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Athol Fugard's drama, Master Harold

 

Athol Fugard's drama, "Master Harold" . . . And The Boys, was

written during a time of great conflict in South Africa, where he

was raised.  Fugard was torn between his mother, who was

"Afrikaaner," (1291) and his father, who was "of English decent"

(1291). These differing influences caused Fugard to use the

discussions between Sam and Hally to demonstrate the religious,

racial, and political tensions of his lifetime in South Africa.

 

The discussion between Sam and Hally about who was "a man of

magnitude" (1300) represents the religious tensions of Fugard's

lifetime in South Africa between the growing belief in evolution

and Jesus Christ's teaching of Creation.  Hally says that Charles

Darwin was "a man of magnitude," (1300) because he was "somebody

who benefited all mankind" (1301).  He admires Darwin "for his

Theory of Evolution" (1301), which according to Hally, proves

"where we come from and what it all means" (1301).  Sam totally

disagrees with Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" (1301) because

evolution is in contrast to the Bible's teaching on Creationism,

and he says that just because it is in a book it "does not mean

[he's] got to believe it" (1301).  Sam believes that "Jesus

Christ" (1302) was "a man of magnitude" (1300).  Hally is

obviously against Sam's suggestion of Jesus Christ, because Hally

makes it clear that he is "an atheist" (1303).  This disagreement

between Sam and Hally is really just an example of the religious

tensions in South Africa during Fugard's lifetime between the

"Theory of Evolution," (1301) which was becoming more accepted,

and Christianity, which was taught by Jesus Christ.

 

A second discussion between Sam and Hally that occurs after Hally

learns that his father has gone home demonstrates the racial

tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa.  When Sam starts

lecturing Hally about how he treats his father, Hally becomes

angry and tells Sam that he is "treading on dangerous ground"

(1321).  Hally also tells Sam that his "mother is right"(1322)

about "warning [him] about allowing you to get to familiar"

(1322).  The climax of the argument is when Hally tells Sam that

he is "only a servant" (1322).  This is the first noticeable

statement that Hally makes that demonstrates the racial tensions

experienced in South Africa.  The next racial statement Hally

makes is when he tells Sam that his father is his boss because

"he's a white man and that's good enough for [him]" (1322).

Hally then takes things even further by commanding Sam to "start

calling [him] Master Harold" (1323).  Hally tells Sam that if he

doesn't follow this command that he "might just lose [his] job"

(1323).  Hally really makes matters worse when he tells Sam his

father's favorite joke.  His father would ask Hally, "It's not

fair, is it, Hally" (1323)?  Then Hally would ask, "What, chum"

(1323)?  Then his father would say, "A nigger's arse" (1323).

Another example of the racial tensions during the argument is

made when Sam points out that when Hally's father got drunk at a

bar, that Hally had to go "in first . . . to ask permission"

(1325) for Sam to be able to go in to get his father.  A final

and the most noticeable example of the racial tensions in South

Africa is made by Sam when he informs Hally about the reason why

he didn't stay with him the day they flew the kite.  Sam tells

Hally that the bench he had sat on was a "Whites Only" (1325)

bench and Sam wasn't allowed to sit on it.   All of these

examples are used to represent the racial tensions that were

present in Fugard's lifetime in South Africa.

 

The final discussion between Sam and Hally about their

experiences during the day and the dance championship that Sam

and Willie are going to participate in demonstrates the political

tensions in the world during Fugard's lifetime.  Sam points out

to Hally that people are "bumping into each other all the time"

(1317) and nobody "knows the steps and there's no music playing"

(1317).  Sam said, "I've bumped into Willie, the two of us have

bumped into you, you've bumped into your mother, she bumping into

your Dad_(1317). Sam is using their experiences that day to

represent how countries are in constant conflict.  He points out

to Hally that "America has bumped into Russia, England is bumping

into India,  rich man bumps into poor man" (1317).  Sam says that

at the dance, they're "going to see six couples get it right, the

way we want life to be" (1317-1318).  Sam uses the dance to

represent the hope that was held by people in Fugard's lifetime

about the political future of the world by looking at these six

couples' success.  He convinces Hally that the world does have

hope for political stability because Hally states that "maybe

there is some hope for mankind after all" (1318).  Sam uses all

of these examples about their experiences during the day and the

dance championship to demonstrate the political tensions that

were present in Fugard's lifetime.

 

Although the discussions between Sam and Hally seem to be

confined to the characters' lives, the discussions are much more

complex than they appear.  These three discussions between Sam

and Hally demonstrate the religious, racial, and political

tensions that Athol Fugard grew up facing in South Africa.  The

discussion about who is "a man of magnitude" (1300) demonstrates

the religious tensions.  The second discussion that occurs after

Hally learns that his father is coming home demonstrates the

racial tensions.  Finally, the third discussion about Sam and

Hally's experiences during the day and the dance championship

demonstrates the political tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South

Africa.