Jump and Other Stories

Published in 1991, Jump and Other Stories is a collection of 16 short stories by Nadine Gordimer. Each story provides insight into how apartheid affected the people of South Africa. Featuring tales of tragedy, war, revolution, and love, the collection uses a diverse cast of characters to address systemic racism and offer hope for an inclusive future. Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and political activist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991.

Plot Summary

“Jump” tells the story of a White soldier confined to a hotel room as he waits to be freed and reflects on his life. As a youth, he joins a parachute club and revels in the thrill. The Black community around the soldier’s family rebels against an oppressive system, but the soldier’s family is apathetic to their cause. After the Black military gains more control, the soldier is arrested at the beach for taking photographs. He grows to hate the current government and leaves for Europe, where he organizes with others to fight a counterrevolution. He returns to South Africa and is complicit in horrific war crimes. Now captured, he gives the government information in exchange for his life and a second chance.