INTRODUCTION

It is important to remember that the novel and film version of Tsotsi are totally different
from each other. The timelines differ as the film version is set in the post-apartheid era
and the novel is set during the apartheid era. There are also major plot differences
between the novel and film version.

SETTING
Tsotsi is set in an unnamed township just outside Johannesburg (possibly Sophiatown),
in the 1950’s. There are references to the bus boycott and the first man-made object to
land on the moon. The novel clearly describes the difficulties of living in the townships
and a number of passages are critical of the actions taken by the apartheid government
and of the society it created.

Sophiatown
Sophiatown, also known as Sof'town or Kofifi, is a suburb of Johannesburg, South
Africa. Sophiatown was a legendary black cultural hub that was destroyed under
apartheid, rebuilt under the name of Triomf, and in 2006 officially returned to its original
name. Sophiatown was one of the oldest black areas in Johannesburg and its
destruction represents some of the excesses of South Africa under apartheid. Despite
the violence and poverty, it was the epicentre of politics, jazz and blues during the 1940s
and 1950s. It produced some of South Africa's most famous writers, musicians,
politicians and artists.

Sophiatown was originally part of the Waterfall farm. Over time it included the neighbouring
areas of Martindale and Newclare. It was purchased by a speculator, Hermann Tobiansky, in
1897. The township was named after Tobiansky's wife, Sophia, and some of the streets were
named after his children Toby, Gerty, Bertha and Victoria. Before the enactment of the Natives
Land Act, 1913, black South Africans had freehold rights, and they bought properties in the
suburb. The distance from the city centre was seen as disadvantageous and after the City of
Johannesburg built a sewage plant nearby, the area seemed even less attractive. Because of
these and other reasons most of the whites had moved out by 1920, leaving behind a vibrant
multi-racial community. By the late 1940s Sophiatown had a population of nearly 54 000 Black
Africans, 3 000 Coloureds, 1 500 Indians and 686 Chinese.

Forced removals
As neighbouring white working-class areas, such as Westdene and Newlands,
developed adjacent to Sophiatown, the perception arose that the suburb was too close
to white suburbia. From 1944 onwards, the Johannesburg City Council planned to move
the black population out of the Western Areas, including Sophiatown. After the election
victory of the National Party in 1948, relocation plans were debated at the level of
national politics. Under the Immorality Amendment Act, No 21 of 1950, people of mixed
races could not reside together, which made it possible for the government to segregate
the different races.
When the removals scheme was promulgated, Sophiatown residents united to protest against
the forced removals, creating the slogan "Ons dak nie, ons phola hier" (we won't move). Father
Trevor Huddleston, Nelson Mandela, Helen Joseph and Ruth First played an important role by
becoming involved in the resistance. On 9 February 1955, 2 000 policemen, armed with
handguns, rifles and clubs known as knobkierries, forcefully moved the black families of
Sophiatown to Meadowlands, Soweto. Other ethnic groups were also moved: Coloured people
moved to Eldorado Park in the south of Johannesburg; the Indian community moved to Lenasia;
and the Chinese people moved to central Johannesburg. Over the next eight years Sophiatown
was flattened and removed from the maps of Johannesburg.

Restoration of the name Sophiatown

The Johannesburg City Council took the decision in 1997 to re-instate the old name
Sophiatown for the suburb. On Saturday, 11 February 2006, the process finally came to
fruition when Mayor Amos Mosondo reverted the name of Triomf back to Sophiatown.

Early life in Sophiatown

Sophiatown, unlike other townships in South Africa, was a freehold township, which
meant that it was one of the rare places in South African urban areas where blacks were
allowed to own land. This was land that never belonged to the Johannesburg
municipality, and so it never developed the form of municipal "matchbox" houses, built
row upon row, with the same uniformity and lack of character. The houses were built
according to people's ability to pay, tastes, and cultural background. Some houses were
built of brick and had four or more rooms; some were much smaller. Others were built
like homes in the rural areas; others still were single room shacks put together with
corrugated iron and scrap sheet metal. The majority of the families living in Sophiatown
were tenants and sub-tenants. Eight or nine people lived in a single room and the
houses hid backyards full of shanties built of cardboard and flattened kerosene cans,
since many Black property owners in Sophiatown were poor. In order to pay back the
mortgages on their properties, they had to take in paying tenants.
Sophiatown residents had a determination to construct a respectable lifestyle in the
shadow of a state that was actively hostile to such ambitions. A respectable lifestyle
rested on the three pillars of religious devotion, reverence for formal education and a
desire for law and order.

People struggled to survive together, and a rich culture based on shebeens (informal and mostly
illegal pubs), mbaqanga music and beer-brewing developed. The shebeens were one of the main
forms of entertainment. People came to the shebeens not only for skokiaan or baberton
(illegally self-made alcoholic beverages), but to talk about their daily worries, their political ideas
and their fears and hopes. In these shebeens the politicians tried to influence others and get
them to conform to their form of thinking. If one disagreed he immediately became suspect and
was classified as a police informer.

These two conflicting images of Sophiatown stand side by side - the romantic vision of a unique
community juxtaposed with a seedy and violent township with dangers lurking at every corner.

Crime and gangsterism

Crime and violence were a reality of urban life and culture in Sophiatown. The poverty,
misery, violence and lawlessness of the city led to the growth of many gangs. Sections
of society frowned on gangsterism as anti-social behaviour and gangsters like Kortboy
and Don Mattera were despised by many as "anti social".
After the Second World War, there was a large increase in the number of gangs in
Sophiatown. Part of the reason for this was that there were about 20 000 African
teenagers in the city who were not at school and did not have jobs. Township youths
were unable to find jobs easily. Employers were reluctant to employ teenagers as they
did not have any work experience, and many of them were not able to read or write.
They also considered them to be undisciplined and weak.

In Johannesburg in the 1950s, crime was a day-to-day reality, and Sophiatown was the nucleus
of all reef crimes. Gangsters were city-bred and spoke a mixture of Afrikaans and English, known
as tsotsitaal. Some of the more well-known gangs in Sophiatown were the Russians, the
Americans, the Gestapo, the Berliners and the Vultures. The names the Gestapo and the
Berliners reflect their admiration for Hitler, whom they saw as some kind of hero, for taking on
the whites of Europe. The best known gang from this period, and also best studied, was the
Russians. They were a group of Basotho migrant workers who banded together in the absence
of any effective law enforcement by either mine owners or the state. The primary goal of this
gang was to protect members from the tsotsis and from other gangs of migrant workers, and to
acquire and defend resources they found desirable - most notably women, jobs and the urban
space necessary for the parties and staged fights that formed the bulk of their weekend
entertainment.

