Questions to generate discussion:

• What do you see?

• What are they saying/ thinking? How do they feel?
• What question would you like to ask the people in the picture?
• Have you ever been in a similar situation?
Forbidden Love

Can Themba
About the writer:
Can Themba was born on 21 June
1924 in Marabastad, Pretoria, into a
family of four. He won a scholarship to
study at Fort Hare College, where he
received an English degree in 1947. He later obtained
a teacher's diploma and taught in Johannesburg’s
western township areas. In 1960 he started working
for Golden City Post. He went into voluntary exile in
Swaziland in 1963 and in
1966 his writing was banned
in South Africa. He died in
1968, in Swaziland.
 Title: ‘Forbidden Love’
may refer to a romantic
relationship between two
individuals which is highly
discouraged or strongly opposed by a third
party, such as the public; either due to cultural,
societal, political, or religious reasons. An apt
example being the classic tragedy Romeo and
Juliet, written by famous playwright William
Shakespeare.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The romantic relationship between Dora and Michael, which
is highly discouraged by the ‘coloured people’ of
This was the title of acts of the Parliament of South Africa which
prohibited, amongst other things, sexual relations between white
people and people of other races until amended first in 1950. Part of
the Apartheid regime was installed to prohibit sex between whites and
all non-whites. The Immorality Amendment Act, 1950 (Act No. 21 of
1950) amended the 1927 act to forbid unmarried sexual intercourse
between “Europeans” and anyone not “European”.
Source: https://aaregistry.org/story/south-africas-first-immorality-act-is-imposed/
Source: www.sahistory.org.za
1955 - Sophiatown Removals - Sophiatown residents show mixed
feelings about the move. The first sixty families in Sophiatown,
Johannesburg, have been given orders to leave their houses.
(Photograph by Drum Photographer BAHA)
 Salome exposes the truth that
Davie is the father of her
child. Both families are
shocked The two lovers stand
up for themselves
People in the community
discover that Dora and
Michael are having a
relationship. They are
ostracized.

Dora and Michael – secret

The rivalry has
love relationship across the
subsided
colour line in Soweto, South
Dora and Michael
Africa
no longer live in
fear.
 Characters
• Dora Randolph (lives in Noordgesig)
o “a double guilty shame”
o Ashamed of how her family treated blacks
o Ashamed that her mother is silent about her
family’s attitude
o Ashamed of her secret love relationship with
Michael, yet she hates being ashamed of her
secret love.
o At the end of the story she is brave – no longer
needed to conceal her love for Michael. She
promised to support Michael to the end.
• Louisa (Dora’s sister)
o Dark of complexion
o Hates African people

• Mr Van Vuuren
o Racist – did not want Dora’s family to be
associated with black people

• Dora’s father
o violent in his hatred of Africans

• Dora’s mother
o Disapproves of her family’s attitude towards
black people, but is silent about it.
• Davie – Dora’s brother
o Revengeful – gathered a group of boys to beat
up Michael at the Rhythmic Cinema.

• Driver
o Racist
o Associates black people with violence – assumes
Michael is carrying a dangerous weapon
(stereotyping)

• Bobby Randolph – Dora’s brother

o Teases other boys
o Short-tempered – fights violently
• Meneer Carelse (Teacher at Noordgesig Primary
School)
o A drinking problem – Dora Randolph had
rejected his proposal of marriage.
o Sanctimonious/ self-righteous – pretends to be
protective of Dora, by wanting to inform her
parents of the dangers of her relationship with
Michael.

• Aunty Sannie
o Meneer Carelse went to her for his daily cup of
coffee
• Freddie Williams (Learner at Noordgesig Primary
School)
o Smart-looking
o Curious – did not want to miss out on the fun of
children being teased.

• Dick Peters (Learner at Noordgesig Primary School)

o A victim of being teased
o Takes revenge on Bobby Randolph
• Mr Phillips (Principal of Noordgesig Primary
School)
o A reasonable man – listened to the entire story
of the fight before making a decision
o Did not want to cause a stir

• Michael Chabakeng (Mike)

o Lives in Sophiatown in a two-room apartment
o Wants him and Dora to cast aside their fear and
focus on their love.
o Concerned about his sister (Salome) as she is yet
to disclose the identity of her child’s father.
• Salome (Michael’s sister)
o Has her child’s true interests at heart.

• Salome’s child (3-year old son of Davie Randolph)

o Unexpected twist in the tale
Themes:
fear, love, apartheid, hypocrisy, defiance and
acceptance

o Theme of fear
• Dora and Michael are afraid of their secret love
relationship being revealed.
• Dora’s father and Mr Van Vuuren are afraid of their
old world being turned upside down.
• Louisa is afraid of being classified as a black African
and being separated from her family.
o Love
▪ Dora and Michael
▪ Salome and her son

o Apartheid
▪ Immorality Act; Group Areas Act
▪ The people of Noordgesig (coloureds), referred
to black people as ‘natives’ – derogatory.
▪ Black people are not allowed to enter the
cinema
o Hypocrisy
▪ Davie’s criticism of Dora’s relationship with
Michael, yet he had a child with Salome, a
black woman.

o Defiance
▪ Dora ignoring the demands of society –
continued with her relationship
▪ Salome confronting Davie and the Randolphs

o Acceptance
▪ Dora’s mothers accepting Salome’s child
Figurative language:
o Metaphor – “she tried to find the source of his fire
in his spinal column.” (Page 10)
o Irony – “and he remembered how she was darker
even than he”. (Page 10)
o Irony – “ashamed of my sister Louisa, who ought
to feel nearer your people, but hates them so
unreasonably”. (Page 11)
o Hyperbole – “and that eternal victim of Bobby
Randolph’s tease-tongue” (Page 13)
o Hyperbole – “he was going to blow Bobby to bits
and blazers” (Page 13)
Figurative language:
o Hyperbole/ Alliteration – “Bobby broke loose with
such a fierce barrage of blows upon Dick…”
(Page 13)
o Hyperbole – “and rained blows on him in a mad
fury”. (Page 16)
Tone?
‘They were at it again, Sweetie.’ she said between
her teeth, ‘and what makes me mad is that I cannot
fight back anymore.’
Questions to generate discussion:
• What do you see?
• What are they saying/ thinking? How do they feel?
• What question would you like to ask the people in the picture?
• Have you ever been in a similar situation?