Au, Wor Is ME by Napine Gonoorer7), y's Pagha (1968), Wot awarded the 195Pre-reading 41 Wher does she ste sugges ro you? Wher kindof sry do you expe reac? 2 Asyou willse (29. lines £2, $9), the storie set in So ‘Wher 80 you Know abour fs county? 2st WonstD YOR Us before het lege got 100 Bad. She was vere Tn and her skin was light yllove brane, a ike a Balloon {hat lightens jn colour asi is blown up, the fat selling! Deneath the thin layer of pigment caused it to stitch and spread more and move sparsely. She wore delicate hte git-immed? spectacles and she was a good cook, though extavagaat with butter. “Thowe were the things we noice about he. But in addon she had only one husband, massed to herby lw in Ghurch, and three cildeen, Robert Janet and Felis, whose upbringieg tras er content provceupation. She sighed often as ahe bent about ber leaning, a2 henvy people do, but she wes thinking about the chiles AR! woe me she would sa, when the butcher dia’ tana the iver of itstarted trai in the mide ofthe weekly wash i jing fom Be troubles in her own Bf, she eoulda't expect everyday matters to go ary bets, At Sst we laughed cf the Biblia! cetentstion ofthe exclamation, spparenty 9 out of proportion; but late we understand. Ab, woa sme she seldand that was her comment on ie ‘She wort about her thre chldcen because she wanted them 1 ‘now thei place; che wanted to edicts them, she wanted the boy 10 bnave« decent jo abe wanted the gilt grow up virgin and stay in 2 in [tn ing mes ty nn ona gp. 1shutch. That wae all Her owt Missor School education with i tactal traphasson the peat wo ahr thar hi, had not mad her dangerous trough oF brave enough er fe enoagh or even eduested enough 19 thi that any place was the place for her childcen ut it had emerged her just sulcloney o make Ber belive that there was place fo thes not a shace inthe White Man's place but not no place at al eihen & place of thee ern. She wanted them fo have and she wanted hem £2 Say there, She was enough ofan ncompaining tele to know that this Tees not easy, She we lao conserentie enaugh not to ask why it Was 9 fcuk. You got ie in ls woud the way iis, she aid ‘The things she waned for her ehilren sound commonplace But thay wernt Nat where she hd to Took forthe. TA st she rented a 00m for the hldeen ina tlative's house inthe Location: She paid for dis food and went to vis them every Sunday fand the cousin was supposed to see het they wont to school regultly fre didnot wander about the Location ater dack dung the week; Sarah believed es ferventy in education a she feared tho corruption of the ‘ark But soon it Socame clear that Rebort span ost of his scoolaiays Calving et the golf course (Why, why, why! moanad Sarah under the Alsgrace off and Robert opens hile hand, pink inside like the unexpected ile piv of a knowing sonkey, and shovwed the sispence fn icky Iying there; mise with the warmth af is palm) ana Folica fin sctetsing about the ack, smoky stots 38 nigh, a5 other children (ld Teas all eght forthe othr, who wore ging to be erand boys and snusegisiaybut twas ot or Sarah's dldeen ‘She sent them to boning echocl ‘Along came the Ist of things ther ust have, and the ens low, segeat discussions over tha back gate with her husband and te slow essing of folded pik notes and the eounting of hal-crowns out of © otontobsceo bog. She spent, not mizely 2 fortune on them ~ fortunes tee things made an lst ~ but oreythng sha had her nine pounds inthe 5 eying Until tee {key i calla South Aten word for ep on no gst idesA, Woe se Post Office, and all her wages, avery month. Even thant was not enough, for the schoo! as in Natal, and he colt only afford tan fae for them fone a year so that they spent al holidays cher than the Christmas one ftachool thee hundred mils from home. Bu they were being ested She shoved me their letters; Ike all children’s laters, oncommittal? fersabonless usunlly asking fr something. Occasionally I gave her some ‘wows Io send them, and I eceved leer of thanks from the younger ‘4, ane, in cep; polite, but without he sighest int of an please thatthe gift night have brought. Sarah always asked reed the eter, © ‘see nave, J waa respect that was the important thing, Took of ‘let coll would come over her face a5 she folded it up again. Yes ste ‘would say, there Tos they're being looked after. When Chiitmse came [felt ashamed t let her yent 2 room in te Location fr the cilen for the