ORIGINS OF THE WORD ‘TSOTSI’

The name ‘Tsotsi’ means ‘thug’ and in a strange irony it has its roots in cinema
representations. In his autobiography The Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
remembers and defines the tsotsi’s as fedora-wearing gangsters, who imitated the fear
inducing gangster noirs of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. It is even thought that the word is a
derivation of the word ‘zootsuit’ a type of wide-shouldered, double breasted suit worn by
American gangsters.

It may also be related to the words ‘ho tosha’ which means ‘to make sharp’, not too
distant from our own slang – to look sharp.
In the novel ‘Tsotsi’ is not only the name for the main character but it also defines the
individual and symbolises a generation.

STRUCTURE
The story is told as a linear narrative. It is a simple story with a beginning and an end.
There are flashbacks to Tsotsi’s past, but they are simple so as not to cause confusion
to the narrative structure.

PLOT
Tsotsi traces the last days in the life of a ruthless, young gang leader whose life of crime brings
him to a crossroads that involves his own self-discovery as a caring human being.

CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Chapter 1
There are four members of the gang: Tsotsi, Die Aap, Butcher and Boston. Boston, the clever
one, Die Aap, the strong one, and Butcher, the accurate killer. The boys are having a general talk
and drinking in Tsotsi’s room. Tsotsi clasps his hands as if in prayer and decides that they should
take a train. They walked down the street looking for a victim. When they get to the trains they
see their victim, Gumboot Dhlamini, he is a hardworking, larger man. Almost year has passed
since Gumboot left his pregnant wife for work, and he is excited to return home to write her a
letter which will inform her that he will be returning home in a week.

The train station

Gumboot makes three mistakes:

1. He smiles at Tsotsi

2. He is wearing a bright red tie which makes him easy to follow and

3. he exposes his pay packet to everyone.

By describing these things in detail the author creates suspense. Also by including the
personal details of Gumboot’s life, a random act of violence committed by the gang,
makes Gumboot’s death intensely personal. The irony of Gumboot’s smile is that he has
nothing to smile about – he will never see his wife again or his child – the gangsters are
planning to murder him for his money. The fact that Tsotsi whispers an ‘obscene
reference to his mother’ in Gumboot’s ear as he dies highlights how mean-spirited and
soulless Tsotsi is. He comes across as a character for whom there is no hope of
redemption.

On the train Die Aap grabs Gumboot’s arms and Butcher works a bicycle spoke up into
his heart before Gumboot even realises that he cannot move his arms. Boston grabs
Gumboots’ pay packet and they exit the train before anyone has noticed what has
happened.
In this chapter there are references to the passing of time as ‘shadows’ that are either
‘not yet long enough’ or the sun that ‘must be low’. The effect of these references imply
that the men are about to take part in actions that are ‘dark’. It foreshadows the horror to
come.

Also the constant reference to ‘(ten minutes late)’... if the train had been on time Gumboot may
have lived. His path would not have crossed Tsotsi’s. Also the term ‘late’ is often used as a
euphemistic term for death. Tsotsi has definite perceptions of each of the gang members:

1. He feels that he can trust Die Aap.

2. He feels that he should ‘never turn his back’ on Butcher, because he cannot trust him.

3. He knows that Boston is scared of him – ‘Your smile hides fear’

Boston’s reactions differ to that of the other members of the gang, because he does not follow
Tsotsi blindly and questions his decision that they find their next victim at the train.

The fact that Butcher fetches the bicycle spoke before they leave foreshadows the
imminent murder of Gumboot Dhlamini. It also serves to remind us that Butcher never
misses his target. This creates tension

The gang have a bad reputation in the community and this is noticed when men look the other
way as the gang passes, the women call in their children and lights are turned off in the houses.

The Gang

Boston Butcher Tsotsi Die Aap

Chapter 2
The gang are at Soekie’s house drinking, laughing, and having a great time. Soekie’s
place seems to be well established. There are chairs and tables. It is not in a good area,
though, and is in a bad condition. There is no lampshade on the bulb, and the light casts
‘sinister’ shadows, implying that it is a place of ill repute.
Butcher was drinking the fastest and getting drunk the fastest, because he kept asking
Soekie; for more. It is clear that Boston was ill after the killing of Gumboot and that he is
‘losing control’ – he spits and talks loudly in the bar.

Rosie is a friend of Soekie, and is sitting in the corner passed out. She was seducing the boys,
mostly Butcher, and then Butcher and Die Aap were playing around with her. Tsotsi found it fine
but Boston found it to be sickening, because he has decency. Then later Butcher and Die Aap
went outside and raped Rosie. Rosie is a symbol of the moral decline and desperation of the
township. Her drinking is clearly out of control, and she is physically and mentally abused by Die
Aap and Butcher – another sign of the society in decline.

Soekie’s Place

The focus is now on Tsotsi and the mysterious past that he hides even from himself. He does not
allow anyone to question him about his past, because he does not know the answers. He
refuses to acknowledge any feelings or any sort of identity formulated by his own roots. He
forces himself to live in his fixed crime-ridden present. He does not even have a real name –
‘tsotsi’ is an informal name for a violent, young criminal or gangster.

Boston is plagued by feelings of guilt and self-disgust after the senseless, cold-blooded
murder of Gumboot Dhlamini. He wants to know if Tsotsi shares these feelings. Boston
asks Tsotsi many questions and this has a profound effect on Tsotsi, who does not
remember much of his past. Tsotsi is sent over the edge by Boston saying that everyone
has a soul and he fears the day that Tsotsi discovers his own soul. Tsotsi reacts violently
and savagely beats Boston.

Boston’s words ‘Everything you are not’ indicates that he does not think much of Die Aap and
Butcher. One could say that Boston offers ‘educated perspective’ as he is a trained teacher. He
seems more emotionally sensitive, because he is more ‘cultured than the rest of the gang.

Chapter 3
This chapter starts off with a contrasting mood in comparison to the previous chapter –
‘gentle attitudes of waiting for the rain’. People are described laughing and talking about
everyday things where in the previous chapter, there is clearly alcohol and drug abuse,
as well as violence towards women.

