Perspectives

Literary perspective

The short story “Terminal” by Nadine Gordimer has some characteristics of modernist literature. First, this is seen in the story’s non-chronological structure, where flashbacks illustrate aspects of the couple’s relationshi…

...

Works with the same theme or by the same author

Several stories by Nadine Gordimer are set in the context of the apartheid system in South Africa. 

We recommend the short story “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer, which presents the love story between a black girl, Thebedi, and her white master, Paulus. The story is set during apartheid – a typical social background in Gordimer’s stories – when interracial relationships were condemned by a prejudiced society. When you compare “Country Lovers” with “Terminal”, you could consider whether Paulus’ behavior after he finds out about Thebedi’s baby could be seen as a form of betrayal or not. 

You could look at Nadine Gordimer's short story “Once Upon a Time”, which is also set in the context of apartheid in South Africa. The atypical structure of a story within a story introduces a white family who becomes more and more paranoid as they hear rumors about civil unrest and riots led by black people. The lack of trust in black people makes the family take extreme measures, which end up hurting an innocent child. Both “Once Upon a Time” and “Terminal” deal with the concept of trust, but in different ways. 

For the theme of lack of communication, we recommend you take a look at the short story “A Serious Talk” by Raymond Carver. In the story, Burt and Vera, who have separated, fail to communicate with each other properly and to express how they really feel. Instead of trying to communicate with his wife, Burt acts impulsively and is unable to have a serious talk regarding their relationship. In this light, “A Serious Talk” and “Terminal” are similar, as both couples fail to openly discuss the issues that affect them.