Background

Historical Context

• First Performance: 27 June 1989, just before the end of apartheid
• Explores tensions between Black and White South Africans during apartheid's final years
• Highlights the impact of apartheid on education and personal relationships

Setting and Time Period

• Takes place in 1984, a year before South Africa's State of Emergency (1984-1989)
• During this time, Nelson Mandela and other leaders were still imprisoned
• The struggle for freedom and equality was at its peak, with ongoing negotiations to end apartheid

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Main Characters

• Isabel Dyson: 18-year-old White girl from Camdeboo Girls' High
• Thami Mbikwana: 19-year-old Black boy from Zolile High School
• Mr M: Teacher at Zolile High, strong believer in education as a tool for freedom

Education and Protest

• Township schools like Zolile High were key in the resistance against apartheid.
• The ANC encouraged school boycotts, leading to disruptions in education
• The play shows the suffering of Black South Africans during apartheid through Thami's story

Conflict and Themes

• Debate Competition: Mr M organises a debate between Camdeboo and Zolile High Schools
• Through Isabel and Thami's friendship, the play explores the cruelty of apartheid.
• Mr M believes in education as a means of resistance, leading to conflict with Thami.
• Thami feels trapped by the apartheid education system, causing tension with Mr M's view.s

Tragic Ending

• Mr M is killed by protestors for opposing violent resistance
• Thami goes into exile, while Isabel promises to honour Mr M's memory

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Key Vocabulary

• Apartheid: System of racial segregation in South Africa (1948-1994)
• State of Emergency: Period (1984-1989) when the government imposed extreme measures to suppress resistance
• Boycotts: Protests involving refusal to attend school or work
• Exile: Forced departure from one's home country due to political reasons