Summary

“The Bench” by Richard Rive tells the story of Karlie, a native South African who is listening to some speakers talking about the discrimination and oppression of the black South African population. Karlie remembers the people in his village, who believe that whites and blacks should stay separated, and begins to think that he is just as good as a white man. Karlie then notices that there are both white and black speakers on the stage and focuses on a white woman who offers a cigarette to a black man. The white woman is the last speaker, and she encourages the audience to challenge any type of discrimination in their own way. 

Karlie leaves the crowd with the woman’s words in his mind and almost gets hit by a car. The white driver insults hi...