ENG1501
Assignment 3 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 17 July 2026
3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED
Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez in Small Things
In Small Things, Nthikeng Mohlele presents a narrator whose life is shaped by the people he
meets during different stages of his journey. Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez are both
important male figures because they offer the narrator guidance, companionship and a way
of understanding love, work and survival. However, their relationships with him are not the
same because Bra Todd belongs mainly to the narrator’s youth in Sophiatown, while Gabriel
belongs to his later adult life. This essay will first discuss the similarities between these
relationships, then explain how the relationships differ in terms of age, emotional closeness,
mentorship and the narrator’s development.
The narrator’s relationship with Bra Todd is similar to his relationship with Gabriel Sanchez
because both men are connected to journalism, conversation and adult knowledge. Bra
Todd is introduced as “a respected newsman” who loves American swing, and the narrator
spends late nights with him in newsrooms as “a willing apprentice” (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 11–
, 3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED
Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez in Small Things
In Small Things, Nthikeng Mohlele presents a narrator whose life is shaped by the
people he meets during different stages of his journey. Bra Todd and Gabriel
Sanchez are both important male figures because they offer the narrator guidance,
companionship and a way of understanding love, work and survival. However, their
relationships with him are not the same because Bra Todd belongs mainly to the
narrator’s youth in Sophiatown, while Gabriel belongs to his later adult life. This
essay will first discuss the similarities between these relationships, then explain how
the relationships differ in terms of age, emotional closeness, mentorship and the
narrator’s development.
The narrator’s relationship with Bra Todd is similar to his relationship with Gabriel
Sanchez because both men are connected to journalism, conversation and adult
knowledge. Bra Todd is introduced as “a respected newsman” who loves American
swing, and the narrator spends late nights with him in newsrooms as “a willing
apprentice” (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 11–12). In a similar way, Gabriel Sanchez is also
connected to journalism because he once wrote strong opinion pieces for the Cuban
Times, often working through the night at his typewriter (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 53–54).
Through these details, Mohlele shows that both men are linked to words, politics and
public life, which matters because the narrator himself later becomes deeply involved
in writing and opinion pieces.
Another similarity is that both men become father-like figures to the narrator,
especially because the narrator grows up without parents. Bra Todd “looked out” for
him, gave him protection in Sophiatown, and allowed him to enter a world of music,
newsrooms and male advice (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 11–13). Gabriel also treats the
narrator with care, but in a softer and more emotionally mature way. The narrator
says Gabriel is the only man who makes him laugh, shares “sea-deep secrets,”
finishes his thoughts and offers “measured advice” (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 69–70). The
two relationships therefore show the theme of friendship, which the study guide
identifies as one of the important themes in Small Things, especially in relation to
Gabriel Sanchez (Fourie et al., 2022, p. 74).
Assignment 3 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 17 July 2026
3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED
Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez in Small Things
In Small Things, Nthikeng Mohlele presents a narrator whose life is shaped by the people he
meets during different stages of his journey. Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez are both
important male figures because they offer the narrator guidance, companionship and a way
of understanding love, work and survival. However, their relationships with him are not the
same because Bra Todd belongs mainly to the narrator’s youth in Sophiatown, while Gabriel
belongs to his later adult life. This essay will first discuss the similarities between these
relationships, then explain how the relationships differ in terms of age, emotional closeness,
mentorship and the narrator’s development.
The narrator’s relationship with Bra Todd is similar to his relationship with Gabriel Sanchez
because both men are connected to journalism, conversation and adult knowledge. Bra
Todd is introduced as “a respected newsman” who loves American swing, and the narrator
spends late nights with him in newsrooms as “a willing apprentice” (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 11–
, 3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED
Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez in Small Things
In Small Things, Nthikeng Mohlele presents a narrator whose life is shaped by the
people he meets during different stages of his journey. Bra Todd and Gabriel
Sanchez are both important male figures because they offer the narrator guidance,
companionship and a way of understanding love, work and survival. However, their
relationships with him are not the same because Bra Todd belongs mainly to the
narrator’s youth in Sophiatown, while Gabriel belongs to his later adult life. This
essay will first discuss the similarities between these relationships, then explain how
the relationships differ in terms of age, emotional closeness, mentorship and the
narrator’s development.
The narrator’s relationship with Bra Todd is similar to his relationship with Gabriel
Sanchez because both men are connected to journalism, conversation and adult
knowledge. Bra Todd is introduced as “a respected newsman” who loves American
swing, and the narrator spends late nights with him in newsrooms as “a willing
apprentice” (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 11–12). In a similar way, Gabriel Sanchez is also
connected to journalism because he once wrote strong opinion pieces for the Cuban
Times, often working through the night at his typewriter (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 53–54).
Through these details, Mohlele shows that both men are linked to words, politics and
public life, which matters because the narrator himself later becomes deeply involved
in writing and opinion pieces.
Another similarity is that both men become father-like figures to the narrator,
especially because the narrator grows up without parents. Bra Todd “looked out” for
him, gave him protection in Sophiatown, and allowed him to enter a world of music,
newsrooms and male advice (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 11–13). Gabriel also treats the
narrator with care, but in a softer and more emotionally mature way. The narrator
says Gabriel is the only man who makes him laugh, shares “sea-deep secrets,”
finishes his thoughts and offers “measured advice” (Mohlele, 2013, pp. 69–70). The
two relationships therefore show the theme of friendship, which the study guide
identifies as one of the important themes in Small Things, especially in relation to
Gabriel Sanchez (Fourie et al., 2022, p. 74).