Tsotsi reflects on beating up Boston, and his hatred for him. Tsotsi keeps running to forget
Boston’s words (which are repeated throughout the chapter). He physically tries to block the
words out by covering his ears with his hands. He is upset by the questions, because he doesn’t
know the answers to them He reveals he picked Boston because, like everyone else, he had a
virtue; he was clever. Boston is needed in the gang, because he could identify details that could
be dangerous to their operations.

Tsotsi reveals he has devised three rules to stay in control:

1. the rule of the waking moment – he had to have his knife;
2. never to disturb the inward darkness – does not attempt to remember; and he is afraid
that the childhood memories might distract him.
3. And not to ask questions – about himself or others (the rule Boston broke).

They are all geared towards maintaining his inner darkness and fending off painful
memories of his past.
The first thing he focuses on when he wakes everyday is the knife – the symbol of his
savage heartless way of life. The knife stands for the obsession with violence that rules
his existence.

The second rule has to do with fending off and ignoring associations from his past (like
the incident with Petah) so that he does not become distracted.
He also tolerates no questions as he has no answers and therefore is in constant danger
of facing the nothingness that lies behind the façade (front) of the life that he believes in
and is living. Therefore, paradoxically, the only way he is able to affirm his life in the face
of this belief is through pain, fear and death.

As Tsotsi moves along we start forming a picture of the apartheid period of South Africa.
The author refers to the white suburbs that are separated from the township by a ‘no-
man’s land’. There are also references to much better policing in the white suburbs.

The warning roll of thunder is ominous and foreshadows what is to happen. Tsotsi was planning
on attacking and rape a woman but instead receives a baby in a box. Little does he know that
this baby will transform his whole meaningless, savage, heartless way of life.

Chapter 4
Tsotsi keeps the baby and realises it needs milk to survive. He goes to Cassim’s shop to get milk
for the baby, but cannot find a way to ask him for it. We learn that Tsotsi cannot read and is not
as self-confident as he seemed previously. He enters and leaves the store repeatedly before
mustering the courage to interact with Cassim. Tsotsi returns to his room to clean and feed the
baby before hiding it in the ruins. Tsotsi remembers the “yellow bitch” and starts to ask
questions about his past.

The narration in this chapter, changes. It is still in the third person narration, but told from
the perspective of Cassim, the owner of Ramadoola, General Dealer.

In the opening lines, the author refers to a man who ‘darkened the doorway’. The
shadow of a man appears right throughout the chapter until we realise that it is Tsotsi,
asking for ‘baby milk’. The image is ominous. Cassim uses the words ‘bad eggs’ and we
clearly understand how the community perceives the gang. The author breaks the
tension by incorporating some humour. Cassim’s reaction to the situation is humorous;
he is described as saying ‘yes’ for a five seconds and then farting. Cassim is so
surprised by Tsotsi’s request for milk that he thinks he has misunderstood.

The streets, in this chapter, are described as days of the week. This gives us an insight
to the different people of the township. ‘Saturday street’ is filled with people with money
to spend, and a ‘Sunday street’ is lazy and relaxed. The people open up and make a
path for Tsotsi, because they have their week’s salaries with them and they know that
the gangsters will kill them for their money.

Tsotsi covers his window, because it protects him from the elements and he wants privacy. The
baby boy evokes a strange feeling in the young thug. He feels awe at the realisation that a man
can begin his existence in such a state of helpless dependence. He finds that he must unwrap
and clean the befouled, crying baby. He cleans and feeds it fearful of the gang arriving and
finding him with the baby.

In this chapter the forced removals of the Group Areas Act is mentioned. People of colour were
forcefully relocated, because the areas they were living in were zoned as ‘white areas’. One of
the Johannesburg townships was known as Sophiatown and when the people were relocated it
became Triomf. Black people were relocated to SOWETO – which is an acronym for South
Western Townships.

At the end of the chapter Tsotsi has a memory about a dog – the ‘yellow bitch’. This sudden
memory ‘stabbed his darkness’. He suddenly has a need to know everything about his life. Tsotsi
has also discovered that the baby is his ‘talisman’, his lucky charm and that he would keep it to
work its magic again. He hides the baby in the ruins and decides to return to feed and clean it
the next day. He cannot fully understand his own motives in saving the life of the baby. He
resents the ‘weak hold it had found on his life…he was chancing his hand at a game he had
never dared play and the baby was the dice…’.

Chapter 5
The novel slows down in this chapter as we see the burial of Gumboot Dhlamini and how
the pastor is losing his faith because he is burying another nameless man.

The author makes a socio-political statement with the descriptions of the cemetery and burial.
The apartheid regime relocated people without thinking of essential human needs – including
where people needed to bury their dead. The Reverend Henry Ransome also does not care
about the people of his parish.

Boston awakes from his unconscious state and manages his first movements in a long
time. This description reminds us of how violent Tsotsi can be and one starts fearing for
the safety of the baby.

Butcher and Die Aap discuss Boston’s beating and what it means for the future of the gang.
Tsotsi arrives, but he is vague and less enthusiastic.

Butcher comments on the smell in the room. This is a reminder of both the presence of
the baby in Tsotsi’s life and Tsotsi’s inability to take care of it properly. Both these
elements create tension. They begin the ritual again but without Boston’s stories and the
conversation quickly runs dry.

The words ‘something had tampered with the mechanism that had governed his life’ brings the
realisation that Tsotsi will no longer be able to function as the hard gangster any more. Tsotsi
finds the presence of the gang members an encumbrance and he struggles to formulate a plan
for the next ‘job’. He usually makes decisions governed by ‘dark impulses’, but this is not
working. Tsotsi is forced to make a decision on where the next job will be. They determine that
they will go to the city for a job. Tsotsi does not specify what they will be doing.

Chapter 6
Tsotsi and his gang arrive on the outskirts of the city. They go to the Terminal Place
which is a shopping centre. This is where the gangsters go to do their ‘work’ that night. It
is the meeting place of the ‘glittering’ world of the white man and the dusty world of
those living in the townships. The long description adds tension and suspense.
Tsotsi loses his gang in a crowd of people in Terminal Place.

Tsotsi chooses his next victim when he steps on a cripple by the name of Morris
Tshabalala. Morris utters the words ‘Whelp of a yellow bitch’ and this starts to trigger
memories in Tsotsi’s head.

This chapter mainly focuses on Morris Tshabalala. Morris pays attention to Tsotsi, because his
hands are often stepped on by people in the street and people apologise, but Tsotsi does not
apologise – he just stares at Morris with a cold, remote look in his eyes.

