Topic

“What Life Was Like In South Africa During Apartheid” by Michelle Faul is an  article which explores the topic of racial discrimination during the apartheid system in South Africa…

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Racial discrimination during  apartheid

The writer describes the apartheid system in South Africa as an “institutionalized code in South Africa that made blacks subhuman” (p. 10, l. 15). Apartheid was a political regime in South Africa which discriminated against the black population.

During apartheid, black people did not have access to good education, healthcare, or proper housing. Wealth and a decent lifestyle were the privileges of white people. All these aspects are covered by the writer in the article: “Being white meant you got decent health care, your kids could go to school, and you could live where you wanted.” (p. 12, ll. 4-5); “If you were white, you had access to jobs denied to blacks.” (p. 12, ll. 12);

By contrast, the black population struggled with the negative consequences of segregation: “Hotels catered only to whites, so the drive neede…

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Argumentation

In general, Michelle Faul uses direct argumentation in her article. This means that she expresses her views and arguments in a straightforward manner.

For example, the writer openly describes South Africa during the apartheid regime as “racist” (l. 2). In the same way, she presents her opinion of the apartheid regime explicitly: “South Africa had a crazy system of deciding your race…” (p. 10, ll. 30-31); “My experience was more the absurd pettiness of apartheid, rather than the brutal, state-sponsored violence used to maintain it.” (p. 12, ll. 10-11)

Furthermore, she uses words that introduce explanations and descriptions which mark her line of direct reasoning: “Being white meant you got decent health care, your kids could go to school, and you could live where you wanted.” (p. 12, ll. 4-5); “put …