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Blood Work Short Story

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The short story, “Blood Work” is written by a young Zimbabwean woman, Barbra Mhangami-Ruwende. The short story focusses on the two main characters; an elderly widow, Lady Braeburn and her caregiver Nothando Dube, also referred to as Stephanie Edwards, as this name is used in order for Nothando to avoid looking like an outside as well as being in a new country and so changing her whole identity. “Blood Work” explores how the place plays a role in how Nothando adapts to the change and how place and space both play contrasting roles that lead to the connection of the two women.
The passage takes place in Salisbury, in the home of Lady Braeburn, a 96 year old widow who is being cared for by a well-educated young black lady, Nothando, from Silobela …show more content…

Mrs Braeburn’s son George does not have any interest in being a part of his mother’s life and this saddens her. Rudo, a previous caregiver who, “introduced [Nothando] to this job” (pg. 141) and drinks her pain away “for calming the night madness” (pg. 140 ) As a result of Lady Braeburn’s previous bad experiences with caregivers, the initial relationship between Lady Braeburn and Nothando is very untrusting and they dislike each other. Her former caregiver did not care for her at all and would leave her unattended, “she would sometimes leave the old lady to marinate in her own excreta for a while” (Mhangami-Ruwende. 143). She is reluctant to trust anyone and is guarded in her relationships but through Nothando’s care, she learns to become trusting and thus build a good relationship. Throughout the short story there are many different relationships that all have an impact on the outcome of the relationship between Lady Braeburn and Nothando. The relationship between the two women would never have happened without the help from Rudo. Rudo and Nothando do not have much of a relationship as Nothando does not want to end up like Rudo, who drinks her life away and so stays on her own path, “there was no way in hell that [Nothando] would become like Rudo.”(Mhangami-Ruwende.140) She is however very grateful to Rudo for organising a way in which Nothando could stay in the country as an illegal immigrant, “here is an NI card” (Mhangami-Ruwende.

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