A Question of Power

Bessie Head is the author of A Question of Power, a novel first published in 1974. She is also known for the novels When Rain Clouds Gather (1968) and Maru (1971). Head was born in apartheid South Africa and has much in common with the main character, Elizabeth. While the novel is told in the third-person limited point of view following Elizabeth’s perspective, the story is considered semi-autobiographical fiction. As Elizabeth battles her mental health and the nature of good and evil, she goes on a nightmarish journey of self-discovery after leaving apartheid South Africa. Now living in Botswana, Elizabeth copes with her past and present, alternating between fragmented episodes of delusion and reality. Head uses surrealism and elements of magical realism to bring this complex narrative to life, creating a story that is intentionally disorienting and discomforting for the reader. The book additionally incorporates themes of Power and Helplessness and The Internal World Versus the External World, using the character of Elizabeth to address issues of racism and trauma.