We learn about Morris’s past. He lost his legs in a mining accident. He feels like a “half-
man”’ The author uses Morris’s character to criticize the unfairness of the world created
by apartheid, because he had worked on the mines for a meagre salary. Even though he
was injured at work, he is not given the skills or means to fend for himself. He is not able
to find work, and is forced to live as a beggar on the streets. He states that ‘You are
walking on stolen legs’, meaning that the city was built on the riches of mines that
destroyed his life.

He realizes he is being followed, because he sees Tsotsi looking at him from across the
road and hiding in doorways. He continues on his way hoping to lose him before he gets
to the dark section of his journey home. He stops in the Bantu House. He stays there
until the eating house closes, hoping that it will deter Tsotsi.

When he leaves he realises Tsotsi is still there. He tries to crawl away. Tsotsi starts taunting
Morris by throwing stones at him. Morris turns and starts hurling insults at Tsotsi as he
approaches. Tsotsi seems more intent on murder than robbery. The chapter ends with Morris
looking back to see Tsotsi vanish into the shadows.

Chapter 7
This chapter traces an important turning point for Morris.

Stepping on Morris’s crippled hand has brought back memories of Tsotsi’s childhood –
remembering a ‘yellow bitch’ (dog) crawling towards him just as Morris crawls now. The
similarities are striking calling back the memory with great pain. This intrigues Tsotsi as he
continues to follow Morris through the crowded area observing without being observed. Morris
at first symbolises ‘the grotesque anatomy of life’ to Tsotsi. Morris points to all that is twisted
and ugly in the world. He stands for the truth of the ‘basic horror of existence’.

Tsotsi follows the man out of the Terminal Place and into the twilight. He is both
frightened and intrigued by what lies before him, whishing again to have his memory
jolted but knowing that it is against everything he has stood for.
Tsotsi chooses Morris, because for him the world is an ugly place and Morris is the
epitome of this ugliness.

Tsotsi realises that he is not after Morris’s money. He is driven to destroy him, because
he is ugly, and he has residual anger towards Boston that he wants to take out on
Morris. He has a profound thought about the truth of life: life is ugly and staying alive is
horrific.

As Tsotsi follows the beggar he notices many details; the speed with which the cripple tries to
get away, his grunts of effort as he pushes onwards with his arms, even the fear in the way he
moves. This all means nothing to the old Tsotsi but something in him has changed. He feels for
the man. Tsotsi feels sympathy.

He continues to follow Morris as he makes his way from street to street stopping only when
tired or briefly to eat at the Bantu Eating House. Finally the two are alone and Tsotsi realises it is
time to do the only thing he knows well – kill. He must kill the beggar. He approaches and
caught in the light cast from the street lamp overhead the beggar faces his follower. The
significance of Tsotsi commenting on the ‘same light’ that fell on the baby and even Gumboot
Dhlamini is that previously Tsotsi was associated with the shadows and was drawn by a dark
purpose. The presence of ‘light’, and Tsotsi’s observance of it, suggests an inner change is
beginning to blossom.
Instead of attacking and killing Morris, Tsotsi asks Morris how he feels. He asks Morris
about his life and how he had lost his legs and why he wishes to live. Morris gives Tsotsi
all the reasons why he wants to live – the sun, the rain. For the first time Tsotsi realises
that killing is a choice. He lets the beggar live.

Tsotsi becomes more determined to find out about his past, after Morris asks him how old he is.
Morris also tells Tsotsi that Mothers love their children but Tsotsi is adamant that they do not
and walks away. Tsotsi heads back to the township, his mind reeling with thoughts. When he sits
down to rest he is overwhelmed with thoughts of Boston, the beggar and the baby. He becomes
aware of what ‘plot twists’ a simple day can bring. ‘One day had shaken the whole basis of his
life’. Tsotsi has feelings of confusion, anger and excitement as he literally passes out and sleeps
in the ‘veld’

Chapter 8
Church bells toll and the reverend contemplates his faith in God. He is painfully aware of
the inadequacy of the mission. The Gumboot Dhlamini’s are not here. He cannot help
them. They remain the anonymous victims of this unjust crime-ridden place. Boston also
hears the church bells. He is still recovering from Tsotsi’s vicious attack.

Tsotsi himself has embarked on a spiritual journey. He is in a state of near panic and
despair. The church and Reverend Ransome are following the outward rituals of
spirituality but lack the depth and earnestness of Tsotsi’s quest.

Tsotsi returns to the ruins and finds that the condensed milk has attracted ants which have
attacked the baby. He realises the baby is close to death because he is barely breathing, and his
eyes have lost focus. Instead of running away because of the emergency, he stays and rescues
the baby. He also realises that he can no longer feed the baby condensed milk and needs to find
proper nourishment for the child. He then wraps the baby in his coat and takes it back to his
room.

Fugard switches perspective and talks about ‘Waterworks Square’, the townships only water tap
(where everyone meets) and Miriam Ngidi, and how her husband left her and now she is left to
raise 6-month-old Simon by herself. There is a sharp contrast between Miriam’s social skills and
Tsotsi’s – probably because of his lack of upbringing – and he forces Miriam to feed and clean
the baby as he does not know any other way to ask. We also see that his transformation is far
from complete.

She stands up to him and challenges him with the words ‘a bitch in her backyard would look
after its puppies better’ and this has a profound effect on Tsotsi. Tsotsi is starting to remember
more of his past.
Chapter 9
Tsotsi has a flashback to his past. He remembers his mom and grandma chatting and the news
that his father will finally be returning home, and then the pain – he recalls the night his mother
was taken from him – the last night before his father returned. We also hear Tsotsi’s birth name
for the first time – David. Tsotsi’s mother is a loving mother who cares deeply for her son. It is
the portrait of a loving mother and the protected childhood that Tsotsi enjoyed until the age of
10. His mother talks about his father often and his imminent return. The boy has a fantasy vision
about his father. His grandma seemed to be a bitter, vindictive old woman, who is more than
sceptical about the missing father.

The reference to ‘Pas’ in Afrikaans refers to the ‘dompas’ that every non-white South African
had to carry during apartheid. Without it a person would be arrested and detained indefinitely.
The police used to raid townships in the middle of the night to find people who did not have
passes. Many families were broken up in this way, and many children were left to fend for
themselves as the children were left homeless. Tsotsi is the result of the cycle of abuse. It is a
time of terror and confusion which leaves the boy abandoned after his mother’s arrest. David’s
grandma sets off to go and find Tondi (Tsotsi’s mother). The suddenness with which everything
happened is the most painful to David. David is left to fend for himself.

