Kaffir Boy By Mark Mathabane: An Analysis

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In the excerpt from his autobiography, Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane, the author develops his theme of the life-changing power education holds. This is shown throughout the text by the telling of an eye-opening experience Mathabane went through as a child. Mathabane tells us how he was very against school, due to being influenced by a gang of slightly older kids who lived on their own wherever and however they could. He explains how his mother and two other relatives had to literally tie him up to get him to school. Soon after, we become aware of the terrible life the gang of kids lead, and the author highlights how both the explanation of the gang children’s lives and the effort his mother put into getting him to school impacted him; pushing

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