The Smell Of Apple Character Analysis

In the novel The Smell of Apples, by Mark Behr, an interesting relationship and power dynamic develops between the narrator Marnus Erasmus and the family’s former gardener Chrisjan. The novel is set in Cape Town, South Africa during the early 1970’s and late 1980’s under the apartheid regime, which brings into context the kind of relationship and power dynamic Marnus and Chrisjan share, given Marnus is a privileged white Afrikaans boy and Chrisjan is a Coloured man living under a racially oppressive white supremacy government.
Chrisjan worked for the Erasmus family as their gardener for over thirty years and Marnus recalls Chrisjan working in the garden since “… Oupa’s time” (Behr 19). Chrisjan was seen as part of the Erasmus family and then one day he “… stayed away from work and never came back” (Behr 19). A few days later Marnus struggles to locate the fishing kit and Mrs. Erasmus immediately assumes Chrisjan stole the fishing gear because he liked fishing, which emphasises the type of racial generalisations installed within the Erasmus family (Behr 19). Mrs.

Marnus is only an 11 year old boy, yet he has the power within this relationship because of the racial ideologies implemented under the apartheid government, for example Chrisjan refers to Marnus as “My Crown” (165) which highlights Marnus’s authority in apartheid’s racial power structure (Barnard 221). Chrisjan’s refusal to recognise Marnus as an individual and not as simply white authority upsets Marnus greatly as he desires to be acknowledged as an individual and constantly repeats “Who am I?” (164) to Chrisjan. The reversal of power is portrayed in this scene, given Chrisjan was not treated as an individual case when he disappeared and now Marnus is left feeling hollowed by his authority because he is not treated as an individual by