The Park

I denne study guide kan du få hjælp til at analysere novellen "The Park" af James Matthews. Udover analysehjælpen kan du finde et summary af teksten samt idéer til fortolkning og perspektivering.

Præsentation af teksten

Titel: “The Park” (1962)
Forfatter: James Matthews
Genre: Short story

James Matthews (f. 1929) er en sydafrikansk digter og forfatter, som ofte skrev kritiske tekster om apartheid-styret. Styret forbød Matthews' værker, men han spillede alligevel en stor rolle indenfor den politiske protestbevægelse i 1960'ernes Sydafrika.

Matthews' novelle "The Park" beskriver nogle af de uretfærdige forhold, som apartheid-styret skabte for befolkningen.

Uddrag

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Title

The title of the short story “The Park” by James Matthews seems very direct at first: it is the place the main character focuses on throughout the narrative. However, it can also be interpreted as a symbol of the social and political situation in South Africa. The park itself represents an idyllic place that the white people of South Africa have created for themselves, but from which they have actively excluded all people of color. Because of this, the people of color have been forced out of good jobs and housing and were limited to the poor and dirty areas around the whites-only spaces.

The main character is deeply fascinated by the park, and all the children playing in it: “He looked longingly at the children on the other side of the railings” (l. 1). He is captivated by it and it becomes the focus of his daydreams, because he is not allowed to go inside and play with the other children.