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READ THIS
The poet reflects on the giving of an insignificant item of clothing, unwanted by the owner, to the family's
Black domestic worker. He is humbled by her excitement and appreciation for something that seemed
to him so trivial.
The poem is an indictment against the treatment and status of Black people in the South Africa of the
poet's day.
ABOUT THE POET
Allan Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) in 1903. He started his career as a teacher but
soon took a strong interest in race relations, joining the South African Institute of Race Relations in 1930.
In 1935 Paton left teaching to become principal of Diepkloof Reformatory for urban Black boys. There he
introduced many humane reforms.
He first achieved fame for his novel, Cry the Beloved Country which was published in 1948. The
story exposed race relations in South Africa of that era.
Merely a few months after the publication of the novel, the National Party came into power in South Africa
and the system of social engineering called Apartheid was born.
Paton then became more involved in politics, becoming National President of the Liberal Party.
In 1964, he gave evidence in mitigation of sentence at Nelson Mandela's treason trial.
Paton died in April 1988 at the age of 85.
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:
"The Discardment"
- Explain carefully why the poet chose this particular title when he could so easily have concentrated
on the woman's joy when choosing a title. (4)
[Need help?]
The poet has decided to focus on the negative aspect of the giving of the item, rather than on the usual
positive. He denigrates the giving of the so-called gift.
His intention is to highlight how much gratitude such a trivial, insignificant item is able to engender. In this
way he draws attention to the discrepancies that existed between Whites and Blacks in his day.
It was only because the Black people had so little that they displayed such joy and were so grateful for
these discarded, apparently unimportant items. Her joy was humbling to the poet because it made him
realise how much he owned in comparison with the servant.
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- We have already examined the connotations of the title. Now explain the implication of the
title. (2)
[Need help?]
The White family gave their servant an unwanted item of clothing. By focussing attention on the unwanted
item as the title, the poet showed his criticism of the privileged Whites.
They could afford to give items away, items which were obviously not showing too much wear and tear
if they were able to evoke such delight.
The poet highlights the discrepancy between the two racial groups. A discarded item would never have
provided a White person with such joy. Indeed, a White person would have felt insulted by the "gift"
of a second-hand, unwanted item.
The poet was therefore pointing fingers at the Whites and was being sympathetic towards the Black
people.
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"We gave her a discardment
A trifle, a thing no longer to be worn,
Its purpose served, its life done."
- The poet uses repetition in these three lines. What is his intention? (3)
[Need help?]
The poet constantly qualifies the meaning and connotation of a "discardment". He emphasises and
makes it clear how trivial, unwanted and insignificant this item was.
In fact, he never mentioned what it was! The item was not important to him. The mere fact that they
thought of giving it to her was what was important to her. The actual item was not important.
It simply served to prove to her and those to whom she shows it, that she is important in the family's life.
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- The woman's reaction to the gift is IRONIC. Explain how this is so. (3)
[Need help?]
The item is insignificant, trivial, unimportant, unwanted; yet the woman is so excited to receive it. She
is excited that she is important enough to be on the receiving end of a gift from the family.
In her mind, the gift highlights and elevates her importance to the family, which is why she was so proud
to show it to as many people as possible.
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"She danced and mimed, sang snatches of a song."
- Identify the figure of speech used here. Explain your choice. (2)
[Need help?]
You might get away with ALLITERATION. which is the repetition of a certain consonant. The repetition
of the "s", however, is known as SIBILANCE.
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- Explain why the poet has opted to use this figure of speech. (2)
[Need help?]
The sibilance of sound adds to the image and mood of the dancing and singing. The sound has a lilting,
harmonious and uplifting quality.
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"To see this wonder."
- Explain why this quotation is an example of IRONY. (2)
[Need help?]
The item is unwanted which makes it worthless and insignificant. The irony lies in the fact that the servant
regards this trivial, unwanted item as a "wonder", i.e. something that is amazing and significant,
which it clearly is not.
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"And so for nothing
Is purchased loyalty and trust"
[Need help?]
ANTITHESIS is the balancing of opposing ideas against each other to emphasise the contrast, e.g. They
speak like saints but act like devils.
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- Explain the effective use of antithesis in the quotation. (3)
[Need help?]
The discarded item is described as "nothing"; yet it is able to secure so much: like "loyalty and
trust".
Something so worthless and meaningless is able to ensure such devotion. This highlights qualities such
as "loyalty and trust" which are extremely valuable and significant.
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- Explain why the word "purchased" is such an important point of diction. (4)
[Need help?]
The word "purchased" implies that the servant's "loyalty and trust" are bought via the
so-called gift.
If you purchase something, it implies the exchange of money in return for an item. Here the currency
involved is not money, but "loyalty and trust".
It is a critical comment on White South Africans of the poet's day: Whites felt that since they gave their
servants "gifts", they were entitled to and were owed, loyalty and devotion.
To the Whites, this loyalty and devotion were not earned but were qualities that could be bought.
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"So for nothing
The destruction of a world."
- The poet referred to "a world" and not "the world". Why did he choose
this particular article? (3)
[Need help?]
There are three articles: "the", "a", "an". The definite article is "the" while the
other two are indefinite articles.
"The world" refers to the world in which we (all the people from all the countries of the world) live.
It is the world as we generally know it.
"A world", on the other hand, refers specifically to the world of the Black people -- a world which
excluded others. It referred to an exclusive group and did not refer to the world in general.
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- Explain how such a trivial item of clothing was able to lead to the "destruction of a
world". (3)
[Need help?]
Since the Black people were subservient in their role as servants, the poet felt that their dignity was being
eroded.
The poet emphasised that they were a humble people. Their entrenched inferior status in the country
meant that they were prepared to accept less and less. They were becoming accustomed to their
downgraded status. Their status in the world was being eradicated.
The pride and status of the Black people was being destroyed. They had become so accustomed to their
lowly, humble status that they were unable to take their proper place in the world; they were unable to
stake their claim.
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