Essay Questions

What is the significance of the novel’s title?

The word “kaffir” is a racial slur used against black people in South Africa during the 19th and 20th century. It originates from an Islamic word meaning infidel and it very likely came from the Cape Malays who traded with the Dutch. It is a terribly insulting term but the author makes a valiant attempt to reclaim the term to be used as a label of pride rather than an expression that invokes indignity and segregation.

How is Christianity portrayed in the novel?

Christianity is presented in both a positive and negative light in the novel. It is described as a tool for subversion and an ally of the apartheid system. The protagonist’s mother opts for a conversion to Christianity as it is socially convenient, allowing them to access to to work and other physical benefits previously denied them. She does eventually come to a sincere, transformative relationship with her God despite her initial utilitarian reason for her conversion and she becomes a more nurturing, genuinely loving, more hard working person who positively affects the spheres of influence she is immersed in. The protagonist is likewise positively affected although never fully embracing her religion to the extent his mother does.

What does Hunger symbolize in the novel?

Hunger is a near constant condition that Mark experiences in his youth and there were times that the experience of hunger bordered on starvation. The experience of hunger is treated almost like an antagonist in the novel, often metaphorically described as a malevolent entity capable of perverting most every emotion the protagonist feels into animosity. Hunger is symbolic of the first and most primal obstacle that Mark must overcome on his journey of maturity.