Paulus Eysendyck

Outer characterization

Paulus Eysendyck is one of the main characters in “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer. His outer characterization reveals that he is a white boy, the son of a farm owner. Not much else is revealed about him, except that he is “six feet tall” (l. 27) when he is 15. 

However, when Thebedi’s baby is born, the narrative offers some clues about how Paulus looks. The baby has “straight, fine” (ll. 128-129) hair, with “gilded strands” (l. 161), and the baby’s eyes are “grey with yellowish flecks, his own hazel eyes” (l. 168). These clues suggest that the baby resembles Paulus, not Thebedi.

Paulus also has sisters (l. 16), but the story does not reveal how many. At school, Paulus plays soccer (ll. 85-86), and, once he is 18, he enters a veterinary college (l. 115). 

Inner characterization

When he is young, Paulus is characterized by a child-like innocence, which suggests that racism is something that is taught to you. In the beginning, he is simply not aware of the racial differences between himself and Thebedi: “The trouble was Paulu...