How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Before my life started properly, I was doing the usual mewling and sucking, which in my case occurred on a pair of huge, soft black breasts. (1.2)
This very first appearance of any character other than the narrator himself links him forever to black Africa. Though he is referring specifically to his Nanny, this image could be expanded to relate to audiences that Peekay was a true child of Africa; the continent nursed him as an infant to grow into the boy we follow through the story. This also connects to the moment when Peekay will meet Gabriel, Nanny's son, whose mother he effectively stole from him.
Quote #2
"The Jew is late. Who does he think he is?" Mevrou said impatiently. She half turned and addressed the African playing the Jew's harp. "Hey, kaffir! Where is the baas?" (4.31)
Mevrou gives a wide display of the various racisms she carries within her all in one fell swoop. However, she is neither the first nor the last character in the novel to use this kind of hateful language. Be sure to not follow this teacher's example, kids.
Quote #3
Klipkop examined his hand. "They got heads made of blery cannon balls." He grinned. "I'm learning, man, notice I didn't hit him this time with my fist." He turned to me. "Always remember, when you hit a kaffir, stay away from his head. You can break your fist on their heads, just like that. Hit him in the face, that's orright, but never on the head, man." (10.123)
The sad thing about this moment is that Klipkop is showing just how much thought he's put into beating black people, and also that he's willing to shamelessly share his conclusions.
Quote #4
Throwing caution to the winds, he yelled, "We have one, we have a boxer!" The colored man's intrusion into the general hilarity caused a sudden silence around the ring.
Lieutenant Smit's fist caught him in the mouth. The little man dropped to the floor, blood spurting from his flattened nose. (11.45-46)
Why do you think that Geel Piet's joining in the team's happiness is such a crime here? Does it have to do with the fact that he's a prisoner? Mixed-race? Both?
Quote #5
"'Many mansions' is the Lord's way of saying that he loves all of mankind but that he recognizes there are differences, like black and white. So he has a place for black angels and another place for white angels," he said smugly. (13.11)
Here the pastor is referring to a Bible verse, but he's making sure that heaven will be segregated just like South Africa. By putting people into different heavens, he's creating a racially segregated ideal for the children in Sunday school to strive for.
Quote #6
Klipkop stepped out of the photographer's former arrangement. "No way, man! I'm not having my photo taken with a blery kaffir!" (13.45)
This is a real turning point, because while Klipkop is showing us the majority's attitude toward Geel Piet, it is a miracle that Lieutenant Smit invited him into the photo in the first place.
Quote #7
"This concert is a gift to you all from the professor, who is not a dirty criminal like all of you, you hear? I don't know why a important person like him wants to make a concert for kaffirs, not only kaffirs, but criminals as well." (14.34)
Why does Doc want to give a concert for the prisoners? The warden is pretty mean in his remarks introducing the piece, and the racial slurs seem to be a worse insult than calling the prisoners criminals.
Quote #8
"Whoever this Geel Piet was, we know from his name that he was an Afrikaner who is honored by this music. He was also the spirit of South Africa, the fatherland, and as Afrikaners we should all honor him and his death." (14.84)
Geel Piet, if he had lived to see the day, would have laughed till he cried at the brigadier's speech calling him an honorable Afrikaner, given that his half-breed, criminal self has been anything but honored in life.
Quote #9
"Please don't hit me, Captain. I don't understand, why you doing this to me? It was only a kaffir, a dirty stinking yellow man, why you hitting a white man over a kaffir?" (14.116)
Captain Smit is breaking the racist codes by taking up for a black man, even a half-black man, against his white co-worker, but his respect for Geel Piet and his hatred of Borman are stronger than race. This is a glimmering moment of racism subdued in the name of justice in a story otherwise ripe with cringeworthy moments of sheer hate and wrong.
Quote #10
Meanwhile, the black South Africans prepared to bend their backs to the sjambok and for the invention of a new game where they voluntarily fell on their heads from the third story of police headquarters to the pavement below. (21.3)
Peekay is talking about the Nationalist government's policies, which violated human rights and kept black people separate from white people in South Africa for many years. There's nothing funny about murder.