Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 2
Fiela's Child Glossary ............................................................................................. 5
Fiela's Child Dalene Matthee's Forest Novels ....................................................... 6
Fiela's Child Literary Elements ............................................................................... 7
Fiela's Child Summary ........................................................................................... 9
Fiela's Child Character List .................................................................................. 13
Benjamin Komoetie / Lukas van Rooyen .......................................................... 13
Fiela Komoetie.................................................................................................. 13
Selling Komoetie ............................................................................................... 14
Emma, Kittie, Dawid, and Tollie Komoetie ........................................................ 14
Elias van Rooyen............................................................................................... 14
Nina van Rooyen ............................................................................................... 15
Barta van Rooyen ............................................................................................. 15
Willem and Kristoleff van Rooyen .................................................................... 15
The white census-takers ................................................................................... 16
Mr. Goldsbury ................................................................................................... 16
Petrus Zondagh ................................................................................................ 16
Mr. Kapp ........................................................................................................... 16
The Laghaans.................................................................................................... 16
Kaliel September .............................................................................................. 17
John Benn ......................................................................................................... 17
Miss Weatherbury ............................................................................................ 17
Fiela's Child Themes ............................................................................................ 20
Formation of identity........................................................................................ 20
Man's relationship to nature ............................................................................ 21
Race .................................................................................................................. 22
Masculine and feminine roles ........................................................................... 22
Fate versus freedom ......................................................................................... 23
Justice ............................................................................................................... 23
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Money and class................................................................................................ 24
Fiela's Child Quotes and Analysis ........................................................................ 25
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 1-5 .......................................... 28
Summary .......................................................................................................... 28
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 30
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 6-11 ........................................ 32
Summary .......................................................................................................... 32
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 34
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 12-17 ...................................... 36
Summary .......................................................................................................... 36
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 38
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 18-24 ...................................... 40
Summary .......................................................................................................... 40
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 42
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 25-32 ...................................... 45
Summary .......................................................................................................... 45
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 47
Fiela's Child Symbols, Allegory and Motifs ......................................................... 49
Motif: Elephants................................................................................................ 49
Symbol: Ostriches ............................................................................................. 49
Motif: Boats ...................................................................................................... 49
Symbol: The Mouth Organ ................................................................................ 50
Motif: The Five Shillings ................................................................................... 50
Fiela's Child Metaphors and Similes .................................................................... 51
Simile: Approaching the Magistrate Like a Snake ............................................. 51
Simile: The Sea Like a Mythical Beast ............................................................... 51
Metaphor: The Mountains as Divine Punishment ............................................. 51
Metaphor: Fiela's Worry as a Physical Burden.................................................. 51
Simile: Benjamin's Entrapment as Being Buried Alive ...................................... 52
Fiela's Child Irony ................................................................................................ 53
Dramatic Irony: Selling's Role in Building the Road ......................................... 53
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Situational Irony: God and Faith ....................................................................... 53
Situational Irony: The "Justice" System ............................................................ 53
Dramatic Irony: Lukas' Love for Nina ............................................................... 54
Fiela's Child Imagery ........................................................................................... 55
The Ghost-Ship ................................................................................................. 55
The Drought ..................................................................................................... 55
Nina .................................................................................................................. 55
Fog .................................................................................................................... 55
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Fiela's Child Glossary
Ballast- heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship to enhance stability
bigfeet- a colloquial term for the elephants populating the forest
bluebuck- a type of blue antelope that was native to South Africa and is now extinct
brig- a two-masted sailing vessel, square-rigged on both masts
brusque- abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt
cajole- to persuade by flattery, gentle pleading, or insincere language
enmity- deep-seated, often mutual hatred
forlorn- pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely
foundling- an infant that has been abandoned by its parents and is cared for by others
kloof- a ravine or gully
magistrate- a judge or justice of a local or inferior court; a justice of the peace
motley- incongruously varied in appearance or character
mouth-organ- another name for the instrument known as the harmonica
nightjars- a variety of nocturnal birds
obstinacy- the quality or condition of being obstinate, or stubborn
tickey-a term signifying threepence, or three pennies
trestle- a horizontal beam or bar held up by two pairs of divergent legs and used as a
support
veld- the open pasture land or grazing areas of southern Africa
verandah-a roofed platform along the outside of a home
wallop-to beat forcefully; a vigorous blow
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Fiela's Child Dalene Matthee's Forest Novels
Fiela's Child, which documents a boy's quest to discover his true identity, is
perhaps Dalene Matthee's best-known work. The variation of South African
landscapes serves an important role in the story in marking the different stages of life
that the protagonist, Benjamin, experiences. Taken from the Long Kloof, an area of open
plains, to live in the dense Knysna Forest, Benjamin must adjust not only to his new
family but also to this strange new setting. The forest is portrayed as a magical and
sometimes dangerous place where one must constantly be wary of his surroundings
and look out for traveling elephant herds. Although Benjamin finds moments of
appreciation for the flora and fauna of Knysna, he eventually realizes that his heart is at
home in the wide free spaces of the Kloof.
