Country Lovers

Country Lovers

Literary Analysis of “Country Lovers”
Clemmie B. Hughley
ENG125: Introduction to Literature
Instructor:   Amanda Cree
August 01, 2011

The reading assignment that caught my attention was “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer (1975) which is a short story about a forbidden love between Paulus, the son of a white wealthy farmer and Thebedi, a black woman living in a kraal, a small group of huts. However, as time passes and the plot progresses, Paulus and Thebedi are separated from each other and they see each other less and less, but during this time a child was conceived between the two of them and the child was born while Paulus was away.   The man kills the child for fear of being found he was having sex with black girl.   The boy kills the child in anxiety and they both end up being found out and exposed. The town wanted nothing else to do with either of them.

    Paulus the main character was a well to do white man, who fell in love with a black slave girl by the name of Thebedi. When Paulus away at school as kids or young adults he would always buy or make gifts and bring them to Thebedi. Paulus and Thebedi had to meet away from the farm because during this time it interracial relationships were forbidden, so Paulus and Thebedi had to be very discreet.
Thebedi had a child by Paulus whom he later killed when he found out the child was his. Thebedi had to drive into town to make a statement as to who the father was and why she thought Paulus killed her child.
    The things that stuck out the most for me were how in the beginning of their relationship they such strong feeling for each other that they had to hide and sneak around just to be together.   I mean he cared so much for her that he even took the time to make presents for her no matter where he was.   Although in the end he killed the child that they had together because it was not suitable to have children of mixed races.  
    The analytical method which would enhance the reading of this work...