The Train Driver Literary Elements

Play

English

Set in Cape Town, South Africa during the apartheid rule of the twentieth century

Third-person narration from the point of view of different characters

Serious, Desperate, Disturbing

Roelf is the protagonist and the antagonists are the gang

The play's main conflict is between Roelf and Simon. Roelf is a white guy who is attempting to escape the shame of his deeds by cursing at the ghost of Red Doek, an unknown woman whose death he caused. Simon, on the other hand, is a Black Xhosa gravedigger who is attempting to safeguard his people's tombs from Roelf's incursion. This conflict of interests leads to a heated argument between the two men, and eventually to Roelf's death. The fight also shows racial disparity in South Africa during the historical period in which the play is set, as Roelf is considered to be the killer despite a lack of evidence, but Simon is dismissed and fired for being connected to Roelf.

The climax of The Train Driver happens when Roelf begins digging Red Doek's grave. This is the point at which he completes his change from a white man who is clueless about Black suffering to an ally of the Black community. He no longer believes that yelling at Red Doek's corpse will drive her spirit away, but rather sees her as a real person with a past and dignity that must be respected. He is struck by this realization so much that he is willing to put his own life in danger to honor Red Doek's legacy. His act of selflessness, however, is met with violence as the amagintsa shoot and bury him. This moment of violence serves to highlight the injustice of the racial divide in South Africa and the tragedy of Roelf's death. The climax of the play is both powerful and devastating.

Roelf's emotional outburst and his description of the Christmas tree being a "bomb ticking away inside me" foreshadows the explosion of emotion that will come when he finds Red Doek's grave and is finally able to confront the woman he killed.

In this drama, the understatement occurs when Roelf says, "If Lorraine--my wife--could see me now!" She'd make me soak in Dettol for a week before allowing me to sleep with her." Roelf is referring to the fact that he is in a hut, sleeping on the floor, with a stranger whom he is attempting to persuade to assist him in his search for a woman's grave. This is a big understatement since it does not express the entire gravity of the event and instead trivializes it by comparing it to something banal and relatively innocuous. This indicates Roelf's attempt to cope with his trauma by normalizing and diminishing its gravity.

Allusions in this play include references to the Bible, such as the gesture of Roelf crossing his two forefingers in reference to Jesus, as well as mentions of the afterlife, such as Simon's comment that the junk on the graves is meant to help people get to heaven faster. Additionally, Roelf's use of the phrase "S'trues God" is an allusion to the Dutch phrase for "I swear to God".

The graveyard of Shukuma is described as “a rocky weed-choked stretch of veld” that is filled with nameless graves with discarded junk on them. This imagery serves to show the poverty and desolation of the place, while also emphasizing the lack of recognition and respect given to those who are buried there.

The paradox at this moment is that Roelf is hunting for the burial of a woman and her infant whom he has never met, despite his deep feelings for them. He wants to discover her grave so he can curse her and unleash his rage over how she has ruined his life. He's yearning for closure, yet he's never met this woman. He's only heard about her and seen her from afar. He is in inner turmoil and perplexity, but he is determined to find her grave and express his rage, even though it is a hopeless pursuit.

Both Roelf and the nameless graves are in a state of uncertainty, and neither of them has a clear direction or identity. The parallelism between the two is further highlighted by the fact that both Roelf and the nameless graves are surrounded by dirt, sand, and wind, which symbolize the impermanence and fragility of life.

Roelf personifies the Christmas tree, portraying it as a "bomb ticking away inside" him and comparing it to an escaped wild animal. He refers to the tree as if it were alive as if it must be murdered and broken. This personification reflects Roelf's inner struggle, as well as his sense of helplessness and frustration at not being able to prevent the accident that killed the woman.

n/a