Patricia
❖ She does not care about the past - “backwards glances only crick the neck’
❖ She has regrets about the past, even if she does not admit it. - “few of us can say we
have a clear consciousness about the past”
❖ Her body is failing her - “she is trying to manoeuvre herself away from the pain the
pain is always there to meet her’ - Literal meaning: Her body is aging + Figurative:
the emotional pain of what LS brings up.
❖ Patricia does not feel sorry, or any remorse. - “everything has changed hasn't it, the
country and everything in it”- she does not understand
Richard
❖ He arrived in SA with a bunch of opportunities. - “...the rich farmers daughter and
lived comfortably doing the bare minimum work as a farm manager.”
❖ They had an unhappy marriage - “It feels like she's with Richard again, having the
same opportunity”
❖ “she probably comes into contact [with his hands] everyday but contact is very far
from touch”
❖ Beauty is afraid of Richard even though he has dementia
❖ “it will never be moved and is no longer worth a thought.”
❖ He represents the entire concept of white privileges and domination at that time.
Looksmart
❖ His perception of the past is full of hatred.
❖ “To remain on the farm was to condone what happened here”
❖ “I want for you guilt, darkness. I do not want you to leave here without a
backwards glance... I want you to be haunted and decayed by its”
❖ He has a wife and daughters.
❖ He is a successful businessman driven by hate.
❖ His arrival is the start of the conflict.
❖ He gets Patricia to call Beauty to remind her of how impersonally she treats her
servants - “Like one of your dogs”
❖ “His old rage, his old hate at the mention of Grace’s name has finally arrived in the
room”
❖ “You never knew me madam... you don’t even know my name” - Patricia never
acknowledged his identity as black man. His hatred for Patricia is based on her
inability to see him, Bheki, Beauty and Grace as people with lives and desires.
❖ “But you told me you never managed to have a child” - This is the turning point in
the conflict as these two could see each other as more than a lost child and a villain.
❖ Patricia - “It went against my idea of you”
❖ “Has never been good at being loved”
, Beauty
❖ Shows sympathy for Richard, even though she is in a position of power over him.
❖ She has a dream of owning her own house.
❖ “You must find a truth for yourself”
❖ Beauty represents the quietly oppressed people during apartheid.
❖ Called “The barren one” by the people around her.
❖ “Beauty has been running the same track since she was a girl, always in the
opposite direction from Grace, never straying from the path, and now there is
nothing left to ahead of her but a heap of broken bricks.”
❖ Grace was never satisfied with just being a domestic worker and tried to make
money in other ways while Beauty had no problem putting her head down and doing
her job as a worker on the farm as well as possible.
❖ Despite what she has gone through she never betrayed anyone.
❖ “she is so loyal, so absolute, so trusting despite everything that happened around
her.”
Bheki
❖ His main concern is his son who has special needs.
❖ “Looksmart has promised him a job and he said he will send Bongani to a special
school, so that his disabilities will not hold him back”
❖ He is incredibly evasive and keeps to himself
❖ “Bheki rarely speaks to her outside of what is practical”
❖ He had no interest in education and books, his main interest was to learn how to
drive. - “What he seemed to love more than anything else was the car...”
❖ Reliable.
❖ Bheki represents a quiet rebellion because he was a black man who knew how to
drive and was also self-sufficient, and unlike beauty he did not want to move with
Patricia.
❖
❖ She does not care about the past - “backwards glances only crick the neck’
❖ She has regrets about the past, even if she does not admit it. - “few of us can say we
have a clear consciousness about the past”
❖ Her body is failing her - “she is trying to manoeuvre herself away from the pain the
pain is always there to meet her’ - Literal meaning: Her body is aging + Figurative:
the emotional pain of what LS brings up.
❖ Patricia does not feel sorry, or any remorse. - “everything has changed hasn't it, the
country and everything in it”- she does not understand
Richard
❖ He arrived in SA with a bunch of opportunities. - “...the rich farmers daughter and
lived comfortably doing the bare minimum work as a farm manager.”
❖ They had an unhappy marriage - “It feels like she's with Richard again, having the
same opportunity”
❖ “she probably comes into contact [with his hands] everyday but contact is very far
from touch”
❖ Beauty is afraid of Richard even though he has dementia
❖ “it will never be moved and is no longer worth a thought.”
❖ He represents the entire concept of white privileges and domination at that time.
Looksmart
❖ His perception of the past is full of hatred.
❖ “To remain on the farm was to condone what happened here”
❖ “I want for you guilt, darkness. I do not want you to leave here without a
backwards glance... I want you to be haunted and decayed by its”
❖ He has a wife and daughters.
❖ He is a successful businessman driven by hate.
❖ His arrival is the start of the conflict.
❖ He gets Patricia to call Beauty to remind her of how impersonally she treats her
servants - “Like one of your dogs”
❖ “His old rage, his old hate at the mention of Grace’s name has finally arrived in the
room”
❖ “You never knew me madam... you don’t even know my name” - Patricia never
acknowledged his identity as black man. His hatred for Patricia is based on her
inability to see him, Bheki, Beauty and Grace as people with lives and desires.
❖ “But you told me you never managed to have a child” - This is the turning point in
the conflict as these two could see each other as more than a lost child and a villain.
❖ Patricia - “It went against my idea of you”
❖ “Has never been good at being loved”
, Beauty
❖ Shows sympathy for Richard, even though she is in a position of power over him.
❖ She has a dream of owning her own house.
❖ “You must find a truth for yourself”
❖ Beauty represents the quietly oppressed people during apartheid.
❖ Called “The barren one” by the people around her.
❖ “Beauty has been running the same track since she was a girl, always in the
opposite direction from Grace, never straying from the path, and now there is
nothing left to ahead of her but a heap of broken bricks.”
❖ Grace was never satisfied with just being a domestic worker and tried to make
money in other ways while Beauty had no problem putting her head down and doing
her job as a worker on the farm as well as possible.
❖ Despite what she has gone through she never betrayed anyone.
❖ “she is so loyal, so absolute, so trusting despite everything that happened around
her.”
Bheki
❖ His main concern is his son who has special needs.
❖ “Looksmart has promised him a job and he said he will send Bongani to a special
school, so that his disabilities will not hold him back”
❖ He is incredibly evasive and keeps to himself
❖ “Bheki rarely speaks to her outside of what is practical”
❖ He had no interest in education and books, his main interest was to learn how to
drive. - “What he seemed to love more than anything else was the car...”
❖ Reliable.
❖ Bheki represents a quiet rebellion because he was a black man who knew how to
drive and was also self-sufficient, and unlike beauty he did not want to move with
Patricia.
❖
