What is the main theme of Boesman and Lena?
Oppression, Freedom, and Self-Worth.
What is the historical context for the play Boesman and Lena?
Historical Context of Boesman and Lena
Boesman and Lena is set in South Africa during a period known as apartheid. Apartheid consisted of a system of institutional segregation that existed in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s.
What is the relationship between Boesman and Lena?
In Athol Fugard’s Boesman & Lena, the title characters, de facto husband and wife, seem to have an adversarial relationship. Though they are a couple, Boesman and Lena have no love lost between them. Boesman is impatient with Lena and often threatens her. He beats her regularly, and she has the bruises to prove it.
What is the plot of Boesman and Lena?
by Athol Fugard. “Boesman and Lena” is a two-act play that centers around a couple in apartheid South Africa. Known as a particularly violent era of racism in South Africa, where blacks were suppressed by an entire system of government, the play addresses the effects of apartheid on various levels.
Why does Lena’s dog provide meaning in her life?
Lena yearns for connection, first with a dog that followed her in Korsten, and then with the old man who wanders into their camp. She values both the old man and the dog because they watch and listen to her, unlike Boesman. This makes her feel cared for and like someone is witnessing her life.
Why does Boesman lose his freedom?
Boesman is able to find his freedom when an oppressive system unties him from the possessions (made up of garbage) that he came to rely upon. But this is a false sense of freedom, as eventually he recognizes that not being weighed down by the burden of one’s possessions is not the same as being free.
Why does boesman lose his freedom?
What does the word boesman mean?
/ˈbusman/, /ˈbʊsman/ Origin: Afrikaans, English, Show more. derogatory, offensive. An insulting term for a ‘coloured’ person.
Why does Boesman say that he and Lena are whitemans rubbish?
Boesman’s bewilderment underscores several things: both his jealousy at the connection Lena has with the old man, and his racism in calling the old man “rubbish.” Boesman uses this connection between them as a tool for cruelty, as his implication that they might have a sexual relationship is both ridiculous and …