Master Harold and the Boys

Mark Jeremiah

May  1, 2011

Eng  15

"Master Harold and the Boys" Blog

Describe Master Harold's relationship to the boys.  Is it fair?

                On the surface Master Harold and the men that work for his family, Sam and Willie, seem to get along well and enjoy each other's company. When Hally first enters the scene he walks in on Sam doing the quickstep. Hally doesn't remind Sam and Willie about finishing their work; on the contrary, he applauds Sam's dance and shouts "Bravo" (p622) and they continue talking about the ballroom dancing competition that Sam and Willie have entered.

However as the play progresses, Hally's disrespect and racism become appallingly apparent. The first time Hally lost his temper and started to act disrespectfully to his elders was when Willie threw the rag at Sam and it nearly hit Hally. Hally screamed, (at a grown man nonetheless) "For Christ's sake Willie! What the hell do you think you're doing!" (p.623) Hally also thinks he is above or superior to Sam and Willie. When Sam and Hally were discussing their 'men of magnitude' Hally says, "It is deeply gratifying to know I haven't been wasting my time talking to you." (p.626)

 These statements prove that Harold was disrespectful and willful, and definitely arrogant but that could have been the ramblings of a spoiled child whose parents didn't raise him properly. But Hally's ugly racist mentality was revealed when Sam was making a kite and Hally said, "The sheer audacity of it took my breath away. I mean seriously, what the hell does a black man know about flying a kite?" (p.628)

Is it Fair?

                Almost everyone has to answer to someone. Most people have supervisors or bosses, and even entrepreneurs must answer to the I.R.S and obey the government and laws. So I wasn't shocked to see that Harold was in charge while his mother was away. The unfairness stemmed from what was said to Sam and Willie and how it was conveyed. What's unfair is Hally's parents not being embarrassed by their sons behavior. It's unfair that his parents actually encourage Hally to be disrespectful to his elders and blatantly racist.

                I also think it's unfair that the author, Athol Fugard created Sam and Willie to be these emasculated, super docile, "saintly" black men. The underlying current, to me, felt like Fugard was implying that good, obedient, non-angry and non-threatening black men like Sam and Willie don't deserve to be mistreated because even if you spit in their faces they will still try to serve you.  So by contrast the masculine and non obedient black man can still be treated like a nigger.