His father arrives and goes into a rage when he realizes that David’s mother has been
taken. He kicks the dog, breaking its back. David runs away after his father leaves and
he witnesses the dog giving birth to a stillborn litter. All these happenings in a very short
time, has an incredible effect on David.
He is taken in by the river gang of 7 boys who are in a similar situation to him and learns many
harsh lessons that turn him into a thug. As he starts his new life, he chooses a new name, Tsotsi.
He started developing a set of rules that take him down his future path. He also realises that the
only way to survive is never to feel the pain he inflicts on others and to purposely forget his
past.

Chapter 10
In this chapter Tsotsi comes to terms with the huge turning point in his life that he
appears to have arrived at. Finally, the riddle of the yellow bitch has been solved. He
finally has a clear vision of his past – the night he lost his loving mother and his secure
home and entered a pain – filled existence dominated by merciless cruelty and crime
and the need to survive at all costs.

Tsotsi wakes up, to an insistent knocking on his door. At first, he is confused and then
his first comprehensive thoughts are of Miriam and then of the baby. The fact that he
only thinks of his knife, after that, shows that he no longer thinks of killing as his first
priority.
The insistent knocking is Die Aap and Tsotsi does not want him there. Tsotsi ‘gently hid
the baby under the bed’. This shows Tsotsi’s growing compassion.

Tsotsi cannot think of a clear reason to give Die Aap about why he does not want him
there except to utter the words ‘My mother’. Die Aap doesn’t understand, but Tsotsi
comes to the realisation that everyone has a mother.

Die Aap informs Tsotsi that Butcher is gone and will not return. He was angry at Tsotsi
for doing a job alone. This brings another realisation – Boston is gone, Butcher is gone
therefore the gang is finished. He has a fleeting thought about starting a new gang, but
then remembers the life before gangs. Die Aap seems to have some sort of blind loyalty
(‘Two years Tsotsi’) towards Tsotsi and he would probably be lost without the gang as it
provides him with security and an identity. Tsotsi, however, says that that the gang is
finished. Die Aap leaves. He has decided that the old life is finished, and he rejects the
gang.

Tsotsi has named the baby David. He waits for Miriam to go to the water point again and then
finds her to feed the baby. Miriam comes prepared and Tsotsi realises that she wants to be
there. Miriam asks to have the baby, to take care of him. Tsotsi says ‘no’, because he realizes
the baby is letting him remember his past – such as the ‘yellow bitch’ and the pipes. He leaves,
taking the baby with him, to hide in the ruins – probably because he knows that if the baby
wakes up and cries, its cries will draw unwanted attention and the baby might be taken from
him. He is intent on keeping the baby. He goes in search of Boston.

Chapter 11
This chapter charts the life –changing journey Tsotsi is undergoing.
Tsotsi locates Boston at Marty’s shebeen, passed out on the floor. When Tsotsi walks in
the customers avoid making eye contact with him and Marty is clearly apprehensive and
aggressive towards him. The comparison of Tsotsi carrying Boston ‘like a baby’
highlights the change in Tsotsi and emphasises the link between Tsotsi’s quest, the
baby and Boston.

He brings him home to get him to talk. Tsotsi thinks that Boston can give him answers,
because Boston has had an education and clearly knows things.

When Tsotsi sees Boston lying naked on the bed, he is shocked at how thin Boston has become
and is driven to go out and get food, which he later offers to Boston. ‘Taking care of’ has
become a part of Tsotsi’s psyche. He tastes and feels Boston’s tears – he is beginning to sense
both physically and emotionally the extent of the pain that he has inflicted. Tsotsi is deeply
affected. He is trembling and dizzy – this is the dawning of a change in character.

Boston’s life is revealed. He was born Walter Nguza, a gifted child who won several
scholarships that eventually led to his studying to be a teacher. Clearly nervous and
highly strung, he was often warned that he was going to have a breakdown if he did not
slow down. He was accused of raping a student just before his final exams and was
expelled. Too afraid to break his mother’s heart he lied to her and did not return home.
Boston lived on the fringe of society, making money stamping passes and work permits
illegally. This is how he met Butcher and eventually became part of Tsotsi’s gang. He is
24 years old.

Boston notices a change in Tsotsi’s eyes. They no longer reveal the ‘darker’ purpose’
that drove him: ‘Where there had been darkness there was something like light’. In the
beginning of the novel Tsotsi had been associated with images of darkness and
shadows, but now he is revealed as having an inner light.

Tsotsi tells his story to Boston and Boston seems surprised at the mercy that Tsotsi had
shown the beggar and then realises that all human beings can be shown mercy and can
show mercy. We can assume that Boston recognises his own need for mercy. Boston
tells him we are all sick of life and to seek for God. Tsotsi gives him sour-milk and bread,
but Boston refuses and goes in search of his mother.

He has come a long way from being a vile gangster. He has a new – found capacity to feel pity
and compassion for the victim, Boston. This brings some light into the inner darkness of his
being.

Chapter 12
The resolution of the novel…
In this, the final chapter we firstly encounter Isaiah planting plants in the church garden.
Isobel Marriot allows the reader to take a break from Tsotsi’s soul searching. Her
character also highlights the arrogant way in which whites treated blacks during the
apartheid era. This scene creates tension, as we know that it is in this environment that
Tsotsi is going to come and find ‘God’

Father Ransome’s purpose with the people is questionable. He has made no effort to
teach Isaiah about God and equates the ringing of the church bell to becoming closer to
God. No effort is made to get to know Isaiah.

Tsotsi goes to the church in an effort to find God. At first Isaiah resists talking to Tsotsi,
because he still has the gangster image which is associated with drinking, killing and
theft. Isaiah comments on how tired Tsotsi looks. It is clear that Tsotsi’s search for
answers has tired him both emotionally and physically. One feels true empathy for
Tsotsi. His conversations with Isaiah appear to give him some answers.

Miss Marriot’s comments that they ‘don’t allow strangers in the grounds’ and then later,
that ‘he’s welcome to pray’ are contradictory and ironic. The church is there to welcome
the unconverted so that they can become believers. If no strangers are allowed on the
church grounds, there can be no conversions and the church will not be able to do its
work.

