Themes and message

The main theme explored in the essay “In Celebration of Walls” by Frank Lewinberg is apartheid in South Africa. Within this general theme the writer explores sub-themes such as the issues of segregation and otherness, and security. These aspects are explored trough the symbolism of walls. During the apartheid regime, South Africans were separated by an invisible wall. Afterwards, walls were physically erected and showed the divisions in society that were previously ignored by most white people. The author’s message is that social issues and social changes influence the urban landscape.

Apartheid in South Africa

The apartheid regime was a political system implemented in South Africa between 1948 and 1991. The declared idea behind this system was that white and black people were not ready to live in an integrated society, and native black South Africans were not ready to govern themselves. This lead to a system of racial segregation which favoured the white population—economically, politically, and socially. 

One of the measures used during the apartheid regime was the segregation of residential areas. White people and black people lived in different residential zones, as the writer describes in his essay. As a white South African, he lived in a residential area designed for whites only, protected by the apartheid state. The writer claims that during this time, the residential areas of white people in Johannesburg resembled European...