Prisoner Y ino Were Giasses by Bessie Head Beessio Head ws bon in a South Atican mental hospital because her mother, who was an upper-class white woman, had ‘been declared insane for allowing herself to become pregnant by black stable hand. She grow up in a foster family and later in an orphanage. When she could no longer live with the apartheid policy, she moved to Botswana. Her writings are basically about her life experiences as a refugee in Botswana, as well as some of her observations on the life of people in the country. BEFORE READING Discussion Whats apartheid? From 1948 to 1990, South Africa enforced a system of racial segregation, designed to maintain dominance of whites in a country where three quarters of the population was dominated by the blacks. The ‘rican National Congress, a black political party, became one of the most «ritcal groups which opposed the policy. Many of its members became political prisoners. Find out more about the injustices claimed to have been committed by the apartheid during its reign in South Africa. Summarize all findings and Present them to the class for discussion and analysis. What is a political prisoner? Why are there political prisoners? 'nvte a social science professor or interview one for classroom discussion. 'nthe interview, be sure that you are able to ask the following questions: Why are they called political prisoners? Why does one become a political prisoner? Who are the famous politcal prisoners in the country? Why did he/she become a political prisoner? What happened to him/her while in prison? What happened to the advocacies or demands of the political prisoner? Did he/she win the political battle? 77in of wind : carcely ab wt TE YocabularY ol jou y and the fond He 4 ae boss, bashing a bbege bright 4 Omer oO foe ight tare white |) forceful blow, bediam in the sunt oly across. || confusion oF an Ubroa oueyinan uss drifted slowly ac Now and os tho deep blue sky. Tec mney obscured the SU [south At rth than they sea on the || nob pivot —anytin wis backs ofthe prisoners a central or significa le fant all day ong tect; tittor ~ 2 laugh, Warder Diane This trick the eal pee Clouds were playing with the sally caused one of ei : ithe fellow with a hollowed Out ches, edly at them. He was 2 thin lit = : ches ave keObby Knees. He also had a lot of fanciful ideas because py smiled at the clouds. perhaps they want me to send a message tothe children,” he though, tenderly, noting that the clouds were drifting in the direction of his home Some hundred miles away. But before he could frame the message, the tparder in charge of his work span shouted: "Hey, what do you think you're doing, Brille?” ‘The prisoner swung round, blinking rapidly, yet at the same time sizing up the enemy. He was a new warder, named Jacobus Stephanus Hannetjie | His eyes were the color of the sky but they were frightening. A simple primitive, brutal soul gazed out of them, The prisoner bent down quickly Jand a message was quietly passed down the line: "We're in for trouble this time, comrades.” "Why?" rippled back up the line. fying person, Kaffir = bla clo ican; knobby ~ Shaped kg a Hs at human,” the reply rippled down and yet only the ig of the spades as they tamed over the earth disturbed the stillness el ean Work Span was known as Span One. It was composed 'y were all political prisoners. They were grouped togethersage, the hink you'e time sing Hannetie A simple. quick roubleth® at only esiilines® composts dt09e, 10k wa ven nit ai nso acie'on 1 of B10 1. wn bat. UP until the arrival of We sito ml fatder Hannelie, no waréer had dared any member of Span One and no warder had tasted more than @ t_with them. The battle was entirely ¥ psychological. Span One was tive and it was beyond the scope of Sore Pe of white warders to handle assertive sooxmen, Thus, Span One had got out of contol. They were the best ies and ars the camp, They ied all day on raw cabbages. They fated and smoked tobacco. And since they move, thought and acted ‘fone, they had perfected every technique of group concealment. Trouble began that very day between Span One and Warder amelie. It was because of the shortsightedness of Brie. That was the Frekname he was given in prison and is the Afrikaans word for someone ‘io wears glasses. Brille could never judge the approach of the prison Ves and on several occasions he had munched on cabbages and dropped om almost at the feet of the warder and all previous warders had ‘reioaked this. Not so Warder Hanneti. “who dropped that cabbage?" he thundered Brile stepped out of line. +i did," he said meekly. “All ight,” said Hannetjio. “The whole Span goes three meals of.” “But | told you | did it, Brille protested. ‘The biood rushed to Warder Hannelje's face. “Look ‘ere," he said. “I don't take orders from a kaffr. | don't know vat kind of Katfir you think you are. Why don't you say Baas. I'm your Baas, Why don't you say Baas, hey?” Bile blinked his eyes rapidly but by cain, “Im twenty years older than yo came to mind but the comrades seemed to think it @ huge joke: A titer Seeptup the line. The next thing Warder Hannetjie whipped outa knobkerie ‘nd gave Brille several blows about the head. What surprised his comrades vas the speed with which Brile had removed his glasses or else they ‘Would have been smashed to pieces on the ground. That evening in the cell Brille was very apologetic Conrades,” he said. “I've put you into a hel of a mess. ay sad. “Whathappens to onect us, happens yy contrast his voice was strangely he said. it was the first thing that “rm sorry, ogy Never mind, brother” th bal “TV ty to make up for it, comrades,” he sal “1 steal something so talyou don't go hungry” Privately, Brille was very philosophic the frat ne an eet of violence