Monday, August 29, 2005

Chapter 2

1. Biko is said to be "banned". What does it mean practically for him in his daily life?
2. The author mentions "Coloured" people. Is their status different from Black people's? In what way does it serve the ruling authority?
3. When do you think the story takes place? What clues do you have about the specific era the story refers to?
4. Define what a "homeland" is.
5.What do we learn about hygiene, water supply and general health conditions among black children. What do you think about it? How could these conditions be improved?

2 comments:

Teacher said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

1. For Biko to be banned means he cannot meet and talk with more than one person at a time, he cannot travel abroad or leave the country and is not allowed to write or speak publicly.
2. The ruling authority takes advantage of the slight differences of status between "coloured" and blacks:if the latters are busy trying to obtain the same priviledges as the formers( coloured), they won't challenge the white authority. "divide and rule" as the saying goes.
3.The author mentions the Common Market and the East-West conflict, the story definitely takes place in the seventies before the Common Market became the EEC (European Economic Union).
4.A "homeland" is similar to a reservation in the USA, it's an area where blacks are entitled to stay, but in reality it means theses citizens are denationalized from the rest of South Africa (they need a pass to travel in their own country). It's also a way of controlling them.
Homelands were often poor-quality and barren land, the places the whites didn't want.
5. We learn that many children fall ill or die of bad hygiene and poor water supply. These conditions could be improved easily if the whites decided to get involve in this process. Therefore the blacks decided to start a place of their own, managed by a black doctor, Dr Manphela Ramphele. Obviously to improve water supply and hygiene is not a pripority to the white government.