Perspectives

Next, we will look at some of the current issues in connection with the text, as well as at other aspects that will help you put “The Middle Children” by Rayda Jacobs in perspective: literary period and similar works.…

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Current issues

“The Middle Children” is a fiction text that targets racial discrimination and racial identity during the apartheid regime in South Africa, which officially ended in 1991. Given that Sabah shares some traits…

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Literary period

Rayda Jacobs is a postmodernist, contemporary writer. We define Postmodernism as the literary period starting after the end of WWII and up to the present day. A postmodernist trait that you can identify in Jacobs’ short story is the fac…

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Works with the same theme

Other interesting short stories that explore racial issues in South Africa are: “Once upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer, “Pink” by Judith Thompson, and “The Bench” by Richard Rive.

“Once upon a Time” explores the irrational fear white …