The Power of One

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses child abuse as well as racist violence and language.

The novel is fictional but takes place amidst the historical backdrop of South Africa during a period of social upheaval not long after the Second Boer War, including World War II and preceding the institution of Apartheid, three events with major repercussions for race relations in South Africa. While Apartheid may not appear to be the central focus of the novel, the author contextualizes the Bildungsroman so that Peekay’s narrative journey—his transition from child to young adult—parallels the slow transition of South Africa toward Apartheid, the institutional oppression of Black Africans. This technique, as well as multiple characters’ criticism of recorded history, suggests that the truth about racism and racial violence in pre-Apartheid and Apartheid South Africa need to be revealed through lens of a fictional character. The author uses Peekay’s youthful, naïve perspective to reflect upon the arbitrary and illogical hatred of the period.

Peekay’s experiences and encounters with different characters contextualize the dynamics of the social and racial hierarchy in South Africa. These characters from different races, ethnicities, nationalities, and backgrounds provide him with multiple perspectives.