“Fucking hell! What a miserable bloody ending to your life’s story. I wouldn’t even bury my dog like this, man! (Goes to one grave and picks up an old motorcar hubcap) And this rubbish on the graves? What the hell is this idea?You put these here?”
The quote depicts a scene of desperation and desolation. Roelf Visagie is looking for a woman he says is buried in the squatter camp's graveyard, but the graves are unmarked and littered. He expresses his shock and disgust at the state of the graveyard, as well as his irritation at being unable to locate the woman's grave. Roelf's rage is heightened as he wonders why people have placed garbage on graves instead of simple crosses. He is frustrated that even in death, the people of Shukuma are not treated with the decency and respect that they deserve. The comment also demonstrates Roelf's compassion and empathy for his fellow people, as he expresses how he would not even bury his pet dog in the ground. Roelf's quote shows his deep sadness and disappointment at the misery of the situation and the lack of basic respect for the dead.
“You don’t understand anything. I’ve crashed! I was on the rails, I was going forward, everything up to schedule…until it all crashed. Thanks to that woman with the red doek I don’t know if I’ve got a home anymore. I don’t know if I’ve got a family anymore, or a job or…ja…a life. You said it: this is the place for the ones without names…and I think I’m one of them now. Roelf Visagie? Who the hell is he? You got your spade so dig another grave, man.”
This is a despairing and frustrated cry from Roelf, who is unable to cope with the guilt and anguish he feels as a result of the disaster he caused. He is coping with the reality that he has lost everything vital to him—his house, family, work, and life—and is feeling helpless and despairing about the situation. Roelf has reached a point of desperation where he is questioning his own identity and is willing to go to any length, even if it means cursing the woman who is to blame for his tragedy. He also conveys a sense of being stuck and helpless in his current situation, as he has nowhere to go and can no longer identify with the person he used to be.
“Go swear at your woman from the bush”
The quote comes from Roelf's wife, Lorraine, who says it to him during a rage. After having a nightmare about the woman who died in the train catastrophe in which he was driving, Roelf awakens in a rage and begins demolishing their Christmas tree. Lorraine and the children are terrified of him, and Lorraine tells him to go and vent his rage on the woman in the bush rather than on them. This quotation emphasizes the need for catharsis and the necessity to express anger and frustration constructively. Roelf's wife advises him to direct his feelings on the person (or memory) who caused them, rather than those he cares about. Roelf is able to come to terms with his trauma and find a way ahead thanks to this suggestion. In this sense, the quote serves as a reminder of the need of being able to communicate tough emotions safely and constructively.
“I don’t know what it is like to live without hope, to give up. Because you did, didn’t you? That is why you did what you did because you didn’t believe anymore that good things was going to happen to you and your baby. I’m thinking about it all the time now, trying to imagine what it was like for you.”
Roelf is reminiscing on his experience with Red Doek and how he cannot comprehend what it is like to live without hope, to give up, as he believes she did. Roelf believes that Red Doek had given up on life and believed that there were no good things left for her or her kid, so she stood on the train tracks in front of his train in desperation. He is seeking to empathize with her and comprehend her situation. This statement discusses the power of optimism in the face of hopelessness and how it might be the only thing that keeps a person going. It also illustrates the power of empathy and how it can help one to understand and connect with others.
