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Due date: 11 August 2025
SECTION A (3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED)
Reflection: Unit 4 – The Novel and My Experience with Small Things
Before I started this module, I had not read many novels, especially not South African ones.
I usually found novels long and difficult to understand. But I remember reading Tsotsi by
Athol Fugard in school. I liked that book because the story felt real and it showed how
someone could change for the better, even after doing bad things. The setting in the
townships and the focus on a young man’s struggles made it easy for me to connect with.
On the other hand, I once tried reading Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee, but I could not finish it.
The style was too difficult for me, and I did not enjoy the slow pace or the main character,
who I found unlikable.
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SECTION A (3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS PROVIDED)
Reflection: Unit 4 – The Novel and My Experience with Small Things
Before I started studying this module, I had read a few novels, but not very often.
One novel that I enjoyed reading was Welcome to Our Hillbrow by Phaswane Mpe. I
liked it because it explored serious topics like HIV, migration, and xenophobia in a
way that felt real and touching. I also found the setting in Hillbrow, Johannesburg,
interesting because it helped me picture the place and imagine the daily struggles of
people living there. The story felt powerful and emotional. On the other hand, a novel
I struggled to enjoy was Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee. Even though many people say it
is a very good book, I found the story cold and the main character difficult to relate
to. I think the slow pace and heavy topics made it hard for me to stay interested.
Sometimes, when I try to read novels, I struggle to keep reading if the beginning
does not grab my attention or if the language is too complex.
From studying Unit 4, I learned a lot about how to read and understand novels in a
deeper way. One thing I understood well was the difference between plot and story. I
now see that a plot is not just what happens in a book, but how the events are
organised and presented to create meaning. I also found it helpful to learn about the
idea of tension in a novel and how it moves the story forward. For example, in Small
Things, the narrator’s internal conflict about his feelings for Desiree and his life
struggles added a lot of emotional depth to the plot. I also learned about how setting
can reflect a character’s inner world, which I had never thought about before.
However, I found the topic of narrative perspective a bit harder to understand,
especially how the first-person point of view limits what we know about other
characters. Sometimes it was hard to tell if the narrator was telling the truth or just
sharing his personal opinion. The change in tenses from past to present in different
sections of the novel also confused me at first.
Reading Small Things was a unique experience. I found the book both interesting
and challenging. It was not an easy read because of the poetic language and the
way the story jumped between past and present. But I appreciated the emotions and
ideas the narrator shared. I liked how the story explored real issues like poverty,
inequality, and unreturned love. My favourite character was Gabriel Sanchez
because he seemed kind and honest. He treated the main character with respect