Ques: Comment upon the intermingling of the private and the political in My Sons

Story.

Located in the 70s and 80s of the 20
th
Century of south Africa, My Sons Story
recounts the chequered of a small family during the most tragic phase of South Africas
political struggle. Nadine Gordimers My Sons Story published in 1990 several issues of
the time -- inter-racial love, adultery and the ongoing revolution to overthrow apartheid
in South Africa and brings them together in an exceptionally well told story format from
the view point of the boy Will in first person, and his father Sonny in third person. Will is
also the persona of Gordimer and thus his serves as the multifaceted voice, the
narrative of which throws light on the other characters revolving around him in the
novel. Wills narrative is a narrative about the power of language and its mastery when
the Resistance movement was it its peak. The narrator Will the extended self of the
novelist has a dual role the novelists person is quite a young man and as an
adolescent. The entire narrative is a sort of reen on with no markings, the daring
departure from the style followed by most of the twentieth century novelist. Thus My
Sons Story is a novel about the genius of its narrator Will as a writer. Gordimer slips into
a coloured youth who is also the adolescent son of the principle figure Sonny, thereby
becoming a character in his over narrative.


In the novel, Gordimer continues her engagements with complexities in human
relationships in a racially divided South Africa. Set against the background of nationwide
agitation against the cruel and inhuman apartheid policy, the novel unfold the story of
Sonnys family and its disintegration owing to Sonnys illicit liaison with a white woman.
Sonny and Hannahs moves forward in a politically charged atmosphere ant thus does
not remained untouched by political ramifications. In fact, what we see is a conscious
attempt on part of the writer to enmesh the personal and the political. The novel seems
to pass a value judgement on Sonnys behavior, using his relationship as a yardstick.
Sonny, a committed and an honest activist, suddenly transforms to a mere manipulative
liar once his relationship with Hannah begins, the story told by Will largely sketches his
personal pleasures. The incident at cleansing the graves ceremony, from where both
Sonny and Hannah run away can be cited as an example where the public world
impinges on the private and vice versa.


In fact, Nadine Gordimer, in the novel strangely usurps the public with the private. The
public turmoil only forms a background to the drama that unfolds in Sonnys family. The
very fact that the brewing tension in the political world is not seen as a major cause in
the disintegration of the family but is only sidelined by over emphasis on Sonnys
relationship with Hannah. My Sons Story does not portray with equal attention the
public and the private, the public(political) just exists as a backdrop to the private , and
the story of Sonnys family is intertwined in these complexities.

To discuss Hannahs representation and specifically to her defining action in the plot of
the novel which is her exit from Sonnys life, we need to establish her peculiar
psychological position in the text. Hannahs love for Sonny arises out of the simple fact
that he is a good man, but it becomes much more sophisticated due to the presence of a
barrier. This barrier is an already established domesticity in Sonnys life which is
constituted by Aila and his children. Hannah is sub-consciously aware of this and thus
the extent of her relationship with Sonny is purely physical, political and emotional.
Moreover, this psychological barrier is implanted by the political (Prohibition of Mixed
Mariages Act, Immorality Act). There is no space for family matters (concerning to the
possible family of Hannah and Sonny), there is no discussion relating to a possible
future for their formal communion at some stage. In other words, the relationship
begins with an expiry date and an exit clause. The lucrative offer to become a wanderer
as UNs High Commission for Refugees Regional Representative provides Hannah that
timely exit clause.

Hannahs exit is imperative to the structure of the novel. Not only does it facilitate
Sonnys retirement back into his previous domestic life which is essential for Wills
character, it also pushes Aila to the forefront of things. From being a passive spectator,
she becomes the mover of things in this universe. Hannah has virtually exited, Sonny is
no more a primetime revolutionary but Aila now is. Gordimers entire energy is thrust
into empowering the most marginalized, the black woman, who all through the novel is
shown to be a domestic person and whose sole purpose in life is to take care of her
family is later engulfed into the world of revolution. Her political activities shock Sonny
and Will, along with the readers.

Through a narrative that gradually flows down from one character to another, till it
reaches the black womans empowered position, Gordimer illustrates her evolved views
on feminism and her belief in the South African cause. The black woman gradually
ascends to a dynamic role of activism. Hannah, who is shown to have an activist in her,
is demystified from her elevated status as a white woman activist, to a mere bystander.
It is Aila, in whose storeroom, the explosives are hidden. By enabling Aila with the
revolutionary streak, Gordimer empowers the black woman of an action long deprived
of.

Furthermore, the space is transferred from the male to the female, in the case of Sonny.
Sonnys relationship to a white mistress also degrades his position from a respected
teacher, to a sidelined dreamer who can only muse about a better future. On the other
hand, Aila is given a wholesome part to play in the narrative having the ability to do,
meaningful interweaving of everyday with history and of political action with political
thought. (Sonza, Jorshinelle T) Sonny is far more concerned with a betterment of his
social well-being, looking for better neighborhoods with bigger bedrooms and bigger
backyards to move into. His mentality is that of a colonial type, where he draws a
charmed circle around his children, of comic books and tree houses. Through gradual
undermining by his son, he is ultimately described as a generic diminutive.

Moreover, Gordimers representation of both Sonny and Hannah as a unified entity is
ultimately shown to be a failure in the face of opposition from the police in a protest
march. Not only this, but when both are busy reminiscing about ideal forms of politics, it
is the sheer act of discussing the subject that diminishes them to just philosophizing
revolutionaries (Sonza, Jorshinelle T) Here the feminine counterpart also represents
the Eurocentric notion of politics. By defeating both the lovers Gordimer has very
pointedly not only decreased the importance of the male lead, but also exhibited a
refined feminist outlook.

Throughout the above examples, the action is not only being spoken through different
voices and represents multiple layers of ideology; it also shifts towards elevating Aila as
the backbone of the fight against apartheid. Not having the companionship of her
husband any longer, forces Aila to develop an independent spirit, the wife had a good
jobshe politely made it perfectly clearthey themselves had made to manage without
the father of the family.(Gordimer, 62) Both Will and Sonny are gradually distanced,
and Will takes on the mere role of the recorder of events, Sonny having already been
demoted. The final nail in the coffin, so to speak is when Sonny gradually drifts back
from his mistress to his wife, when he realizes that Hannahs activism is just a silken,
unrealistic facade.

Thus, Gordimers narratorial voice gives the readers a clear picture of what is going on in
a family and the African society. The domain of revolt juxtaposes with domesticity
within Wills first person bracketing narrative. So it is the authorial voice of Will that
gives us clear idea of the apartheid regime and the details are well-furnished by the
persona. Gordimers attempt to explore the vast terrain of political and personal
relationships in a culturally and racially divided South Africa becomes succeful.

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