had been perpetrated 292 ‘about his head wounds. It inst him but 179jovable hu most unbelievable hum, con a witness of extreme, a eate aan ei wale enaren ana ind WaNeled G50 5) Sn He igon years of bediam in which fe Mae Th 7 hed Pace tn a small dab litle three-bodroomed ee eee ‘a nen tet en eco year because nother he nor Martha ever al frst, year bras neha Ne nt Mar gag mowing © & BODE bo right way. ana teachers salary never OTE lary etal nde was always aNd Pa en proty Hore, ESDECIANY thy way the chldien fough a against the wal i the line so they worked 0 eer came home. He was tote full wing ul anid wo 1 Pea Yo nave @ Seno the bogeyian and wher Tom iis presence could change Savages ing Peay wasonable human beings itwas this chaos and mismanagement at the center g netaore umn poe. tes realy an ordered beat wag with st a ow basi slogans o lear along with the rights of manking. A ‘one siage before things became very bad, there were conferences tp attend, al very far away from home. “Let's face i," he thought ruefully. “'m only learning right now what it means to be a politician All this while 've been running away from Martha and the kids.” “1 won’ And the pain in his head brought @ hard lump to his throat. That was | chidren anc wial the children did to each other daily and Martha wasn't managing and | tmgoing to if Warder Hannetje had not interrupted him that morning he would have sent the following message: “Be good comrades, my children. Cooperate, The fo then life will run smoothly.” theft of the Th Span One wenext day Warder Hannetjie caught his old man of twelve chitren | by ang oo Stealing grapes from the farm shed. They were an enormous quantiy ot | day. at a grapes ina ten gallon tn and fortis misdeed the old man spent a weekin | anf 2th the isolation cell. n fact, Span One as a whole was in constant trouble. om! Warder Hanneijie seemed to have eyes at the back of his head, He “Butr uncovered the trick about the Sabbages, how they were split in twowit | fblied coy iming. He found out how tob: ke was “Ive beaten into th eee Hannetiin: oie the al round and he found out how conversations were ‘whispered Metjie’ uk For : eae meee Span One lvedin acute misery. The cabbage’ ‘ore oft one evening they nay ions had been the pivot of jail life to them. The" e Car N ticed that their good old comrade ‘who wore the glasses Tel hin 180ince packet looking rather pleased with himself, He pulled out afour Owner wee pacco by way of explanation and the comrades fell upon Twit ofted. Brile merely smiled. After all, he was the father of many foesnon the last shred had disappeared, it occurred to the comraden BuMqught to be puzzled. Someone said: “I say, brother. We're Wi wet,awks these days. Where did you get the tobacco?” Hanneljie gave it to me,” said Brille ‘There was a long silence. Into it dropped a quiet bombshell. “| saw Hanneljie in the shed today,” and the failing eyesight blinked reidy. “I caught him in the act of stealing five bags of fertilizer and he fied me to Keep my mouth shut.” There was another long silence. -Prison is an evil life,” Brille continued, apparently discussing some, inelevant matter. “lt makes a man contemplate all kinds of evil deods.’ He held out his hand and closed it. You know, comrades,” he said. “Ive got Hannefjie. I'l betray him tomorow.” Everyone began talking at once. “Forget it, brother. Youll get shot.” Brille laughed, “| won't,” he said. “That is what | mean about evil. | am a father of children and | saw today that Hannetijie is just a child and stupidly truthful. Im going to punish him severely because we need a good warder.” The following day, with Brille as witness, Hannetjie confessed to the theft of the fertilizer and was fined a large sum of money. From then on Span One did very much as they pleased while Warder Hannetjie stood by and said nothing. But it was Brille who carried this to extremes. One ay, at the close of work Warder Hannetjie said: “Brille, pick up my jacket and carry it back to the camp.’ “But nothing in the regulations says I'm your servant, Hannetiie,” Brille "eplied coolly. ang,l¥® 0ld you notto call me Hannetje. You must say Baas,” but Warder ‘annetjie’s voice lacked conviction. In turn, Brille squinted up at him, “Ope ltellyou something about this Baas business, Hannetie,” he said, “pre of these days we are going fo run the country. You are going to clean 10/2". Now, Ihave a fiteen year old son and I'd die of shame if you had ‘ell him that | ever called you Baas." 181and picked up hi ent rea inthe face and P i: 'S Coay Jor Hannetio We oo aes casion Brile Was oats he prison oa Ey, oo oka taco: OND sor Hanne, arg | yard, openly smoking D2 cco der Heme. Thy hhe claimed to have rece sje fale isa farder Hanne’ Sy | the tirade from his oe ad pile to one side tN rnorve broke complete! his thin a “ail, said. "Ts nae ert autre driving me i sue | fe awife and ¢ nut Si not know it but hav a weve nee” Bre ay 7 4 i! : ‘Why don't you wu want” Warder Hannetie 7 in etweon you and me must eng “I can give you anything yo! desperation. : n One," said Brille, o “its not only me but the whole of Span Or on os “The whole of Span One wants something Warder Hannelje brightened with relief. “I think | can manage if i's tobacco you want!” he said. Bille looked at him, forthe first time struck with pity, and uit He wandered if he had carried the whole business too far. The me, was really a child, “Its not tobacco we want, but you,” he said "We want you on oy side. We want a good warder, because without a good warder we won't able to manage the long stretch ahead,” Warder Hannetjie interpreted this request in his own fashion and hs interpretation of what was. a Chin, At Lira a0 200 Glencoe Literature: Wet Baer New York: Glencoe McGraw” 182