

The amaXhosa had had their herds decimated. They were therefore approached by shrewd recruiters like Victor to sign up their sons under contract to work on the mines in return for a few healthy cattle.

Cattle were regarded by the amaXhosa as a source of wealth but they did not cost much for the capitalists who could buy them cheaply and could therefore afford to give them away as gifts.

It was a form of modern slavery. Vague promises were given of good pay and ideal working conditions. By the time the lie was spotted, it was too late. The labourers could not escape.

There was no chance of rescue. Many labourers died on the mines — while the recruiters ignored their desperate circumstances.

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

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

What message is Marguerite Poland attempting to convey by the barbarous name-changing scene that starts this chapter? (4)

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There's a story from East London (1900) of how the Location Inspector found it difficult to identify the Black people living at the East Bank Location because every male had been given the name "John" by his employer. There were therefore some 6,000 John's living in the East Bank Location! It seems it was the accepted practice for Whites to give the Black people names which could be pronounced more easily. Sir Harry Smith (Governor of the Cape Colony) changed Chief Ngqunugwebe's name to "Congo", while Chief Ngqika became Gaika! As regards the name changing on the mine, did it not also indicate racism of the worst order? The operation was insulting and indicated a gross violation of the dignity of the people whose names were being changed. Rather like a woman has to change her name — and identity — when she marries.

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Comment on the various forms of barbarity which are presented in this chapter. (4)

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These are easy to find by a careful reading of the text.

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Victor reveals himself untrustworthy in two ways, viz. with his dinner date at the Warburtons, and his introducing Crispin to prostitutes. Comment. (4)

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Pretty straight forward a question. Compare, by the way, how Walter went out of his way not to get between Frances and Victor because they were engaged, whereas Victor was quite prepared to date the Warburton's daughter and ignore the fact that he himself was engaged! And as for introducing Crispin to a prostitute!

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Given that Crispin's conscience is as sensitive as his sister's, how would his visit to a prostitute have affected him? (4)

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Frances was flooded with guilt at having had sexual intercourse with Victor despite it having been forced upon her. In like manner, would not Crispin have been flooded with guilt by his losing his virginity with a prostitute even though this too had been thrust upon him? This surely was the first step in his descent towards suicide?

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A missionary came into the brothel as Crispin was clinging to the banisters. He questioned Crispin about what his father and mother might think of his actions.

• What effect would this reminder have had on Crispin's conscience? (5)

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Crispin was a deeply moral person. To have allowed himself to get drunk on gin and then visit a prostitute would therefore have caused him agonies of conscience. Remember that, even while the prostitute was undressing in front of him, he was reminded of Benedict, and then of Helmina. Now to be reminded in this way of his own father and mother would have been the last straw. Like Frances, Crispin was in fact innocent of the deed, yet like her he would also have blamed himself.

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Charlie Fraser and Sonnie Hoek carry Crispin on their shoulders after the visit to the brothel. Why? (2)

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They were, of course, celebrating Crispin's loss of virginity, treating him like the conquering hero! It is quite possible, on the other hand, that Crispin had not in fact lost his virginity at all. First, he was too drunk and nauseous to have had an erection. Second, his feelings of terror at the thought of the deed might have had a similar effect. But, given his naivete, he might not have actually realised that he was in fact still a virgin! A lot of young guys don't actually know what losing their virginity actually means.

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"Damn Victor to hell! Damn him!" Crispin shouts.

• Explain why Crispin reacts in this way. (6)

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Victor had done three unforgivable things. First, he had shown no interest whatever in Crispin's plea for help that Sonwabo was being used as a bride by the induna on the mine. Second, Victor was responsible for getting Crispin drunk and then for introducing him to a prostitute, which event Crispin would have seen as a breaking of a commandment. To top it all, despite the fact that Victor was engaged to Frances and still believed that Frances was perhaps pregnant with his child, he was off dining with the Warburton girl. He was indeed a man with no morals whatever.

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