Perspectives

Literary period

The short story “We gotta number there” by Rayda Jacobs was written in 2012 and presents events that took place in the 1990s, particularly after the year 1993. The short story presents the lives of both white and black people living in South Africa after the year 1993, when the African National Congress eventually became the ruling party.

The story is written in a traditional manner, with a third-person narrator telling the story mainly through the perspective of one of the most important characters. The events are presented chronologically, and the language is simple and informal, which gives the story an authentic feeling. These features suggest that “We gotta number there” is a modernist work of fiction. Modernist writers tend to focus on symbols, just as Rayda Jacobs does in her short story when she wants to suggest traits belonging to the main characters. Additionally, modernist works tend to focus on themes related to contemporary issues and struggles; in her story, Rayda Jacobs also fo...