Yet Fiela's Child is only one of several novels the South African author has penned
about the Knysna Forest. In total, Matthee has written four books that feature this forest
in some way. In 1984, she published the first of the series, Circles in a Forest, which
explores how habitat destruction has led to the extermination of Knysna elephants.
Matthee was inspired after spending time in the enchanting Outeniqua Forest, where
she had many close encounters with elephants. Matthee's experience with these
awesome creatures led her to ponder why they were so quickly becoming
extinct. Circles was a great literary success, winning the prestigious ATKV Prose Prize
and later being turned into a film.
Fiela's Child, the second forest novel, also garnered Matthee many prizes and
international attention. In 1987, Matthee came out with The Mulberry Forest, which
tells the story of Italian silkworm farmers who try to start a silk industry in Knysna. The
final forest novel, Dreamforest, was published decades later in 2003, only shortly
before Matthee's death. It recalls the romance of a man and woman from the forest who
move to a village where they must adapt to more modernized ways of living.
Throughout all four of the forest novels, there is a common concern about the
conservation of and respect for the natural world. There is also an exploration of the
tension between traditional ways of living in nature versus the quick-paced and profit-
oriented focus of village life. Matthee never pushes an overt message; rather, she
articulates through her characters' actions the impact of human greed and exploitation
on the purity of the environment. In Fiela's Child, we see how Elias van
Rooyen feels enormously pressured not only to survive but also to compete with the
new wealth, thus deciding to trap and kill elephants. Yet in Matthee's vision, one can
never get away with such harm for very long. The elephants seek justice against Elias
and hurt him—not as punishment, but rather as the way of nature rebalancing itself and
reminding man of his place within the web of life.
, Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Fiela's Child Literary Elements
Genre- Realistic fiction, South African literature
Setting and Context - South Africa in the 19th century
Narrator and Point of View
The narration is told in the third person. The point of view alternates
between mainly Fiela, Benjamin, and Elias.
Tone and Mood- Serious and suspenseful
Protagonist and Antagonist
Both Fiela and Benjamin Komoetie are the protagonists of the story.
Elias van Rooyen is the antagonist. It is possible to say that bigotry is
also the conceptual antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is that of the inner turmoil in Benjamin as he
struggles to find his identity. It could also be Fiela's struggle to
relocate Benjamin and get justice.
Climax
Barta’s confession is the climax of the story. As soon as she admits that
Benjamin is not her son, he leaves the family, never to return ever
again.
Foreshadowing
Fiela speaks of omens that should have warned her about something
bad set to happen, such as her hens being killed. Her uneasiness at the
beginning of the story foreshadows the tragic events to come—
mainly, the loss Benjamin.
Understatement
Fiela often understates her own grief and sorrow after Benjamin being
taken in order to focus her mind on what she regards as her duty:
taking care of the household.
