ENG1501
Assignment 3
DUE : 17 JULY 2026
, ASSIGNMENT 03: The Novel
Small Things by Nthikeng Mohlele
Due date: 17 July 2026
In the novel, Small Things, the narrator forms relationships with various characters that
he encounters. Some make a lasting impact in his life, while others have little to no
effect on him.
The Narrator's Relationships with Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez in Small Things
Introduction
In Nthikeng Mohlele's Small Things, the narrator moves through a series of relationships
that shape his understanding of himself, of history, and of the possibilities open to a
young Black man in and after apartheid. Two of the most significant of these figures are
Bra Todd, the newsman who takes him in during his youth, and Gabriel Sanchez, the
Cuban journalist he befriends later in life. This essay argues that while both
relationships are built around a shared love of journalism and storytelling, they differ
fundamentally in emotional register: Bra Todd's relationship with the narrator is one of
mentorship and apprenticeship, marked by hierarchy and unspoken longing, while the
friendship with Gabriel Sanchez is one of equals, built on mutual recognition and openly
shared history. The essay first examines the narrator's relationship with Bra Todd, then
turns to Gabriel Sanchez, before comparing the two directly in relation to the novel's
broader treatment of mentorship, friendship, and unspoken emotion.
Bra Todd: Mentorship, Servitude, and Concealment
The narrator's description of his time with Bra Todd reveals a relationship structured by
servitude and admiration rather than equality. The narrator likens himself to "a stray
dog. In search of not food, but meaning" (Mohlele, 2013: 11), an image that immediately
establishes him as someone dependent on Bra Todd for a sense of direction rather than
as an equal companion. This is reinforced by the domestic and menial tasks the
Assignment 3
DUE : 17 JULY 2026
, ASSIGNMENT 03: The Novel
Small Things by Nthikeng Mohlele
Due date: 17 July 2026
In the novel, Small Things, the narrator forms relationships with various characters that
he encounters. Some make a lasting impact in his life, while others have little to no
effect on him.
The Narrator's Relationships with Bra Todd and Gabriel Sanchez in Small Things
Introduction
In Nthikeng Mohlele's Small Things, the narrator moves through a series of relationships
that shape his understanding of himself, of history, and of the possibilities open to a
young Black man in and after apartheid. Two of the most significant of these figures are
Bra Todd, the newsman who takes him in during his youth, and Gabriel Sanchez, the
Cuban journalist he befriends later in life. This essay argues that while both
relationships are built around a shared love of journalism and storytelling, they differ
fundamentally in emotional register: Bra Todd's relationship with the narrator is one of
mentorship and apprenticeship, marked by hierarchy and unspoken longing, while the
friendship with Gabriel Sanchez is one of equals, built on mutual recognition and openly
shared history. The essay first examines the narrator's relationship with Bra Todd, then
turns to Gabriel Sanchez, before comparing the two directly in relation to the novel's
broader treatment of mentorship, friendship, and unspoken emotion.
Bra Todd: Mentorship, Servitude, and Concealment
The narrator's description of his time with Bra Todd reveals a relationship structured by
servitude and admiration rather than equality. The narrator likens himself to "a stray
dog. In search of not food, but meaning" (Mohlele, 2013: 11), an image that immediately
establishes him as someone dependent on Bra Todd for a sense of direction rather than
as an equal companion. This is reinforced by the domestic and menial tasks the
