Portrayals and Explorations of the Authors' Search for Self-Identity

Portrayals and Explorations of the Authors' Search for Self-Identity

Introduction

Apartheid is the result of what was, in the twentieth century, a phenomenon of racial segregation in South Africa introduced by English settlers, as a symbol of a succession of political, economic, social and racial. This system consisted basically of the division of different racial groups to promote "development". All this movement was led by the white race, which brought all kinds of laws covering generally social aspects. It was a racial classification according to appearance, social acceptance or ancestry. The new system faced resistance produced by the country's black citizens. Apartheid was a series of acts of racism practiced in South Africa for many years, but it was not until 1948 that took legal form to be backed by laws enacted for that purpose. Apartheid resulted in cruel and injustice situations for the black citizens who struggled a lot to fight for their freedom. After the abolishment of Apartheid, numerous individuals wrote after the life they led during that era. Many of these autobiographies were granted Nobel awards. This paper analysis how these African writers defined and explored their individual life experiences through these autobiographies, along with a collective experiences of the entire community.

Magona Sindiwe - To my children's children

Written in the form of a letter addressed to the grandchildren by a grandmother, this autobiography narrates the story of the writer Sindiwe Magona of her first twenty-three years in South Africa. Magona remember the happy years of childhood, as well as the most difficult adolescence and youth, marked by the progressive escalation of laws that restricted and affected the lives of Africans, making it completely impossible for them to lead a decent life. Yet, in spite of everything, Magona gives us the story of a life of study and work, maternity strongly desired and a dogged determination that will take her from the slums of Cape Town to play the role of librarian at the United Nations (Samuelson, 2000). The biography is written in the form of a letter addressed to “my children's children” by a grandmother so that they can learn about the problems and struggles the Africans went through in the past to provide for them a better future. A hard life but lit by large flashes of humour and joy, shared by female solidarity and an unshakable faith in life and in the future. The social disadvantage of the black population ranged substantially on three areas: marriage and sexuality, education, healthcare. In addition, over time, the share of social institutions, such as example of authorities banned.

By the National Party in South Africa in 1948 was the seemingly innocuous and ideologically necessary to systematically institutionalized racial segregation Racism expanded, in which the effects of the black population had diverse areas. The blacks were forcibly resettled in the homelands: when, how and where the Regime wanted. "Black spots" in predominantly white neighbourhoods were summarily declared "white" and the inhabitants simply ...