Apartheid
The Train Driver is set in Apartheid South Africa. Apartheid was a system instituted by white settlers in South Africa which institutionalized racism and resulted in the subjugation of native, black South Africans. Apartheid was an inherently unfair, unequal, and racist system from Africa's colonialist history. It came out of white Europeans' lust for power and desire for material wealth. In his play, Athol Fugard shows how dangerous and insidious Apartheid was. Fugard shows the violence it resulted in and the danger it posed to black and white people. Through this, he warns others about the dangers of institutionalized, government-sanctioned racism.
Empathy
At the start of The Train Driver, Simon and Roelf are firmly embedded in their racial bubbles. Simon, who is black, doesn't understand Roelf, who is white. Neither man makes an effort to stand the other's culture. As a result, both men hate each other's culture. However, when the two finally meet each other and begin to talk, they start to have empathy for each other. In particular, Roelf begins to understand that he should not hate black people because, in the end, everyone will end up in the group as food for the animals that live inside it. In the end, humans are the same at their core. And everyone should treat others with kindness and empathy, no matter their immutable characteristics.
Security
Financial and physical security is one of the most important themes in The TrainDriver. Because of Apartheid-related policies, many black people in South Africa were unable to work solid jobs, leaving them financially and often physically insecure. White people, however, were given more opportunities to work and succeed, meaning they were often more economically secure than their counterparts of color. Simon was one of the few black people who could be economically and physically safe, but that all changed when he met Roelf. Ultimately, Simon lost his job at the play, leaving him physically and financially insecure, prone to the gang violence which took Roelf's life. Throughout the play, Fugard shows how a lack of security can inspire people to do wrong and nonsensical things. He warns that, without economic opportunity, countries will become less secure and less prosperous.