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 2
Fiela's Child Glossary ............................................................................................. 5
Fiela's Child Dalene Matthee's Forest Novels ....................................................... 6
Fiela's Child Literary Elements ............................................................................... 7
Fiela's Child Summary ........................................................................................... 9
Fiela's Child Character List .................................................................................. 13
Benjamin Komoetie / Lukas van Rooyen .......................................................... 13
Fiela Komoetie.................................................................................................. 13
Selling Komoetie ............................................................................................... 14
Emma, Kittie, Dawid, and Tollie Komoetie ........................................................ 14
Elias van Rooyen............................................................................................... 14
Nina van Rooyen ............................................................................................... 15
Barta van Rooyen ............................................................................................. 15
Willem and Kristoleff van Rooyen .................................................................... 15
The white census-takers ................................................................................... 16
Mr. Goldsbury ................................................................................................... 16
Petrus Zondagh ................................................................................................ 16
Mr. Kapp ........................................................................................................... 16
The Laghaans.................................................................................................... 16
Kaliel September .............................................................................................. 17
John Benn ......................................................................................................... 17
Miss Weatherbury ............................................................................................ 17
Fiela's Child Themes ............................................................................................ 20
Formation of identity........................................................................................ 20
Man's relationship to nature ............................................................................ 21
Race .................................................................................................................. 22
Masculine and feminine roles ........................................................................... 22
Fate versus freedom ......................................................................................... 23
Justice ............................................................................................................... 23
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Money and class................................................................................................ 24
Fiela's Child Quotes and Analysis ........................................................................ 25
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 1-5 .......................................... 28
Summary .......................................................................................................... 28
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 30
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 6-11 ........................................ 32
Summary .......................................................................................................... 32
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 34
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 12-17 ...................................... 36
Summary .......................................................................................................... 36
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 38
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 18-24 ...................................... 40
Summary .......................................................................................................... 40
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 42
Fiela's Child Summary and Analysis of Chapters 25-32 ...................................... 45
Summary .......................................................................................................... 45
Analysis ............................................................................................................ 47
Fiela's Child Symbols, Allegory and Motifs ......................................................... 49
Motif: Elephants................................................................................................ 49
Symbol: Ostriches ............................................................................................. 49
Motif: Boats ...................................................................................................... 49
Symbol: The Mouth Organ ................................................................................ 50
Motif: The Five Shillings ................................................................................... 50
Fiela's Child Metaphors and Similes .................................................................... 51
Simile: Approaching the Magistrate Like a Snake ............................................. 51
Simile: The Sea Like a Mythical Beast ............................................................... 51
Metaphor: The Mountains as Divine Punishment ............................................. 51
Metaphor: Fiela's Worry as a Physical Burden.................................................. 51
Simile: Benjamin's Entrapment as Being Buried Alive ...................................... 52
Fiela's Child Irony ................................................................................................ 53
Dramatic Irony: Selling's Role in Building the Road ......................................... 53
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Situational Irony: God and Faith ....................................................................... 53
Situational Irony: The "Justice" System ............................................................ 53
Dramatic Irony: Lukas' Love for Nina ............................................................... 54
Fiela's Child Imagery ........................................................................................... 55
The Ghost-Ship ................................................................................................. 55
The Drought ..................................................................................................... 55
Nina .................................................................................................................. 55
Fog .................................................................................................................... 55
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Fiela's Child Glossary
Ballast- heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship to enhance stability
bigfeet- a colloquial term for the elephants populating the forest
bluebuck- a type of blue antelope that was native to South Africa and is now extinct
brig- a two-masted sailing vessel, square-rigged on both masts
brusque- abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt
cajole- to persuade by flattery, gentle pleading, or insincere language
enmity- deep-seated, often mutual hatred
forlorn- pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely
foundling- an infant that has been abandoned by its parents and is cared for by others
kloof- a ravine or gully
magistrate- a judge or justice of a local or inferior court; a justice of the peace
motley- incongruously varied in appearance or character
mouth-organ- another name for the instrument known as the harmonica
nightjars- a variety of nocturnal birds
obstinacy- the quality or condition of being obstinate, or stubborn
tickey-a term signifying threepence, or three pennies
trestle- a horizontal beam or bar held up by two pairs of divergent legs and used as a
support
veld- the open pasture land or grazing areas of southern Africa
verandah-a roofed platform along the outside of a home
wallop-to beat forcefully; a vigorous blow
,Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Fiela's Child Dalene Matthee's Forest Novels
Fiela's Child, which documents a boy's quest to discover his true identity, is
perhaps Dalene Matthee's best-known work. The variation of South African
landscapes serves an important role in the story in marking the different stages of life
that the protagonist, Benjamin, experiences. Taken from the Long Kloof, an area of open
plains, to live in the dense Knysna Forest, Benjamin must adjust not only to his new
family but also to this strange new setting. The forest is portrayed as a magical and
sometimes dangerous place where one must constantly be wary of his surroundings
and look out for traveling elephant herds. Although Benjamin finds moments of
appreciation for the flora and fauna of Knysna, he eventually realizes that his heart is at
home in the wide free spaces of the Kloof.