Isaiah’s interpretation that all God wants is for people to do good and stop ‘stealing and
killing and robbing’ is similar to Tsotsi’s realisation in Chapter 10. Tsotsi comments that
there is no need for revenge or hate. The presence of light in his life makes his reaction
instinctive.

He returns home and feels ‘lighter’. Miriam sees him coming and goes to feed the baby.
Tsotsi is no longer aggressive towards Miriam, and he trusts her. Miriam also appears to
trust Tsotsi and generously pays for the medicine that the baby needs. Miriam explains
that her husband, Simon, is dead but she has made peace with the idea and thinks of
her son, Simon and of David. She remains positive and resolves to carry on the struggle
of raising Simon on her own. She possesses the true generosity of ubuntu: she offers to
take care of the baby permanently and she sees Tsotsi is weak and tired and gives him
food and drink.

Miriam hangs the white washing on the line. The white washing is symbolic. The very
white light shining off the washing confirms that Tsotsi is moving into the light.
Tsotsi leaves, taking the baby with him. Although he trusts Miriam, he does not trust her
enough yet to leave the child with her. She greets him and asks him to come back. She
calls him Tsotsi and he corrects her and ‘introduces’ himself as David Madondo. Tsotsi
is no more...David Madondo has returned to his soul.

The novel ends both tragically and satirical. Fugard makes it clear that the further demolition of
MaRhabatse’s home stems from the apartheid authorities’ racist policies. It was in fact these
policies that brought about the traumas visited upon the young David Madondo which tore him
away from his loving mother and delivered him onto the mean streets of Egoli. Tsotsi dies
tragically while trying to save the baby when the ‘whites’ bulldoze the ruins. When his body is
uncovered there is a beautiful smile on his face. He clearly thought that he was going to be able
to save the baby. He thought as he was about to die that he had done ‘good’.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Tsotsi (David Madondo)
As a boy Tsotsi was innocent and content, living as a victim of apartheid. His mother
was taken from him, and his grandma abandons him in search of his mother. He is left
alone to witness the return of his father.

We come to understand the immense impact, the night before his father returned and
the day his father returned, had on him. His mother, who was a loving and caring
woman, is taken away in a raid by the apartheid police. This is a great shock to the
young David’s system. His grandmother leaves to find Tondi (Tsotsi’s mother).

His father’s return leaves further scars, when the man walks into the house looking for
his wife and paying no attention to the young David. He walks outside and kicks David’s
dog, breaking her back and David watches as the dog gives birth to stillborn puppies
and then dies. David’s father has left, and he is now on his own.

He leaves the house and meets a group of 7 boys (Petah’s gang) and they accept him.
This gang changed his identity; he became Tsotsi after several days and participated in
crime with them. He states: ‘My name is Tsotsi’. This transformation from an innocent
boy to a hardened young man has resulted in him living a life of robbery, rape and
murder. He no longer has a use for past memories and his conscience no longer exists.
He has learnt the ‘gangster code’ and this is what sets him on the path for his future.
Tsotsi has ‘street smarts’. He is not educated – he cannot read or write (illiterate) – he
therefore does not question anything. He acts on impulse and instinct.

He has a code that he lives by:

1. the rule of the working moment – always able to see his knife;
2. never to disturb the inward darkness – does not attempt to remember; he is afraid that
the childhood memories might distract him.
3. Not to tolerate questions – about himself or others (the rule Boston broke).

He becomes leader of a gang who commits crimes to survive.

Throughout the novel we see an evolution of Tsotsi’s character from a hard, uncaring individual
to a man with an understanding much greater than that of an average man. In the early stages
Tsotsi demonstrates his hard, uncaring shell when he seeks out his victim Gumboot Tshabalala
with the stealth of a predator hunting its prey. He kills him for no other reasons than the colour
of his tie, his smile and the pay packet. An innocent man dies, and his death is pointless.

Underneath it all there is a man that fears what caring could do to him. Tsotsi carries
fear in his heart. A fear of the past and the fear of what these memories could bring him.
He is systematically forced to face these fears as the memories he suppressed start to
surface. The three rules are starting to diminish and through his interaction with others
he changes back from Tsotsi to David.

Boston’s words send Tsotsi over the edge, and he starts to think. He remembers things
from his past. He also takes the baby and becomes caring towards it. A light starts to
grow within him. The baby acts as a catalyst for his journey of self-discovery.

As he starts his journey towards self-discovery, he encounters Morris the beggar and
eventually lets him live when Morris tells him he wants to live. While Tsotsi follows
Morris, we also notice that he observes Morris’s every move and starts to feel sympathy
for the crippled beggar, because the baby has changed his value for life. Morris reminds
Tsotsi of his dog who was powerless in a similar situation. The sympathy he attains is
translated to when he and Morris interact and he decides to let him live, as Morris
explains he must. Not only has Tsotsi’s outlook changed but Morris now values his own
life as well. Their exchange also leaves Tsotsi with the belief that he must value the little
things in life in order to become redeemed.

Tsotsi finds Boston and takes him to his house where he nourishes him like a mother
would. Tsotsi leaves his rule about questions behind, and his only desire is to seek
answers to his questions. Boston explains that everyone is sick from life – living in
apartheid – and in order to further pursue the answers to his questions he must find
God. This leads Tsotsi to Isaiah who teaches him more about God and what he can do
for you. He explains to Tsotsi what sins are and the consequences of them. He tells
Tsotsi that to further understand God he must attend church. Tsotsi agrees to this, and
this shows that he is truly committed to do whatever it takes to pursue his goal of
redemption. He returns home feeling ‘lighter’.

Miriam also plays a role in changing Tsotsi. At first, he threatens her, showing that the change
within him is not complete. In their subsequent interactions Tsotsi no longer has to intimidate
her to receive nourishment for the baby. In their final interaction – after Tsotsi comes back from
meeting Isaiah – she opens up to him, explaining how her husband is dead and she accepts that
she must move on. This belief transfers to Tsotsi and resonates with him. From her belief he
understands that you can’t let your past determine your future and you must continue living on
despite past influences. This is the next step towards redemption, as it allows him not to dwell
on the mistakes of his past. This understanding makes it possible for him to realise he can leave
his past lifestyle behind. She shows him trust and he starts to trust her – although not
completely enough to leave the baby with her.

