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CHAPTER 12:
St Matthias becomes isolated by the rinderpest epidemic. Starvation looms and people flock to the
mission. The Bishop of Grahamstown sees this as the hand of God to force the heathen into bowing
abjectly before the Church.
In the meantime, Frances offers to teach at Nolovini, a school situated a couple of hours from the mission.
Walter accompanies her each day and remains in the area to protect her. A warm friendship begins to
grow between the guilt-stricken young woman and the priest.
CHAPTER 13:
The inspectors take Walter and Benedict to the Pumani kraal to persuade the people to submit their cattle
for inoculation. There is clearly friction between Pumani's Great Wife and his second wife. Benedict,
however, feels personally responsible when the cattle still die.
At the same time, the friendship between Walter and Frances continues to grow, and he is heart-sore
when he has to carry her back from Nolovini ill with a fever. Remember that fevers in those days often
resulted in death.
BLACK POLITICS & NEWSPAPERS
Although the Government officially promoted hard-work and economic enterprise amongst the Xhosa, this
was never to be in opposition to White businesses.
For example, when in the early 1900s Black bakers set up shop at East London's East Bank Location and
were able to undercut the prices of the White bakers in the town, the East London Municipality quickly
stepped in to close those bakeries.
In the same way, the Colonial Government would bring pressure to bear on the missionaries not to allow
their mission enterprises to grow in opposition to similar White businesses or they too would be closed.
Nevertheless, the mission stations played a major role in the development of education in the Eastern
Cape. This gave rise to an educated Black elite who began to play an increasing role in politics.
This in turn led to the formation of such political groups as the Native Vigilance Associations which were
established as watch-dog bodies to protect Black interests against exploitation from White municipalities
and the Government.
Newspapers too played a crucial role in the growth of this early political culture. Two newspapers in
particular were established to promote the Black point of view.
The first was Imvo Zabantsundu which was established in King William's Town under the
editorship of John Tengo Jabavu.
The second was Izwi Labantu, an East London based paper edited by Alan Kirkland Soga.
The newspapers ran articles both in Xhosa and English, and were read by most of the educated Black
people in the Eastern Cape. Articles were submitted by rising Black intellectuals like Benedict Matiwane.
Although Walter Brownlee at one stage claims that he wished he could read Xhosa so that he could read
the articles, the newspapers did in fact publish their most important stories in the medium of English.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
CHAPTER 12:
Explain the Bishop of Grahamstown's attitude towards the rinderpest epidemic. (5)
[Need help?]
The Bishop saw the rinderpest as a blessing from God to force the Xhosa into dependence on the
missions, and therefore propelling them into becoming Christians.
There is no sign of compassion from him, and certainly no sign of his understanding the desperate lot of
the people who needed food, not religion.
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Comment on the new friendship building up between Walter and Frances on their daily trips to Nolovini.
(NOTE: This is critical for the future understanding of the novel.) (10)
[Need help?]
You need to look at the closeness of Frances and Walter's togetherness during this period, how barriers
were breaking down between them.
Later Walter would describe this period of their lives as "an enchanted time".
In many ways, it is this period which cements their friendship -- and each falls in love with the other
without realising that this was happening.
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Discuss the impact on Xhosa suspicions when they see their cattle dying while those of the Whites survive
the rinderpest. (5)
[Need help?]
The Xhosa would have seen the rinderpest episode as a conspiracy on the part of the authorities to get
rid of their cattle.
Those cattle belonging to the White settlers did not appear to sicken with the rinderpest -- only Xhosa
cattle did.
They would have failed to notice that the mission cattle had been quickly quarantined from the rest of the
herds, and that the tribal cattle had already become infected even before they were forcibly vaccinated.
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CHAPTER 13:
It is clear that Benedict is falling in love with Dorcas Pumani.
- Where did we meet Dorcas before? (2)
[Need help?]
Dorcas was the pretty, bare-breasted woman who attended the initiation stick fight.
She had been carrying a traditional harp and offered her orange scarf to Benedict, thus making him her
champion in his fight against Victor.
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- How do we know Benedict is falling in love? (4)
[Need help?]
Benedict's every action reveals a young man who is smitten -- meeting Dorcas "by accident" in
secluded places, etc.
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Why does Benedict feel responsible for the death of the Pumani cattle? (4)
[Need help?]
Bear in mind that it was Benedict who had persuaded Pumani's people to submit their cattle for
inoculation.
When the cattle died, he knew that the people would henceforth distrust him personally even though he
was in no way responsible for the deaths.
Indeed, from now on, Benedict would be viewed as a Black man who had sold his soul to the Whites.
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"Whatever has happened," Walter said quietly, "it doesn't change what you are or how we feel about
you."
"Yes it does," she said."
- Explain Frances's answer, being careful to analyse it from all angles -- especially putting it into the
perspective of the concept of Victorian morality. (10)
[Need help?]
Frances was right, of course. For whatever reason, she had lost her virginity to Victor outside of marriage
-- outside even of engagement.
Most people of the time would have held her responsible. After all, the woman was always responsible!
Indeed, most people would have thought of her as a harlot or a fallen woman! There was therefore no
way out for her except through marriage.
If she had confided in Walter, the chances were that he would have been very sympathetic but would
nevertheless have advised her that she must marry Victor. That's what they did in those days.
Or would he?
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