Perspectives

Literary perspective

The short story “Amnesty” by Nadine Gordimer is a modernist work of fiction. In general, modernist fiction relies heavily on symbols. This also happens in Gordimer’s story, where the name Inkululeko and the c…

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Works with the same theme or by the same author

We also recommend you read the short story “The Park” by James Matthews, which presents events that take place during apartheid in South Africa. The story follows a young boy who reflects on the lack of logic in segregating people according to their race. When you compare “The Park” with “Amnesty”, we recommend you also look at the power imbalance created by apartheid in both contexts. 

The short story “Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer looks at the theme of fear and prejudice in the context of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The story mainly looks at a racist white family who takes irrational measures meant to protect themselves from presumably violent black people. When you compare “Once Upon a Time” with “Amnesty”, consider how racism manifests itself in both cases. 

You could also read the short story “Comrades” by Nadine Gordimer, which also explores the issue of racism during apartheid. The main character, Hattie Telford, is a white woman who promotes education for black South Africans and who is sympathetic to their rights. When you analyze the story, you could look at the differences between Hattie and the white farmer described in “Amnesty”. 

The short story “City Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer looks at the relationships between whites and blacks during apartheid, particularly at the romantic relationship between a white man…