o Listed as Such –

 Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

 Theorized the theory of evolution by writing The Origin of Species.
 Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
 16th president of the United States, during the Civil War. Abolished American
slavery.
 Hally's statement is highly ironic because it reflects a misunderstanding or ignorance
of the reality of apartheid.
 William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
 Regarded as the greatest, most influential English writer.
 By mentioning Shakespeare, Sam may be suggesting to Hally that true greatness
transcends racial, cultural, and historical boundaries.
 Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy (1828-1910)
 Russian writer, Christian anarchist, and pacifist. Regarded as one of the greatest
writers of all time. Wrote War and Peace.
 Hally's admiration for Tolstoy showcases his immaturity and ignorance. Despite
praising Tolstoy's social reform and literary genius, Hally's actions contradict
Tolstoy's principles of egalitarianism and pacifism.
 Sam embodies Tolstoy's philosophy of passive resistance, reminiscent of Gandhi's
influence by Tolstoy.
 He exhibits racism, blasphemy, and violence towards Sam and Willie.
 Jesus Christ (6~4 BC - 30~33 AD)
 Religion makes people more personal, as these two religions encourage a personal
relationship with God and relationships with others. Where people get morality
from.
 Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)
 Scottish physician and microbiologist. Discovered the world’s first universal
antibiotic, Benzylpenicillin.
o Otherwise Mentioned –
 Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
 Italian polymath: draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, architect, and
most famously, painter.
 Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
 Patron saint of France, defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of
Orleans and insistence of the coronation of Charles VII during the Hundred Years’
War. Executed for heresy (wearing men’s clothes, demonic visions, and refusal to
submit to the judgement of the church).
 Sam is trying to hint to Hally about unjust treatment for individuals in corrupt
societies, similar to what he mentioned earlier about treatment in jail.
 Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
  British Prime Minister 1940-1945 and 1951-1955. Led Britain during WWII.
 Napoleon (1769-1821)
 French emperor 1804-1815. Initiated many enduring reforms but had an
authoritarian role. Caused the Napoleonic Wars in which millions of people died.
 Sam's admiration for Napoleon as a reformer highlights his belief in meaningful
change.
 Hally’s comment about historical significance vs greatness alludes to a rejection of
Napoleon and Sam’s hint at equality and justice
 William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
 British politician, philanthropist, and leader of the movement to abolish the slave
trade. Helped write An essay on the treatment and conversion of African slaves in
the British sugar colonies, highly critical of slavery in the West Indies.
 By mentioning Wilberforce, Hally may be attempting to demonstrate his awareness
of historical figures who fought against oppression and injustice, albeit in a different
context than that of apartheid in South Africa.
 Julius Caesar (100-44 BC)
 Roman general and statesman. Led the Roman armies during the Gallic Wars and
became a dictator in 49 BC, until his assassination. Caesar was betrayed by Brutus
and killed. He is an opposition to tyranny.
 The story of Julius Caesar may serve as a metaphorical framework through which
the characters in "Master Harold"...and the boys grapple with issues of power,
authority, and betrayal in their own lives and relationships.
 Muhammad (570-628)
 Arab religious, social, and political leader; founder of Islam. According to Islamic
doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic
teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.
 Socrates (470-399 BC)
 Greek philosopher, credited as the founder of Western philosophy and one of the
first moral philosophers of ethical tradtion of thought.
 Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)
 French playwright and novelist: Count of the Monte Cristo, Three Musketeers,
Twenty Years After
 Karl Marx (1818-1883)
 German philosopher and revolutionary socialist. Wrote The Communist Manifesto
and Das Kapital. Creator of Marxism.
 Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881)
 Russian novelist and journalist. One of the greatest novelists in all of world
literature. Wrote Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, and The Brothers
Karamazov.
 Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
 
German philosopher who created the idea of Amor fati, an attitude in which one sees
everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the
very least, necessary.
 Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
 Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating
and treating pathologies seen as originating from conflicts in the psyche.
o Unnamed / Implied –
 Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
 South African anti-Apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president
of South Africa from 1994-1999. Part of, eventually president of, the ANC and led
the Defiance Campaign in 1952.