African Writer Nadine Gordimer: Africa Emergent 1.

Using the historical literary theory, discuss the role of the government on the white and black citizens in South Africa. Provide evidence to support your answer. Apartheid in South Africa was a completely unequal society where the whites grew rich by exploiting the blacks. Under the Apartheid policy, the government of South Africa had adopted a double standard treatment towards black citizens. The story talks about the racial oppression and apartheid in South Africa where black were oppressed by the white. Two different occupations have represent the white and black differences in their culture where the White as an architect while the Black named Elias Nkomo as a sculptor. Oppression takes place when Elias failed on his attempt to get his passport so that he can travel to America.

2. Using any other appropriate theory, analyze the extract above. Provide evidence in the extract to support your answer. According to Marxist criticism (Sociological Criticism), the story had shown a clear case of racial discrimination where whites oppressed blacks with their social status and education. The two different occupations; the White works as an architect represents formal education and their higher status in society whereas the Black works as a sculptor represents non-formal education and their lower status in society. In this story, the White uses occupation to show their superiority.

3. In your own words, describe the life of Elias Nkomos life in America as mentioned in the extract. Elias Nkomo lived a depressing life in America because he was being literally discriminate by the American. As mention in the extract, the American did not respect him. It is clearly stated, when he is taken up by magazines and Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.- Stokely Carmichael, they dont even understand his culture put him on stage in West African dress. Then he began to act oddly in America. Finally, he was found dead in river near Art school presumed to have committed suicide.

4. Discuss the significance of the symbol passport as mentioned in the extract.

5. Comment on the style of language used by the author in this extract.