Relation between South African Whites and Blacks during the Transitional Period: A Study of Nadine Gordimer's July's People

Abstract

The objective of the present research is to analyze power relation between South African whites and blacks during the interregnum in Nadine Gordimer'sJuly's People.Gordimer, while writing about power relations between whites and blacks, and between males and females, does not only grasp socio-economic and political situations of apartheid South Africa in early 1980s but also mixes the historicity up with her own imagination--her creative vision on power relations between whites and blacks and between males and females in the would-be post-apartheid era--to assert her belief on historicity of the text and textuality of history. There is a change in the socio-economic and political situation of South Africa, where the white Smales family--Maureen, Bamford, Victor, Royce and Gina--loses its power slowly and gradually, and is destined to take help of theblack servant, July for their survival. The blacks on the other hand including July create new discourses and validate them to get power in their own hands. However, during the transitional period due to the role reversal, the old discourses formed by whites gradually become ineffective, whereas new discourses of blacks become effective. As a result, the powerful white masters who lose their power are destined to obey the black servant July, who exercises power strategically by forming new discourses for his own benefit.