Forbidden Love by Can Themba (Grade 12 NSC Matric English FAL): Revision Notes
Forbidden Love by Can Themba
Story overview
"Forbidden Love" by Can Themba is a powerful short story that explores the harsh realities of life under apartheid South Africa. The story is told through third-person narration by an unnamed narrator, allowing readers to observe the complex relationships and social tensions that define the characters' lives.
The central focus revolves around interracial relationships and the fear, hypocrisy, and social consequences that surrounded them during the apartheid era. Through the characters' interactions, Themba reveals the deep-seated prejudices and contradictions within South African society.
The story's power lies in its ability to expose the psychological and social impact of apartheid through intimate personal relationships, making abstract political concepts tangible through human experience.
Major themes
Fear and social anxiety
Fear permeates throughout the story, affecting multiple characters and their decisions. Dora's family lives in constant anxiety about their involvement with Black South Africans. This fear shapes their behaviour and reflects the broader white community's irrational terror of racial integration.
The theme reveals how apartheid created an atmosphere where people lived in constant worry about:
- Social judgement from their community
- Potential exposure of interracial relationships
- Loss of social status and acceptance
This pervasive fear demonstrates how apartheid was not just a legal system, but a psychological weapon that controlled people's most intimate relationships and personal choices.
Hypocrisy and double standards
The story exposes the contradictory nature of many white South Africans' attitudes during apartheid. This theme is particularly evident through Davie's character, who demonstrates significant hypocrisy in his actions and beliefs.
Key examples of hypocrisy include:
- Davie having had a relationship with Salome (a Black woman) and fathering a mixed-race child
- Davie still believing it's appropriate to physically assault Mike for dating his sister Dora
- The contrast between private actions and public moral stances
Davie's hypocrisy represents a broader pattern in apartheid society where individuals could simultaneously participate in what they publicly condemned, revealing the artificial and unsustainable nature of racial segregation.
Forbidden love and defiance
The central relationship between Dora and Mike represents forbidden love that challenges apartheid restrictions. Their relationship becomes a symbol of resistance against unjust social laws and racial segregation.
Dora's character particularly embodies defiance by:
- Refusing to end her relationship despite social pressure
- Maintaining her love for Mike even when others discover it
- Not allowing fear to dictate her personal choices
Character analysis
Dora
Dora emerges as the story's strongest character in terms of emotional resilience and personal conviction. Her character development shows remarkable strength and determination.
Key character traits:
- Defiant: She refuses to bow to social pressure regarding her relationship
- Loyal: She remains committed to Mike despite family and community opposition
- Brave: She continues living authentically rather than hiding in fear
Dora's strength contrasts sharply with the fear-driven behaviour of her family members, making her a beacon of hope and authenticity in an oppressive system.
Davie (Dora's brother)
Davie represents the hypocrisy and contradiction found in many white South Africans during apartheid. His character serves as a critique of double standards and selective morality.
Character contradictions:
- Has a history of interracial relationships (with Salome)
- Fathers a mixed-race child but denies responsibility
- Violently opposes his sister's relationship with Mike
- Asks Salome not to reveal their shared parenthood
Mike
Mike represents the Black South African experience under apartheid, facing discrimination while trying to maintain personal relationships and dignity.
Salome
Salome demonstrates remarkable strength and resilience. Despite being abandoned by Davie and facing single parenthood, she shows emotional maturity and forgiveness.
Historical context: apartheid restrictions
Social segregation
The story highlights how apartheid laws created artificial barriers between racial groups. These restrictions affected every aspect of daily life, including:
- Where people could live and work
- Who they could form relationships with
- Access to public facilities like cinemas
Cinema exclusion symbolism
The mention that Black South Africans were not allowed to attend cinemas serves as a powerful symbol of apartheid's comprehensive segregation system. This detail emphasises how the regime sought to separate people even in entertainment and leisure activities.
The cinema exclusion represents the totality of apartheid's control - it wasn't just about major life decisions, but extended to every aspect of daily life, including simple pleasures like watching a movie.
Key relationships and conflicts
Family dynamics
The story explores how political systems affect family relationships. The tension between Dora and her family reflects the broader social conflicts of apartheid South Africa.
Intergenerational perspectives
The contrast between different generations appears in the story's conclusion, where Dora's mother shows acceptance of her mixed-race grandchild. This suggests potential for change and growth beyond the rigid attitudes of apartheid.
The generational shift represented by the grandmother's acceptance hints at the possibility that deeply ingrained prejudices can evolve, offering hope for societal transformation.
Narrative technique
Third-person perspective
The use of third-person narration allows readers to observe multiple characters' motivations and contradictions without bias. This technique helps expose the complexity of apartheid's social impact.
Character revelation
Themba skillfully reveals character information gradually, allowing readers to understand the full extent of hypocrisy and contradiction within the white family structure.
Story significance and message
Social commentary
"Forbidden Love" serves as a powerful critique of apartheid society, exposing how racial segregation created fear, hypocrisy, and broken relationships within communities.
Hope and resilience
Despite the harsh realities presented, the story ends on a note of hope through:
- Dora's mother's acceptance of her mixed-race grandchild
- The strength shown by female characters (Dora and Salome)
- The suggestion that love can overcome social barriers
Universal themes
While set in apartheid South Africa, the story addresses universal human experiences of love, family conflict, social pressure, and the courage needed to live authentically.
Key Points to Remember:
- Fear dominates the white family's behaviour, reflecting apartheid's psychological impact on society
- Hypocrisy is central to understanding Davie's character - he condemns others for actions he has committed himself
- Dora represents defiance and refuses to let social pressure destroy her relationship with Mike
- Apartheid restrictions affected all aspects of life, from relationships to entertainment access
- The ending suggests hope through the grandmother's acceptance, showing potential for change and growth beyond apartheid's rigid attitudes