duration af heir yeuly holiday, ant fold er she could ave them with herin the Yerd she ikad. he put an her Back dees and fringes shaw ~ she clung #0" a few old Victorian ignites ~ and went to mest them atthe station, tating all very ear, Dense her lng were bad agtin, and she ould mot hurry. She was evey Al day, and (was rather angry, bat when san her coming home wi her three chldcen Las conscious of sense of ceremony in er and sid nothing “They were cemaskably good children, I have never seen such good chilccen, 90 muted, 40 unebtrusive in theie movements, so subdued x their play Too good: the gis coming to alt lent nthe su agains he tvall of Sarals room, the boy sting with his St of sce and stoue famong the weeds slong the fence. The girls did their weshing ard Crocheted caps of red wool their Inaghter wad gore, never eee upon Inthe open like steam hea gently gurgling away hidden somewhere inthe undergrowth. That miles were solemn and beaut, but Ht, not joyousnass, The boy didn't smile at all When I gave him # water enema ot rss drops. 2 aie onde aver eimaog ie answerwows toes pistol come visting child ha forgotten athe house he took it ws rere a penance, Hs pul aay in box, Mam, Sarah sled proud ‘Ok yes i's big thing for hi to havethat gu, Mam He feels he's big ‘They wer not allowed out ofthe yar, less accompanied by thei mother or sent on an errand on her Beha" They’ wsed to stand st the tite, Iooing out. Once Rober disapeared forthe morning, and came back at lunch time with dust-blured fet and grass speckling his ‘lathes. Sarah haa been complaining st moring, {know where it he's gone Ie the golf course, L know, Is a the golé course, Her legs were Grorrying het, or she'd have gone up there after him. In weary Inartyrdom she gave him a long har hiding but without ange, He (ied and cin, as fina depeesion reer than from hurt Seesh talked about the elds escapade for ays i was in the tues paies of eyes, turned up, white, to 190k at her as she came out of the TEtchen door ito the yard it eed upon the nec ofthe sal boy with the sun that ly upon his bene head hile he played “Sarah was sadly stern with the children, an she wes consténty siving them advice and admonéson. Tye snslst transgression st of the ‘eal, penetrating small ain of her sorrow and dsepprovsl seeping flown all over and about the bright spark ofthe child. Under the eadines, the gentle soaking persistance of her lag the spark damped fut [told er that I thought se was perhaps too had om the cildeen ~ that was not quite it but then J could at be ler in my own mind sbout (what thought might be happening to them and she thought a moment tnd then appeated, withthe simplity of fact: But they got to come ‘gaint some tie, Mar. they lam now hay cant do what they Uke fe vvon't make them angey later on They must leer, she ssid ~ hate sae = they mast 22m 1 uted Md ie oe ecu ft 13. epeciling: manga op 15 sepng: morn psig ovAb, Woe se [ink she bored them very much, ‘They vent back to schoo, away on the tein for another year. Who ows what they fel I as iposibe fo tell. Only Janet, the mide tne, vied litle. She's the clever one, sled Sarah, she's going to be 2 teacher. She's in Standard Five alteady. Though to yeers older, and ‘Physically a walt daveloped young woman Fliia was onl inthe same Sass, Plans Sor her wave vague; but for Janet ~ Sarah could never help Smiling inte stongth of her surety for Janet there was a place. ‘They never cane back t9 our yard. During the yes, Sarah legs got progressively worse, etd she had to ive up be ob. She went to lve in the Location and managed to get a ltl washing todo at home. But of course, it was the end of Boarding school; on her husband's earnings lone, withthe food and retin the Location tobe pa for as well tus, Couldn't be done, So the children care home, end lived with their ‘mother, end wen to school nthe Location. She came to se me, trouble, Teould see, by the strong feng that they had lost a feethold” but seeing a check to their sipping feet and seeking 2 comfort in the Consolation thet although ther education Would not be as good, she herself woul be abe fo train thems the way’ they should go. She st on the btchen chat as she fod ee, slowly setling her legs, swathed ike a piles in rp Bandage. She did at conte agnin hers. Her logs were to bad. She sent the children ~ often Janet alone ~ #9 2 me, They never asked for anything they exme and stood