Hally's Optimism In 'Master Harold And The Boys'

“‘It’s not fair, is it’... ‘What, chum’... ‘a nigger’s arse’... and then we both have a good laugh” (55). Hally, a young, white teenager in Apartheid Era South Africa tells this “joke” to Sam, his black friend and father figure, almost irreparably ruining their relationship in Athol Fugard’s 1982 play, “Master Harold”... and the boys. Sam and Willie, another middle aged black man, work for Hally’s mother at her Tea Shop while pursuing amateur dance on the side. Willie isn’t as close to Hally as Sam is, nor is he as wise, and his broken relationship with his dance partner, Hilda, is analogous to Hally’s troubles with his own father, who is an alcoholic cripple. These characters all have grievous flaws that appear nearly irredeemable at first. In his play, Athol Fugard conveys that it is never too late to change for the better using symbolism, metaphor, and dynamic characters.

Although some may consider that “Athol Fugard introduced as Hally moving forward at the end of the book, Hally remained riding his bicycle in the hail alone after ensuing a heated altercation with Sam from the inexplicit humor that Hally displayed to Sam. Sam and Willie are together which poses not a problem for the two. This could possibly be why Hally does not move forward towards the end of the play.

Sam points out to Hally that people are "bumping into each other all the time" (1317) and nobody "knows the steps and there's no music playing" (1317). Sam said, "I've bumped into Willie, the two of us have bumped into you, you've bumped into your mother, she bumping into your Dad...(1317). Sam is using their experiences that day to represent how countries are in constant conflict. He points out to Hally that "America has bumped into Russia, England is bumping into India, rich man bumps into poor man" (1317). Sam says that at the dance, they're "going to see six couples get it right, the way we want life to be" (1317-1318). Sam uses the dance to represent the hope that was held by people in Fugard's lifetime about the political future of the world by looking at these six couples' success. He convinces Hally that the world does have hope for political stability because Hally states that "maybe there is some hope for mankind after all" (1318). Sam uses all of these examples about their experiences during the day and the dance championship to demonstrate the political tensions that were present in Fugard's lifetime. <br><br>Although the discussions between Sam and Hally seem to be confined to the characters' lives, the discussions are much more complex than they appear. These three discussions between Sam and Hally demonstrate the religious, racial, and political tensions that Athol

Early in the play, it’s clear that Hally and Sam have a genuine friendship, however unlikely it was for the time. Whereas Willie addresses Hally as “Master Hally”, Sam calls him only by his first name. This is an example of the informal and comfortable relationship that Hally and Sam have. Moreover, Hally’s parents were absent for a lot of his childhood – his father was a drunk and his mother was busy managing the Jubilee Boarding House. He did not have friends and received minimal attention from his parents at the boarding

Now between Harold and his father, his father dominates him easily. Because of this Harold may want to feel like he?s somehow in control of something, and that?s why he treats Willie and Sam the way he does. I think Harold loves Willie and Sam, like Harolds father loves his wife, but because Harolds father is in control, Harold wants to feel somehow in control too.

Hally's recollections are essential to the structure of the play, since it offers a hint of something better over the horizon that Hally's relationship with Sam and Willie and may in the end lead him to see the how profoundly he is settled in politically-sanctioned racial segregation. In any case, neither this memory nor the traditional dancing scenes change Hally's outlook. Researcher John O. Jordan offers two conceivable understandings of "Ace Harold"... also, the young men. One rendition is Hally's story about growing up mapped out through "his scan for a father, his allurement by the vision of a world without crashes, his barbarous dismissal of Sam, and his evident last grasping of a supremacist philosophy." A moment understanding orders

In the play Master Harold and the Boys many situations of racism occur. The title is creating where the white boy is the superior and privileged and the boys are the black characters like Sam and Willie and are unprivileged. Hally , Willie and Sam do act as friends sometimes hally will break that and come back with racial comments if he gets mad or really upset about something even when Sam would try and cheer him up. “ I mean, seriously, what the hell does a black man know about flying a kite ? I’ll be honest with you, Sam, I had no hopes for it.” (pg 29) That’s one example of Hally being rude to Sam for trying to help him cheer up. Hally’s father also gets him really upset and angry also in the play. Sam acts as a father figure for Hally

After settling in, Sam tells Hally his mother is at the hospital with his father. Hally is concerned with the news, as there is no visiting on Thursdays. When told his dad was alright and may even be coming home, Hally freezes. Although he is rattled, the audience does not see Hally’s true thoughts about his dad until his mother calls him the first time. As Hally receives the news of his father’s homecoming, he tells his mom, “…whatever you do, don 't discuss it with him....Because I 'm frightened you 'll give in to him...” (36). Hally’s persistence for keeping his dad from coming home gives the reader the idea that Hally is afraid of his father. After hanging up the phone, he is more agitated and irritable then before. We see a side of Hally that will resurface later in the show, and that is his short temper.

