In the novel My Son's Story, written by Nadine Gordimer, the relationship that forms between the characters of Sonny and Hannah is not defined by the notion of love at first sight or the cultivation of a union based on the grounds of matrimony. Rather, it is defined by the harsh realities of racial relations that pitted whites and blacks against each other in apartheid-era South Africa. Before delving into the relationship between Hannah and Sonny, it is important to provide insight into the backgrounds of both characters in order to aid understanding of the circumstances that bring these two individuals together.
Sonny is a black man who combats the discriminatory measures taken to keep South African blacks from acquiring equal status with their white counterparts by protesting alongside the student body of the school where he teaches—and where he eventually loses his job as a consequence. Afterward, he dedicates his time to further participation in establishing full civil rights for blacks in South Africa. In doing so, however, he creates friction within his own family unit, as he moves them into a neighborhood occupied by white individuals who harbor prejudiced views toward blacks. Eventually, Sonny is imprisoned for his contributions to black liberation in South Africa. It is at this time that he meets Hannah.
Hannah is a white woman, but she does not share the same racist sentiments as other white people in South Africa. She bonds with Sonny by supplying updates on the current status of the black liberation movement, and she and Sonny eventually become romantically involved. Sonny begins to neglect his duties to his wife, Alia, along with their two children, Baby and Will. It is clear that Hannah and Sonny are pulled together due to their shared mindsets regarding the position of black South Africans. One could argue that their relationship is meant to serve as a foreshadowing of the end of apartheid and the integration of whites and blacks that would emerge in the future; it certainly highlights Sonny and Hannah's shared sense of idealism with regard to what kind of country they want South Africa to become.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Describe Sonny's relationship with Hannah?
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