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HELLO AND GOODBYE:
ATHOL FUGARD
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SETTING AND THEM

9/11/2009
NWU VAAL
DR J-L KRUGER
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The following essay will discuss the relationship between setting and theme in the
drama hello and goodbye by Athol Fugard, the differences between the two
characters will be highlighted. Symbolism will also be traced and the importance it
has in developing the theme and setting in the drama.

Abrams (2009) in a glossary of literary terms defines setting as a general locale,

historical time, and social circumstances in which the action of a fictional or dramatic
work occurs. In hello and goodbye action of the drama mostly occurs in the kitchen
with a table and four chairs. The room was used as lounge-cum-kitchen/ kitchen-
cum-bedroom as explained by Hester “this was a lounge-cum-kitchen but after
Mommie died I went on growing which isn’t good for little boys to see so you moved
in here and then it was kitchen-cum-bedroom” Fugard (2007:11). The room is
symbolic in exploring the theme of stagnation in the drama because like the room
which has maintained to stay the same after all those years their lives have not
changed much, they remained the same without anything happening in their lives
except that they still continue to live the kind of life that their parents lived, the life of
poverty and psychological turmoil.

The setting of the drama is in a small town called Happy Valley, this is ironic because
the Smit family had no reason to be happy I can explain this from Hester’s words
when she says “there wasn’t nothing of anything except hardships” Fugard (2007:
41), the family had nothing to look forward to even though the Mother kept things for
tomorrow which the daughter says that she wanted to use them as she despised
rainy days until this day.

The significance of the room in the room makes it easy to explore different themes of
the drama for example it enables characters to express themselves about the
situations in the life’s, through the room we learn that Hester dreads going back to
her past because she does not want to see the same place looking the way it did
when she was young. Hester’s fear to come to terms with her past can be explained
more by introducing the first theme of the story which is finding peace with oneself.
Hester throughout the years in Johannesburg she has not forgiven her father for the
past mistakes that he has made, we can deduce this when she says that she hates
her father.

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Johnnie shies away from the truth most of the time, he is seldom truthful about the
things that he does or that has happened, he pretends to be okay about things which
have hurt him. Johnnie is not at peace with the fact that his father had died, he thinks
that he had failed him, that is for the reason he says that he is ashamed of himself;
he only came to terms with himself in the last part of the drama when he says “Birth.
Death. Both. Jesus did it in the bible. Resurrection” Fugard (2007: 65).

The two characters have taken wrong choices in their quest for their identity and
when trying to break the cycle of living their lives in ruins, Hester choose the life of
prostitution because she doe not want to be like her mother “Marriage! One mans
slave all your life, slog away until you are grave. For what? Happiness in heaven? I
seen them-Ma and others like her”. From the intensity of this conversation we find
that Hester does not want to be tied down to one man and be a product of abuse and
slavery, she will rather sell her body than assume a respectable female role. Johnnie
on the hand has chosen to be his fathers son, he cannot be anything except be
identified with his father, he takes his fathers identity when he picks his fathers
crouches.

The room in the Smit’s household is different to the one that Hester prostitutes in we
can deduce this from when she says “There’s no address! No names, no numbers. A
room somewhere, in a street somewhere” Hauptfleisch and Steadman (1984: 113),
the room that she speaks about symbolises her lack of identity while the room in the
Smit household symbolises both characters as their lives have not changed much
since the last time they saw each other.

The last theme in the drama is family ties, the two characters because of their
parents mishaps as their guardians haven’t established any relationships because of
the fair that they might get hurt, Hester prostitutes because she does not want to be
like other woman and Johnnie is afraid to let go of the father as he is the only true
love has ever known until Hester tells him that he should try to be happy.

In conclusion there is a strong relationship between setting and theme in the drama,
we can presume this from the fact that this elements work together to establish
characters situations, past, future and their development. Symbolism is also vital in
interlinking these elements to create a well rounded drama.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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ABRAMS, M.H. 2009. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 9th edition. Fort Worth: Harcourt
Brace College Pub
FUGARD, A. 2007. Hello and goodbye. Cape Town: Oxford
HAUPTFLEISCH, T, & STEADMAN, I. 1984. South African theatre: four plays and an
introduction. Pretoria: Haum