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What good did her white classification do her in everyday life?

posted 12 years ago by bite_me_loser_86
5 replies | jump to latest

In an apartheid system, what good would her being classified as white do her? She would have to whip out that birth certificate every time she wanted to go to a whites-only store/restaurant or whatever. It seems she was still not allowed into stores and such sinch she had to stand outside and look through the window while her mother was picking out outfits and suggesting them to her. On her date with Johan people were so upset with her being at that restaurant that she had to resort to climbing out of the window. It didn't seem to be like the white classification did her any good except allowing her to go to whites-only schools and allowing her to live with her parents.

[–] queenshan 12 years ago

If she hadn't chosen to leave, she was allowed to live in a white-only area. That was a very big benefit to her. You know, running water, electricity, that type of thing. You saw what the black townships looked like, and the colored townships were a step up but still very poor.

[–] kaphawoman 12 years ago

Going to school, getting a decent job, living with her own family, starting a business, owning land, voting, basically having all the rights you'd expect as a citizen.

[–] bite_me_loser_86 12 years ago

But she still couldn't go into a whites-only store (had to stand outside and look through the windows while her mom picked out her clothes) and couldn't go eat at a restaurant without whites frowning at her and most importantly couldn't find a white man to marry, but wasn't allowed to marry a black man.

[–] kaphawoman 12 years ago

The white people could give her nasty looks in a restaurant, but they could not legally/physically prevent her from eating there. Also she did find a white man willing to marry her--the guy she was eating with said her skin color didn't bother him. She just wasn't attracted to him.

[–] mo-askew 9 years ago

Along those lines what if she had taken up with a foreigner as her mother suggested at her school? I wonder how her life might have changed had she indeed left South Africa?
I haven't finished the film yet but I cheated by reading the synopsis but surely an opportunity to travel could have open her eyes and increased her chances at finding a more suitable and respectful love.