Flat characters
There are a number of flat characters, in the sense that they do not develop.
Die Aap
His nickname comes from his exceptionally long arms – they seem almost to reach the ground. He has immense physical strength and is able to hold victims so they do not fall to the ground, when Butcher inserts a bicycle spoke. This hides the fact that the victim has been fatally wounded and is being robbed, until the gang can escape. He is not very intelligent, but is fiercely loyal to Tsotsi. He awaits Tsotsi’s orders and follows them without question. He sees the gang as a “brotherhood” – membership of the gang has defined his life for two years. It is he who warns Boston not to ask questions, and it is he who is still willing to follow Tsotsi, even when he seems to have betrayed the gang. He is quite unable to understand why Tsotsi sends him away, but he obeys nevertheless.
His relationship with Butcher is a superficial one. He does what Butcher does. (For instance, when Butcher decides to have sex with Rose, he follows suit.) He is not able to take the initiative himself.
Butcher (Boy) Songile
He is named for his expertise with the bicycle spoke. In his hands it is a lethal weapon that paralyses the victim and pierces the heart. Violence gives him pleasure so murder brings him joy. Even though Rosie is willing to let him have sex with her in return for a drink, he makes it a violent, painful act.
He does sometimes show another side. For instance, he is willing to dress up to look like a teacher colleague so a photograph can be taken to send to Boston’s mother.
There is no anguish for him when the gang breaks up. His expertise as a killer means that he is able to find another gang and go on doing what he really enjoys – killing.
Johnboy Lethetwa
Despite Johnboy’s spells in prison he remains optimistic, as can be seen by the humour in his eyes. Boston meets Johnboy Lethetwa by chance outside the Pass Office. This meeting is the start of Boston’s life of crime.
Johnboy is quick to see possibilities. He soon establishes himself as the agent who finds clients who will pay for Boston’s skill at providing entries in passbooks. He has a new way of making money. He forms a partnership with Boston to supply people with previous employers. He recruits businessmen and Boston does the paper work. The proceeds are divided between them. In a very short time, they expand the business to supplying a variety of permits. Johnboy is rather foolish, and the partnership comes to an end when he is arrested with ten passbooks in his pocket.
Tondi
David’s mother, Tondi, is very like Miriam in that she creates a safe and loving environment for her son. Despite her hardships, the home is a happy one. If she errs, it is in over-protecting and mollycoddling her son, David.
David’s father
He has been in jail for some time (it seems for the whole of David’s life) and appears to be someone whose anger is explosive. When the bitch snarls at him, he kicks her so viciously that she dies in agony soon afterwards.
Isaiah
Isaiah is the old man who does gardening duties and rings the bell at the Church of Christ the Redeemer. He is treated as if he were a simple child, by the white adults who are involved at the church. He bears this patiently and escapes by daydreaming. When Tsotsi comes, he gives an almost comic version of the events of the Bible but ironically, captures the key message in a way that affects Tsotsi very deeply.
Like the other old men in the novel, the man at the tap and Big Jacob, he seems to have a quiet dignity and to have deep insight into life.
The Baby (Little David)
The baby is thrust into Tsotsi’s hands, in the Bluegum trees, by a frightened woman, at the beginning of the novel. Right from the start, there is a strong sense that the baby is not destined to live long. He is wrinkled as if already very old. In a sense, the baby redeems Tsotsi. He evokes memories of the past, leading Tsotsi to change and become an ethical man.
Dialogue
The dialogue of the gang does not flow naturally, reflecting the rather superficial relationship between the characters and the fact that they tend to act rather than to talk. Much of their body language reflects the crude nature of their communication. When he develops relationships of trust, such as with Miriam and, towards the end of the novel, with Boston, it is significant that Tsotsi’s dialogue changes. This shows how language reflects the nature of the relationships between the people concerned.
The dialogue of the white people in the novel reflects their view that black people are inferior. The white people tend to patronise or to talk at black people. There is little sense that they see them as individual people.
Code-switching, or shifting to words in another language, is sometimes used (e.g. ai siestog: shame; your maag can’t take it: your stomach can’t take it; wragtig: really). The dialogue also reflects the pronunciation used by the people in this area (e.g. cit-ee-deeshin: city edition).
Not all dialogue is spoken. Tsotsi has silent conversations with himself on the past or what has just happened. This is known as internal dialogue.
Imagery and figurative language
Although Fugard’s text is in many ways spare, he makes use of imagery to help the reader imagine the setting or the people or the turmoil they are experiencing. Some examples are:
“A crusty, egg-yellow stool”
“The wind passed right through him, blowing away his thoughts before he had time to recognise them.”
Other examples of figurative language from the novel are:
| SimileA direct comparison is made between two people or things using “like” or “as”. | “Her features were as puffy as well-kneaded dough.”“moving like a cornered animal trapped in a ring of ridicule.” |
| MetaphorA comparison is made between two things without using “like” or “as”. | “a way that was sharp with dog’s teeth” |
| EuphemismA word or expression is used that softens or disguises reality. | “We put him away” (Willie has died.) |
| PersonificationA non-human thing is given human qualities or abilities. | “the queue shuffled on its thousand legs” |
| IronySomething is amusing because the use or choice of a word reflects the opposite of what is intended. | “Johnboy” (His name is thought to be stylish, but in fact it combines two names that white people use for black people as generic names John + boy.) |
| OnomatopoeiaWords echo the sound that is being described. | “Ding-dong-ong-ong-ong”“Beep-beep, toot-toot” |
Table 2: Figurative language
Symbolism
Light and dark
Light symbolises revelation, hope or insight as opposed to the closed and oppressive world of darkness that creates fear and encourages evil deeds.
Darkness, often associated with the lengthening shadows which accompany its arrival, represents the forces of evil. It feeds fear, breaks people’s confidence, and allows criminal activity to go undetected. Reference is made to the role of light and darkness in the discussion of the themes.