LESSON 17:

1. Tsotsi no longer focuses on the gang:

‘something had tampered with the mechanism that had governed his life’

i) Tsotsi is unable to function as a leader of the gang.

ii) His vague decisions suggest the weakening of his ‘dark impulses’.

iii) Compare his decisions for the gang with his decision-making in Chapter 1.

iv) He is more concerned about the baby than with the next victim.

v) He is irritated by Butcher and Die Aap.

2. Significance of Boston:

i) Draws attention to the plight of victims of violence.

ii) His sense of worthlessness equates to those that are abandoned.

iii) He represents the ongoing violence in the townships.

iv) The acceptance of the violence amongst the communities: no sympathy for him; he is an object of ridicule and curiosity.

3. Dlamini’s funeral:

i) Men who are isolated from their families also experience a sense of abandonment:

• • • No one is there to mourn him.
    • Dlamini’s life is not acknowledged.

ii) No closure for the family. Maxulu will always wonder what happened to him.

iii) Apartheid dehumanises people:

• • • The minister does not even know Dlamini’s name.
    • The depressing state of the cemetery.

4. Tsotsi’s perception of the woman:

i) Tsotsi’s view of women is changing:

• • • He sees the woman as a mother and a nurturer.
    • He sees her as a life sustainning force for his baby. Butcher and Die Aap see her as a sex object.

Learner Preparation for LESSON 19:

1.Read Chapter 6.

2. Trace Tsotsi’s pursuit of Morris Dlamini.

3. How does the movement between light and darkness depict Tsotsi’s physical, emotional and spiritual journey?