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Metaphors In Kaffir Boy

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In the autobiography Kaffir Boy written by Mark Mathabane, Christian missionaries and evangelists attempt to convert the inhabitants of Alexandria, South Africa, through the use of devious tactics. Imagery, symbolism and metaphors depicted throughout Mathabane’s autobiography adds to the overall message of the transformative power of education and the intense impact of oppressive systematic structures on the lives of people on a basis of race. Throughout the majority of Mark Mathabane’s autobiography, Mark and his father view the world in a different light. One topic they seemed to agree on however, was Christianity, and what it represented. Their initial antipathy towards Christianity illustrates the complex relationship many black South Africans have with the religion, seeing it as the white man’s religion that over centuries, has, and continues to be used to justify racial segregation and violence, as well as to silence black voices. With the system of apartheid being regarded as stemming from the mission of the church, the metaphors used by Mark to depict his fear during this time, ties the message of the story together, to show how the christian mission, tying in with apartheid, was for many years successful through the use of deception. During one instance of the police invading his house at a young age, he uses a metaphor to describe his complete …show more content…

and utter terror; “With stars in my eyes I grabbed the edges of the crate and tried to rise, but I couldn't; my knees had turned to Jello-O, my eyes were cloudy and my head pounded as if it were being split with an

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