These events collectively influence Tsotsi to become David again, a human with a soul.
He is no longer a murderous Tsotsi but a compassionate and loving young man. These
new values are what drive him to attempt to save the baby at the end of the novel. His
instinct of killing has shifted to an instinct of saving lives without hesitation. When his
body is discovered, he has a beautiful smile on his face, showing that he has no regrets
and is pleased with who he has become.

This is the ultimate sacrifice in life and the final step for Tsotsi to attain full redemption
from past sins, becoming David – a new admirable man.

Boston
Boston is the ‘brains’ of the gang. He went to university but was accused of raping a
fellow student before his final exams and was expelled. This alters his future path, and
he resorts to crime for survival. He is a very knowledgeable character and always
entertains the gang with stories. He constantly asks Tsotsi questions, which go against
Tsotsi’s last two rules. These questions cause Tsotsi to eventually react violently
towards Boston and he almost beats him to death. Tsotsi beats Boston because of the
questions and because Boston accuses Tsotsi of having no decency. This influences
Tsotsi’s decisions throughout the novel. At the end of the novel Tsotsi seeks Boston out
and cares for him in order to discover the answers to the questions Boston asked earlier.
Boston acts as a catalyst for Tsotsi’s search for God. He tells Tsotsi that he must seek
out God to get more answers and tells Tsotsi that everyone is ‘sick from life’. Not only
does he help Tsotsi understand what he must do to seek further redemption but the
exchange they have also makes Boston realise that he must go back home and seek
redemption from his mother.

Butcher
Like all black males living in South Africa at the time, Butcher is a victim of apartheid. These men
take all means to survive, and we see this expressed in the way Butcher lives his day-to-day life
in the gang. To them he is the killer – he never misses a strike and is the go-to man when the job
needs to get done. Violence is the way he has learned to survive, because it is the only way he
knows. To Tsotsi, Butcher isn’t much but a person in his gang who is a skilful and ruthless killer.
Tsotsi doesn’t trust Butcher and knows that he should not turn his back on him. Butcher is a flat
character that does not show development. He simply disappears after feeling betrayed by
Tsotsi, because he thought Tsotsi had done a job on his own. He has probably moved on to the
next gang.

Die Aap
Die Aap was given his name based solely on his appearance – he has very long arms
and is stronger than the rest of the gang members. He is also a product of the apartheid
system. The three other gang members view him as a threat. Although he is older than
Tsotsi; he views Tsotsi as a role model. Die aap is extremely loyal and when Tsotsi
disbands the gang he is upset, because he feels as if they were brothers. During his last
interaction with Die Aap, Tsotsi does come to the realisation that everyone has a mother.
Die Aap leaves, seemingly lost. He does not mean much to Tsotsi and does not play
much of a role in the understanding of the novel other than being the person that Tsotsi
says that the gang is over. He is also a flat character that shows no development in the
course of the novel. He, just like Butcher, will probably also just move on to the next
gang.

The Baby
The baby is introduced relatively early in the novel. Tsotsi is given it in the Bluegum
trees by a frightened woman who he intended to rape. As the plot progresses, we come
to see, the baby represents innocence, kindness, and the positives of human nature just
like David, before he became Tsotsi. Tsotsi recognises that and names the baby David,
after his past self. The baby helps Tsotsi become David again, through simple life
lessons such as caring and nurturing and responsibility for others. By nurturing the baby,
Tsotsi is developing a compassionate outlook. At the end of the novel when David
Madondo sacrifices his own safety for that of the baby, he is actually saving himself. By
his efforts to save the baby, he is actually saving himself. By his efforts to save the baby
his instincts have changed from violence – a street thug - to compassion – like a mother,
saving his humanity. The ultimate redemption of becoming David again.

Morris
Morris is a cripple who lost his legs in a mineshaft collapse. He has lost his dignity and is
ashamed of the way he must get his money in order to survive – begging. He believes he is a
half-man. When Tsoti’s gang goes to Terminal Place, Tsotsi steps on Morris’s hands and decides
that Morris will be his next victim. However, while stalking him, Tsotsi starts feeling sympathy
for the crippled man, because he reminds him of the ‘yellow bitch’. Morris is the catalyst for
Tsotsi remembering the dog he had as a child. He is also a symbol for South Africa – a nation
crippled by apartheid laws. Morris helps the reader understand and see the pivotal moment
that the shift within Tsotsi occurs. Morris shows Tsotsi the value of the little things in life (the
sun and the rain). He also shows Tsotsi that one can make choices about things. With his
reactions he creates and helps Tsotsi develop the ability to show decency and allows Tsotsi to
make choices that affect others, rather than just himself. Morris’s final words to Tsotsi are that
all mothers love their children.

Miriam
Miriam is an eighteen-year-old with a young baby, more or less David’s age. Like many
other young women in South Africa, Miriam has been abandoned by her husband,
Simon, and left with a child to care for all on her own. Tsotsi’s mother and the lady who
gave Tsotsi the baby were put in the same situation. Miriam is a symbol for these
women. Gumboot also left his pregnant wife. Miriam is the woman who is forced, by
Tsotsi, to feed David. She symbolises motherhood and nurturing and desperately wants
to keep little David. She performs motherly acts towards Tsotsi as well and teaches him
how to love again. She shows Tsotsi – through her acceptance of her own fate – that we
must not live in the past and need to move on with life and never give up.

Isaiah
Isaih and Tsotsi meet at the church near the end of the novel. They engage in a short, yet life
changing conversation. In the Bible Isaiah is the inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of
God, and in the novel, he teaches Tsotsi about God. He tells Tsotsi about the consequences of
sin and that God is inside the church. Although we know that this is Isaiah’s simplistic way of
explaining things, Tsotsi takes these words to heart, and it engages his interest for attending the
church even more. Tsotsi had been looking for God and that is why he went to Boston; Isaiah is
his door to God. Isaiah allows Tsotsi to understand the possibilities Christianity brings.

THEMES

Redemption
Fugard wants his readers to understand that redemption can be attained by even the
most corrupted individuals if one chooses to make change in their life. Tsotsi’s violence
and indifference towards his victims make him a corrupted thug, but because of the
changes he makes, he finds redemption and is reborn with the innocence he had as a
child – as David Mondondo. His choices that lead him to forgiveness started with
receiving the baby; he began to care for it which started to trigger memories from his
past. Then through caring for the baby, and other events like his discussion with Morris,
Tsotsi begins to value life. Later he remembers his past: the night his mother got taken
away, his father killing the dog and him running away where he later lost himself and
became Tsotsi. He recognises his change, so he goes in search of the defeated Boston.
Boston tells him about God and Tsotsi goes to the church and finds Isaiah. Isaiah tells
him about the goodness God wants and Tsotsi, in an attempt to learn more about God,
agrees to go to church. Afterwards he goes to Miriam, and both realise they must let the
past go, so they can become better people in the future. Through finding faith in God,
and helping Miriam let her husband go, Tsotsi finds redemption.

