Characters

The main character in the short story “Comrades” by Nadine Gordimer is Hattie Telford. Hattie is a white activist who attended a university conference on People’s Education, where she spoke for offering education for black South Africans.

The collective character of the black South African boys, voiced by Dumile, their spokesman, is also present. Although Dumile initially sees Hattie as their comrade and as someone who shares the same anti-apartheid views, he comes to realize that white and black people can never be equals while the apartheid system is in place.

Another character is Hattie’s black maid. She becomes symbolic of Hattie’s racial bias and inability to truly connect with black South Africans, even though she is sympathetic to their cause.

You can read a more detailed analysis of Hattie and the boys in the following pages.