Mainly, the play focuses on an upper-class family who strives to be of earnest living or at least try to through marital inheritance. Jack and another man, Algernon are two men who have a primary concern for being earnest, also for the benefits of the name alone. Jack Worthing, the main character who is also known as Mr. Ernest Worthing, is the epitome of hypocrisy. Jack Worthing lives a double life to pursue the love of an urban woman, Gwendolen, who had also followed the belief that the Victorian society permitted children to lead a separate life.

“He starts With reckless words and ugly laughter, Hally mocks his crippled father, alluding to him with the dance metaphor as one of those who are” "out there tripping up everybody and trying to get into the act”, because he is feeling the anger, sadness, and shame of his father coming back. Then he decides to act towards Sam and Willie, how he has known all his life showing power of whites over black, regardless of their age or social position by humiliating and looking them as they were less. “To begin with, why don’t you also start calling me Master Harold like Willie, he says to Sam”. In this quote we can see how Hally has adopted the system of apartheid, considering blacks to be inferior. “He is a white man and is enough for you”; we can see clearly that he has been affected by a racist ideals, breaking the relationship of equals they had formed during the years. He has gotten into the cruel system and structure of apartheid and uses it to silence Sam and Willie, when they say something he doesn’t want to hear. Finally, the saddest and cruelest moment of the play is when Hally spits in Sam's face, here Hally, has broken the friendship forever. Although, Sam stills wants to solve the problems with the little kid he had formed as he was his own son, so Sam offered Hally another opportunity so they didn’t lose their beautiful relationship that gave hope to every black man, "let’s fly another kite". Hally was leaving the Tea Room, and he felt ashamed but he couldn’t say sorry because of the separation he had established between master and servant so he couldn’t lose his power out of pride. So, closing the scene, we can see Hally leaving the tea room and in a rainy and ugly day, and Hally´s responds to Sam is “kites do not fly in rainy days”. Here we can see how all the love Hally and Sam had is broken because of

Alluding to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar likewise anticipates Hally and Sam's relationship. In the play, Julius Caesar's closest companion, Brutus, battles amongst fellowship and patriotism. Brutus essentially deceives Caesar since he trusts that Rome would be better without Caesar's oppressive ruling. Similar to Brutus, Hally figuratively stabs Sam in the back causing the demise of their friendship. This contention between friendship versus patriotism is parallel to Hally's contention of friendship versus apartheid. Hally battles to love Sam as a companion and even a father figure. However, his surroundings is always reminding him about the uniqueness amongst blacks and whites.

Put forth as a “fine, open-faced, good-natured young man,” Godfrey immediately contrasts his brother Dunstan, “a spiteful jeering fellow, who seemed to enjoy his drink the more when other people went dry” (Eliot 23). This automatically pits one against the other – simply put, as good versus bad. Dunstan mocks him for his nature, saying, “I’m so easy and good-natured. You’ll take any trouble for me,” essentially throwing Godfrey’s most highly praised virtue back in his face and further cementing their previous categorization (Eliot 25). Godfrey is held in high esteem after this initial introduction. Furthermore, the “condition of Godfrey Cass” is one of whom “had felt the keen point of sorrow or remorse” and “whom – thanks to their native human-kindness – even riot could never drive into brutality” (Eliot 29). According to his “condition,” Godfrey has weathered the conditions that have caused him “sorrow” and “remorse,” rather than having caused the conditions in the first place. This sets up Godfrey’s rationalization behind his passivity, and allows for the notion that simply possessing a “good-nature” is a good enough excuse to leave his decisions to chance. Consequently, after leaving such decisions to chance, “the hesitating Godfrey” finds that his own downfall unequivocally rests on his own shoulders (Eliot 26).

As Sam is showing Willie how to properly perform the quick step, Harold, also known as Hally, enters the scene. Hally is a seventeen year old Caucasian, dressed in school cloths. Hally has just returned from school, which comments on his status compared to the servants. Not only is Hally above them socially, he is also at a higher intellectual level. There are many times in which the men reflect upon a lesson Hally taught them. The way Hally speaks to and treats Sam and Willie as if they were his friends and not his servants. He enjoys their company, regardless of their social status which is a big deal considering the time period the show takes place in. Hally goes to sit down and he notices a bunch of comics left out on a table, for his

Edward Hall is convinced that the natural act of thinking is greatly modified by culture, and that’s why every individual and each culture have different thought processes, because culture is also inconsistent. He provides what seems to be a great concern for western civilisation. He explains that western people only use a small portion of their mental capacity, so even though there are many legitimate forms of thinking, the west value the linear system of logic above all other legitimate ways of thinking. The average Western person sees their system of logic as identical with the truth. For us it is our only construction of reality.

As the audience is aware that the character does not feel loved or cared by his father and his horrified to hear that his father will return home, they only hear Hallys side of the conversation, his responses