Resumo de "mastor Harold"...and The Boys

"Master Harold"?and the boys by Athol Fugard, is an informative and autobiographical one-act play about the relationship between Hally, a seventeen year old young white man, and Willie and Sam, two older black men. The St. George''s Park Tea Room is the setting for Fugard''s play. Willie and Sam work for Hally''s family in South Africa and they have been friends with Hally since he was a child. In addition, the play reveals how South Africa was affected by the "apartheid system", the separating of black and white people in which it codified people according to color, denying them their basic civil and legal rights.
When the white people were getting powerful, the black population grew weaker. Moreover, the country''s apartheid system gave more dominance and authority to the whites and created a racist society. For example, black people were not allowed to live in white areas and also, whites were allowed to hit any black person as long as there were no consequences and the black man does not strike back.
Throughout the play, the idea of growth and change is shown dealing the subject of slavery not only in parts of Africa but the message is applicable to people in the United States and other areas of the world as well.
I observed a shift in Hally''s demeanor towards Willie and Sam as the play progressed. In the beginning, Hally interacts with Sam and Willie. Whenever Hally gets off receiving orders on the telephone from his mother, he changes his actions and tone towards the two men. When Hally turns to speak to Sam he says," Tell me something I don''t know, Sam. What the hell do you think I was saying to my Mom? All I can say is fuck-it-all."(1260) At this point Hally is overflowing with irritation and frustration.
Sam being firm and cool responds, "I''m sure he''ll listen to your Mom" Hally reacts more irritated than ever with him, "You don''t know what she''s up against. He''s already packed his shaving kit and pajamas and is sitting on his bed with his crutches, dressed and ready to go. I know him when he gets in that mood. If she tries to reason with him, we''ve had it. She''s no match for him when it comes to a battle of words. He''ll tie her up in knots. "
Hally tries to hide his true feelings in front of Sam. Afterwards, Hally settles down to do his homework with determined preparations and sends Sam off to do this mother''s orders, helping Willie with cleaning the window. When Willie is present, he and Sam discuss about ballroom dancing and they somehow disrupt Hally from concentration. Hally is angered by this and he explodes, "For Christ''s sake, you two!" (1261) And Sam apologizing for his misdemeanor.
However, Hally is already aggressive; he grabs his ruler and gives Willie a vicious whack on the bum. Nevertheless, Hally tears at their dreams regarding the dancing contest, mocking their goals and becoming cynical about what the contest means to them. As Hally''s frustration grows, he hurts the two men as if he had been hurt by his real crippled father, demanding ultimately that both call him "Master Harold."
"By the end of the play, of course, Willie will have learned to think more clearly, especially about his relationship with Hilda. Just as dancing is a means of transforming the obligation to stand into a form of creative self-expression, so the fact that the two men rehearse European dance steps like the quickstep can be understood as their way of transforming and appropriating white cultural hegemony for black cultural purposes. Dancing is thus much more than a sentimental metaphor for social and political harmony, the ''world without collisions'' of Hally''s homework assignment. It is also a form of disciplined social practice that has specific cultural meaning within the black community." (Jordan, 1993)
            From what I have gathered, Hally stands out as a superior above Williebeing superior over blacks. Hally takes a commanding role over them just as a boss would do and then tries to ease back into his friendly child like self after a while. Sam and Willie were both hired by the boy''s parents to work and for the most part it is unsighted that there even was a closer relationship between the parents and the two men. Even as a child Hally was told not to play around in the servant''s quarters and yet he developed a well rounded and friendly relationship with Willie and Sam.
Later generations are becoming fewer dependants on their parents for understanding and appear to learn through real life experience and it appears the latest generation is not completely reliant on their parents for knowledge of what is wrong and right. In my opinion, our society has evolved such that children are not only taught to listen to their parents but to find answers in life for themselves.
For example, this is significant to how Hally responded to equality and discrimination; he treated everyone of every color of skin with respect. Apartheid affected the relationship of the characters, Sam and Willie. The separation of the races is affecting the relationship of son and father. As a result, Hally looks up to his surrogate father, Sam. There is also a possibility of Sam playing two roles, as the father and as a follower. "The final movement of the play, leading up to the spitting scene, displays Hally at his ugliest, as he rejects his father surrogate and chooses instead to identify with the worst aspects of his natural father. Rather than trace Hally''s thoughtless retreat into racism, however, it is more instructive to focus on Sam and Willie and on the transformation that they undergo at the end of the play." (Jordan, 1993)
            Unfortunately, the apartheid system and Hally''s parents, and society as a whole had a greater influence on Hally than what the fatherly figure Sam had. As it turned out, the ending of "Master Harold"?and the boys made for a very hopeless feeling. In addition, society can''t change any absurd belief if a loyal and loving man can not win over a boy and change how he views the world.

Bibliography

Fugard, Athol. "Master Harold"?and the boys: Boston: Bedford/St.Martin''s, 2003.

Jordan, John O. Life in the theatre: autobiography, politics, and romance in "Master      Harold" ? and the boys - Athol Fugard Issue. Twentieth Century Literature. 1993. FindArticles.com. 25 Mar. 2007

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