patiently im eh back yard until Tnotied them, and then they answered my engines very softy, with thels large eyes looking anyorhece but at me. Yes heir mother’s lags were bad. No, es the same like they were before No, she couldn't take washing any more Yes, they were sill ot schol altaya the curious feeling that they were embarrased, by me, but for me, a8 if del faces knew that ould not help asking these same questions, because the ea state of thei Fives was unknown and unimagined by me, and therefore beyond my _quesoning,Ususlly thers was a orange each for them, and a ol res 236 atl orn: rappedin seeps of ib‘or plover that had imperceptibly sipped belove the undetined but sebtranystandar ofthe household Eich Ene thay came, they were not lil shabbier, exactly, but a la slacker a big safety-pin in Felica’s jersey, o small unmended ear fraying! on Robert's pants. Even Janet fn s ragay short skirt that wae raggy shore skirt, aot the Loned, mended, sifly respectable, neat rag that she had always worn before ‘Well food and clothes were geting bce expensive: [suppose they were setting poorer. ‘Tong time passed without a vist rom thes, vee to ack the other native women: How is Sash? Have you sean Sarah? They dis’ lk her very much. don’t vow they say ound ® [her she's sick her legs se bad. Serah's husband isn't working, my servant remarked one d2y, scrubbing the Ktchee tle, Wht, not working? Lsld. Then how are they managing? Hor lags are bad, she can’t work, sald Carolin, shrugging.® Flv, laid, but they have to eat. The tl boy's working remarked Caroline He's orkng in he dairy atthe back She meant he ‘way cleaning up, washing tke Hoorn he handling room. Tae her to go and sae Sarsh nest ime she ws the Loction, asd fing out whet I could do to help. she came Sack and sold: Sarah's hhasband got another ob he wes 99 0 for that job he had Now he's got smaller job. And is there anything can do to help Sarah? {asked - Did you tll her? Caroline looked up at me. Her husband’ got anothe ob she sald patonly, as ifT ware incapable of understanding anything tod ‘One Tuesday moming Caroline came in from her ironing on the back potch and sald: Saas gas inthe yard ~ and went back to er iron at 18a) oo ae do 21 mapng sen when mate ay bene ee atthe 2 shggap eto stole oso ck ni|b Woe fe Janet was standing undes the peppertee slowly twisting her bare fst ‘onthe stones, and from her stance T thought she must have been ‘raking there quite along tint. Uni Caroline nied her Now she ait Good Morning, Mam, and came seluctantly to dhe saps, yatching hee fest, She ovaent a ile gel any longer. The childish round belly het Aatienes tothe curve of hips and the very shor, srtced jersay tet ‘ith the quivering new resets Thejersey was dey, owt-a-abows. nit ‘ex snl es there were Brat earings With e round pink, shiny it of sein tem She stood looking at me, her head on ane side, Tar you've bh toubl, Janet, thinking I ida'thave otal cil, now. "Yes, Ma, she sa, ver ow, end he voice ea il a cis vee ‘Yous father lost hs ob? Tas Yes, Many she sald shaking her head slowly, like Sarah There's best trouble. “And Roberts working? Lasko Inthe deity, she sid, And fos athe oe. [And couldn't Faicl get job romtewhere? urged, remembering Sovak’ dread af er child acing nursemai ‘She's gone, Mam, seid the a sy. She's what? I frowned to hese Better. She's gone to Bloemfontein, Many she sd ofanly Toul scarey catch it She's mati, Mam. Web, that's nice! Thats very ne lt t? Tsmuled, Your mother mut be voy plead She sis nothing 0 there only you at Rome now, Janet? And you're silat schoo? Sl going io bea tench, eh? Toa sue that she would eile now, Mi tp the voce that seemed tobe dying away, elfscng hes, escaping me at home, Mam, che si, shyly Athome? Yes, Fim hose with my mother ~The volee was escaping struggling to get away into silence. “You mesn at home althe time, Janse? Tai ina high one Fmt home with my mother Her lage are vory Bad now. She cartne cero, ‘You mean you don’t go to schoul at all? You jst look ater your other? ‘Yes, Maa she said ooking had asher fot with he eyes wide ope. Then she lifted her head and looked at me without interest, without sulle asf she look into the face ofthe sun, nda sitll in tht high tone: Weit «minute, Janet. U've got something for you T think I've ~and escaped into the hotie. I rushed to the ‘wardrobe, pulled outa dres and an od corduroy skirt and rolled thea, Intoa bund