Yet Fiela's Child is only one of several novels the South African author has penned
about the Knysna Forest. In total, Matthee has written four books that feature this forest
in some way. In 1984, she published the first of the series, Circles in a Forest, which
explores how habitat destruction has led to the extermination of Knysna elephants.
Matthee was inspired after spending time in the enchanting Outeniqua Forest, where
she had many close encounters with elephants. Matthee's experience with these
awesome creatures led her to ponder why they were so quickly becoming
extinct. Circles was a great literary success, winning the prestigious ATKV Prose Prize
and later being turned into a film.
Fiela's Child, the second forest novel, also garnered Matthee many prizes and
international attention. In 1987, Matthee came out with The Mulberry Forest, which
tells the story of Italian silkworm farmers who try to start a silk industry in Knysna. The
final forest novel, Dreamforest, was published decades later in 2003, only shortly
before Matthee's death. It recalls the romance of a man and woman from the forest who
move to a village where they must adapt to more modernized ways of living.
Throughout all four of the forest novels, there is a common concern about the
conservation of and respect for the natural world. There is also an exploration of the
tension between traditional ways of living in nature versus the quick-paced and profit-
oriented focus of village life. Matthee never pushes an overt message; rather, she
articulates through her characters' actions the impact of human greed and exploitation
on the purity of the environment. In Fiela's Child, we see how Elias van
Rooyen feels enormously pressured not only to survive but also to compete with the
new wealth, thus deciding to trap and kill elephants. Yet in Matthee's vision, one can
never get away with such harm for very long. The elephants seek justice against Elias
and hurt him—not as punishment, but rather as the way of nature rebalancing itself and
reminding man of his place within the web of life.
, Firla se kind/ Fiela’s Child full English notes
Summary by: SAF004
Bought from Stuvia
Fiela's Child Literary Elements
Genre- Realistic fiction, South African literature
Setting and Context - South Africa in the 19th century
Narrator and Point of View
The narration is told in the third person. The point of view alternates
between mainly Fiela, Benjamin, and Elias.
Tone and Mood- Serious and suspenseful
Protagonist and Antagonist
Both Fiela and Benjamin Komoetie are the protagonists of the story.
Elias van Rooyen is the antagonist. It is possible to say that bigotry is
also the conceptual antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is that of the inner turmoil in Benjamin as he
struggles to find his identity. It could also be Fiela's struggle to
relocate Benjamin and get justice.
Climax
Barta’s confession is the climax of the story. As soon as she admits that
Benjamin is not her son, he leaves the family, never to return ever
again.
Foreshadowing
Fiela speaks of omens that should have warned her about something
bad set to happen, such as her hens being killed. Her uneasiness at the
beginning of the story foreshadows the tragic events to come—
mainly, the loss Benjamin.
Understatement
Fiela often understates her own grief and sorrow after Benjamin being
taken in order to focus her mind on what she regards as her duty:
taking care of the household.
