Nature of Oppression and Racism
Oppression is described as the exercise of power or authority in a manner that is considered cruel or unjust, which imposes a burden to an individual, which presses them down and causes a feeling of a burden to the people, be it in the body or mind. This kind of exploitation and injustice is normally directed toward a subordinate group of people, making them feel devalued, exploited, and missing certain privileges that have been rendered to the rest, particularly an individual or group with more power. On the other hand, racism is a sort of discrimination or prejudice directed against an individual or people all because they are members of a particular race or ethnicity that are considered a minority or marginalized. Racism and Oppression go hand in hand in the sense that there is a feeling of discrimination in both cases to the lesser parties. We have various forms of Oppression, and in this article, we are going to see how different natures of Oppression correlate with racism and the effects that come with it.
Women’s Oppression is one of the major issues that has been looked upon ever since time immemorial. In our workplaces, women are normally forced into unskilled, insecure low paying jobs. As if that’s not enough, in our homes, they are subjected to housework with minimal or no help from their husbands. In Africa, patriarchy takes center stage. This is a system whereby men hold power and women are largely kept at bay and excluded. Things fall apart; we have come across certain concepts of Oppression. Women were viewed as child-bearers and assistants to their husbands. If Ezinma had been a boy, I would have been happier. (Chinua). This brings out the impression that since she was a girl, expectations are different. Okwonkwo, who happens to have two wives, was angered by the younger one who didn’t return home in good time to prepare the afternoon meal, simply because she was plaiting her hair. The husband beat her very heavily after she returned. A woman is expected and constructed to take care of everyone and manage the household, and her place is only in the kitchen. (Chinua). This proved that females’ role in society was mostly emphasized in the domestic sector.
Apartheid, which is better known as apartness in the African language, was a political and social system of legislation in South Africa in the white minority rule era. It made laws that were enforced, making different racial groups live and develop separately. It also tried to hinder social integration and intermarriages. In the long run, the system disadvantaged a bigger part of the population because they didn’t share the skin color of their rulers. The system dictated that either race had a legal hierarchy that determined their rights in society. The whites were at the top, owning property and exercising all sorts of favors, like getting married and having a final word in matters concerning the government. On the other hand, blacks were at the bottom, unlike their different race, they weren’t allowed to own property, speak against the government, and to some extent, they weren’t allowed to live with their spouses or get married completely. (Mark).
Growing up as an adult in South Africa back then had a lot of challenges. Young men were normally taken away to white men’s farms and worked as laborers for a given period simply because they were unable to pay tribal taxes or didn’t have money to bribe the officers. The system repressed and held black people back from their full potential. (Mark). The whites initiated various schemes that would arrest and punish the black people. The government required them to carry a passbook that contained an ID and also acted as a proof of employment, proof that all the taxes have been duly paid, and permitted one to live with their spouse. Failure to produce it led to extortion for a bribe or being arrested. Bureaucracy was a tool used to disadvantage black people, setting them up for unavoidable failure. Civic infrastructure was a thing of the past; schools and hospitals were scarce and in bad shape. Conditions in places where blacks were segregated were inhabitable. (Athol).
The island introduces two black prisoners whose stand against the government led to their incarceration and later sentenced harshly. Treated with extreme brutality, the prisoners are merely reduced from men to beasts. Life in the prison becomes dehumanizing, reducing them to despair and also turning them into tortured animals. Any opposition to apartheid was put down ruthlessly, leading to inhumane punishments, particularly to political prisoners, which was solely aimed at breaking their spirit. Oppression and racism have contributed to increased poverty and psychological disorders that are becoming unbearable to the nations affected.
Work cited
Durbach, Errol. “Sophocles in South Africa: Athol Fugard’s The Island.” Comparative Drama 18.3 (1984): 252-264.
Chinua, Achebe. “Things fall apart.” (1958).
Mark Mathabane. Kaffir Boy: The true story of a black youth’s coming of age in apartheid South Africa. Vol. 86. New York: Macmillan, 1986.