Conflict In Jaapie Botha's 'The Judge'

1243 Words3 Pages

Surviving in a unpalatable world of segregation, two boys born of a different race experiences a world of hate and sin. The main protagonist, Peekay is a white South African kid that’s traumatized during his childhood after attending an African bordering school during World War II. Having a different racial background from the other kids, introduced Peekay into a world of horrors and insecurities. Alternatively his conflict lies with the antagonist of the story, The Judge. Jaapie Botha, who is known as The Judge reviles and degrades Peekay for being born of a different race. However, the two are counterparts of a story and the difficulties of the world begins to shape and mold them into who they will become. As the story unfolds, Peekay becomes …show more content…

Ironically that he was born as a white South African, he was perceived as riffraff. Resettled to an all African bordering school because of his mother’s breakdown, the roles of society were reversed for Peekay. Becoming publicized as a servant rather than proclaimed as an equal, Peekay was institutionalized by an African schoolboy. The boy name was The Judge, and he’s revealed throughout the story as the counterpart of Peekay. Being the youngest child to attend the boarding school, The Judge as a senior led the other students to verbally and physically humiliate Peekay.. Regardless of being birthed into the same country the antagonist of the story held a great amount of resentment towards the main character. Going as far as to murdering his pet, The Judge was a deadly shadow, engulfing Peekay into a world of torment for his …show more content…

While attending the African bordering school, Peekay was stripped of his dignity. The kids belittled him into an empty shell ruining him emotionally. Developing the trait of bedwetting, he became more vulnerable towards the other kids. He never experienced racism until that moment and he was only five. However, when he returned home, Peekay met somebody who was able to cure his problems and opened his mind to a world of dreams. Finding inner peace, Peekay was able to develop and find the power of one.
The Judge on the other hand couldn’t, he was too corrupted to find integrity. Lying to Peekay, The Judge stated that Hitler was coming to march the whites into the sea to restore the honor of his people. Provided that Hitler disliked blacks, it was only a bluff to scare Peekay. The Judge was afraid of Hitler also, however, he camouflaged his anxiety and remained oblivious. He was had various of injudicious moments throughout the story. In other words, no specific ethnic group were safe during the war because everybody were marked as a

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