Essay Questions

Why is the black university student activist arguing that the efforts of the white anti-apartheid crusaders are useless in the fight against the ongoing discrimination?

According to the black activists, the white anti-apartheid campaigners know very little about the sufferings that the Africans are going through. The whites opposing apartheid have been the direct beneficiaries of the regime over the years. The blacks explicate that there is no way a white enjoying the apartheid privileges can come out to say that apartheid is evil. However, the reader witnesses that there are true white anti-apartheid crusaders such as Rosa's parents who died in prison because they opposed the regime.

Why is bigotry depicted as the main theme in Burger's Daughter by Nadine Gordimer?

The theme of bigotry is dominant throughout this book. Apartheid is related to racial discrimination because the white privilege disadvantages the black people. For instance, good schools, hospitals, recreation facilities, and other good things are only reserved for whites. Job opportunities are limited to blacks and this has increased the level of poverty among the majority black South Africans.

What is extraordinary about Rosa’s upbringing?

Rosa is brought up uniquely because she bonds with any family member with ease. At first, she considers Baasie as her brother despite him being a black adopted kid by her parents. Similarly, Rosa freely interacts with her relatives with ease. For instance, when she is 9 years old, she is sent to live with her dad's relatives. Later on, the reader learns that Rosa flies to France and reconnects with her father's ex-wife. Under normal circumstances, the father's ex-wife could have had differences with Rosa but instead, she accepts her and they live together as mother and daughter.