I denne study guide kan du få hjælp til at analysere novellen ”Comrades” af Nadine Gordimer. Teksten kan findes i lærebogen From Dompas to Democracy, s. 98-101. Udover analysehjælpen får du et summary af teksten samt hjælp til fortolkning og perspektivering.
Præsentation af teksten
Titel: “Comrades” (1991)
Forfatter: Nadine Gordimer
Genre: Short story
Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014) var en sydafrikansk forfatter. I 1991 modtog hun Nobelprisen i litteratur for den store betydning, som hendes litterære arbejde har haft for menneskeheden. Flertallet af Gordimers litterære værker beskæftiger sig med problematikker, der har at gøre med apartheid og raceforskel i Sydafrika.
Uddrag
Her kan du se et uddrag af vores study guide om novellen:
Title
The title of the short story “Comrades” by Nadine Gordimer is straightforward. The word is often used to describe people fighting together in a war, and usually implies a relationship of equals. When it comes to the fight against the apartheid system, the word "comrade" was also used by socialist activists in South Africa. Early on, the readers find out that the word is used to define the relationship between Hattie Telford, a white activist in South Africa, and the black boys. Dumile addresses Hattie as “comrade” (p. 98, l. 12), as he sees her as a fellow activist who shares their goal.
As the narrative develops, readers find out that Hattie and the boys actually have almost nothing in common. Hattie, a white activist, does not understand the real struggles black people go through. Throughout her conversation with Dumile and the rest of the boys, Hattie attempts to find a way to connect with them but realizes she cannot because her experiences and theirs are different.
The ending reveals that Hattie and the boys are not “comrades” and that, although they share the same goal, the apartheid system will never allow Hattie and the boys to be equal. It could also be that Hattie herself first sees the boys as her comrades, but then realizes that the differences in their backgrounds and experiences make this impossible, even though they are on the same side.