Halveay doen the hall went back to the bedroom and got ive shillings tsom my purse, ‘Out in dhe yard she wae sl standing in the sae poston, She hardly stemed to know where she was. gave her the bundle, saying Het 1 ‘think these will you, fanet~and tin [hel out the money as It wase hot and sid, Give histo your mother ‘Thank you, Mam, she sald gravely, and Jt seemed that she had a0 voice a all Sheed the money avy apiece of cloth and flded the clothes allover again "ingered about te yard not knowing quite what od. Caraine was tooking at me though die porch windows, Cavoline, I clled suddenly, Caroling give Janet some tes, wl you Caroline never beasts until elven o'clock: ts just time. When wont ino the ches few minutes (ate, Janet was siting at the able, te foe is big snag a ta, three libs of bread and jam besie ber. said, All ight, Janet? And she tok he face ot of the mug, and sailed, ‘very fain, sory ayy ith her ges. ould ear Coroie talking to hes ant posseily Catone ease and said She's going now She was standing inthe yard agna her bundle ia her hand. Lame out soiling: {fle beter for her. Good-bye Janet Laid. And el your mother ‘hope shel be beter. And you st hme an tel se hoe she, ek? ‘There wat no anger, and all tence [ave that she wes making & tremendous effort to contol hassel, tht she wanted most deepeately cy. Her whole body seemed to surge up with the tac hat pushed her yes Her eyes got bigger and biges, more and more glassy and then she 2 gente cpsaes A, Woo ie ‘began to cry, her eyes and nose streamed and she cle great sobbing, ‘cuping tess ‘Whats the mater, net, Isa. What's the mater? But she only ried, trying to catch the wetness on her tee-smearad {orem looking sound in a ogoay of ebarzassment for somewhere wipe her tears. She snorted 4 deeply and gulped and could not find snything. There was the bundle but how could she use that? How could the cry int that? ~in font of ‘us what's he mater my gil Isai, What's wrong? You must e. ‘Whar srong? Tell me? ‘She tried to speak but her breath was caught by the long quavering sigh of tears My mother she's Weny sce she aa Last. ‘And she began to cry again, her face crumpling wp” sobbing and ping. Despertely she rubbed at her nose wth her wet arm. ‘What cola [do fr her? What could do? Hore Tsai Hore ~take this and gave her my handkerchet, General Understonding sening Dees the ery have ene or wo mol serogs? Time ‘ne sory covers a pated of sed de ough andy ng adv erate (Sempling pening ea under e nannof eg entn =aoe coconeh characters remus or foe Say vhathar the flloing woremeers 4 Sarah se white woman, Mam is Soros mates. Jones age Is berween Feo end Robes gooa+ oooa- Scrah fever hind ro heresies Full Immersion sexing Tayo deine the twa canrasng zering the nonare’shame ond the beaten, Whar oo hey wand fr in Soh’ ine? Time 41 The nerve mates vary few expt ofereazes ro he posing ofthe fine Look ar lines 45, 24, 1 12.an3 175 and explain whar hey tl the reader abour the pasag2 of me 2 Conder nee 54-5 ond 172, Whee dees he school yer sat Ia South inca? cheracters 41. Which of he following exjecveloss bet Gesabe Soros horace? (odes Re lines ashe text) elvayscampaiing (20 derrening (.)oléfoshioned ord ‘Conform; welled); Knwshearad J} emblicus..) Eplin why some are hopprostAh, Woe Is Me 2 Howdo: vith eli ise cheren enc vp? (Lins 189-91 shuld hala you > 2. Whor kind of peson ihe oaraton? What image do you gat of ht in the fino ines? (Supper your answer wih agence Kom ie tex) Norretor ‘Compare the ‘sraetson notation wth te one a “Rp Van Winkle" end “The Block Car-Do hey have he same role? in hat way & IRgsory more modem tan the ofr? Lterery Analysis 41 Galo the meaning af he smiles online 44:2, 79 one 100.4 2 Thee ar wome etfctve and mecningfl meraphars anne 101-4 rain and spate, Expl them. Fd tao ater wort eaing Whar do you noi about the wer wie of punctuation on nes 181.202) aol arpecally erlines 107-8, 136-64 ond 181-202, 4 Which veri) doss he norco use To naduee dee speech an Ines 181-202? Whar does ths ll you about the nares arse towards whor sha desing? Summing Up 41 How isthe theme of race ond ce reloions developed inthe say. (ote esaeiay the ole 0 he naar in exeretng tone and point ofvew) 2 Conger nes 95-8. How do they ade mare meaning 1 she main theme of he son? {8 Discrimination agai block pace is taken for granted. Whar can you say abourrleiorships wih the naive communi? lock lines 151-80.