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At the age of fourteen I was introduced to a book written by Mark mathabane called Kaffir Boy. This autobiographical account of the trials and tribulations of a young boy growing up in apartheid ridden South Africa is indeed a compelling and superb piece of literature. While growing up Mark has a loving relationship with his mother but there is the typical, tense love-hate relationship with his father who is stuck in his tribal ways. Mark's mother believes that with an education he can go anywhere. Although she never envisioned actually how far it would take him, she makes it a point to send him to school despite their dire financial situation. She works day in and day out to support this endeavor with a little help from her mother and virtually none from her husband.
Mark excels at his academics and shows a prowess in Tennis and it is these two things that would act as wings to fly him out of South Africa and to his dream. Eventually, despite barriers erected by the whites as well as his own people, Mark succeeds and leaves South Africa. While reading the book I was inspired by Marks undying quest to carve a better life for himself and his family. At the time of reading I too had a yearning to escape the binds of my own island and to go abroad to study and make a life for myself. While mark was hindered by institutionalized apartheid and poverty, I was bogged down by a most unfavourable exchange rate (TT$ 6: US$ 1) and a father who refused to invest in such a venture.
Most youths in my situation would resign themselves to the virtual fact that it would be impossible to study abroad, but I wanted to, I needed to. I saw that Mark found a way out through education and I decided that that would be my path too. From that moment onward I rigidly applied myself to my studies and eventually earned a scholarship to Morehouse College. I can safely say that if it were not for my reading Kaffir Boy, I would not be where I am today. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Kaffir Boy South Africa Mark