There are also stories of redemption for a couple secondary characters. Boston was a
high-achieving university student before he made a drastic mistake. He did not want his
proud mother to find out he had been kicked out of college for being accused of
attempted rape; he hid this from her and started selling passbooks, and later became a
member of Tsotsi’s gang. As part of the gang, he is involved in committing inhumane
crimes - he becomes sick of life. He loses his pride. When Tsotsi finds him and tells him
about his change, Boston decides he must make a change. The battered and beaten
Boston hobbles out of the room and runs in search of his mother. He wants her to be
proud of him. He wants to be proud of him. He wants to be forgiven.

Miriam yearns for her husband’s return, despite the likelihood of him being dead. She
realises after interacting with Tsotsi and caring for little David that she must focus on the
future and be as much of a loving mother as possible. Because of her choice to love and
care, she is forgiven for her sin of not completely caring.

These redemptions are catalysed by little David. He starts Tsotsi’s change; therefore,
directly leading him towards redemption, and indirectly leading Boston and Miriam
towards forgiveness. In addition, saving Morris’s and many other lives Tsotsi may have
taken. The baby is a protector, and a giver of redemption.

Fugard wants us to understand forgiveness is always attainable, and sometimes we must also
give it. Redemption doesn’t always have to be in the eyes of God; it can be about forgiving
ourselves for the immortality of our actions. We can obtain it by being decent and making the
right choices. It is not easily attained, or necessarily quick. Tsotsi took many steps towards
kindness and sympathy. He had to remember his past then understand his change before he
was redeemed.

You don’t have to be searching for redemption, but Fugard shows once you are redeemed, you
are a different person.

Survival
Fugard also portrays the theme of survival. He suggests individuals will do whatever it takes –
both physically and morally – to survive. At the beginning of the novel, Tsotsi and his gang
members do whatever it takes to survive, despite the unethical nature of their actions. This
represents the desperation of the blacks during Apartheid. They had to constantly overcome
poverty in order to survive. Tsotsi’s survival shifts from physical to moral, later in the novel, once
he receives the baby and begins to remember the innocent boy he was. When he witnesses
Morris, he begins to feel sympathy for him, and his other victims. When he meets Isaiah and he
tells him God does not want us to sin, Tsotsi realises the immortality in his actions. In the face of
God, he has not been “good”, and will go to hell. However, Tsotsi chooses to become decent
and live his life with morals. He becomes a different person – David Mondondo – who is selfless,
compassionate, and ethical. His change is derived from the decent influences of others and not
wanting to be the same corrupted person. He chooses to survive morally, not just physically.
Fugard conveys the message that it is no good to live forever, if you can’t live with yourself.
Tsotsi’s moral survival caused him to compromise his physical survival by sacrificing for the
baby. If he focused simply on his physical survival, he would be alive, but without pride. Fugard
wants his audience to understand having pride in your actions and your morals is more
important than surviving while having shame for yourself. ‘Everybody dies but not everybody
lives’ can be applied: we will all physically die at some point, but to morally survive is a true
testimony of how you lived

Apartheid
Fugard also conveys the theme of the negative affects the oppression had on the black
society in South Africa during Apartheid. The white minority put down the black majority.
All of Fugard’s characters are a reflection of the effects of Apartheid. Tsotsi and his gang
are healthy young men who should have jobs, but because of apartheid they are sitting
around in the middle of the afternoon without work; this forces them into a life of crime -
having to murder for money.

It is a recurring theme. It forced Tsotsi to choose violence when he was a little kid. The
police came and took his mother away because she didn’t have a passbook.
Again, it comes up at the water point. The water point’s inconsistency represents the
instability, economically and socially of the black people. Their lives could be uprooted
by the white expansion any day, and they lived in fear of frequent raids.

A black man’s power is shown through Isaiah. He answers to Miss Marriot who wants him to
plant in straight rows. This symbolizes her need – and the white people’s need – to control the
black society. Nature doesn’t grow in straight lines, nor should the blacks be confined to tiny
townships, but the white belief of ethnocentrism is their reasoning to dominate other – to their
belief – inferior groups.

It shows up again at the conclusion of the novel. The whites often took over black
townships to get rid of the black spots. They would demolish old houses to build new
communities. It can be seen that the white’s bulldozed the ruins, causing both David and
little David to die. Fugard implies that white domination has caused black society within
South Africa to suffer extensively simply because the white man’s belief of superiority.
Religion
Religion is a major theme throughout the entire novel. Almost every event relates back
to Christianity in some way. The baby represents the new-born baby Jesus. He brings
innocence and peace to Tsotsi. Miriam represents the Virgin Mary. She loves and cares
about everyone which is why she wants to keep David.
Gumboot Dhlamini’s funeral leads the pastor to question his faith. Boston is the first
person to mention to Tsotsi that if he seeks redemption he must seek God, Isaiah plays
a pivotal role in directing Tsotsi focus towards God. Morris’s simple appreciation of
nature also relates back to the creation of God.
With Tsotsi’s death we accept that his soul has been saved.

SYMBOLS

The Dog:
The dog represents his past. Tsotsi is the dog. It also represents the crippled apartheid
system that South Africa is faced with. The dog allows Tsotsi to compare Morris to his
past and help his decision to let him live.

Light and dark:

Light is the kind, compassionate, caring and thoughtful side of the story. Dark represents
the bad, murderous, ruthless and violent aspect of the text

The story begins in the darkness when Tsotsi is still a thug who kills and robs with his
gang but as the story progresses and he moves closer and closer to becoming David we
see more light appear in his life. In the dark is where he commits acts of violence such
as almost raping the girl who gave him the baby. He stalks Morris in the dark and Rose
was raped by his gang in the dark too.

Light is shown when Tsotsi decides to let Morris live (they are under the lamp post), we also see
it when he confronts Boston after beating him only two days before, it is at night, in the dark
when the beating occurs and it is light when Tsotsi meets up with him again. Finally when Tsotsi
attempts to save the baby at the end, the sun is shining. Also, when he is recovered. The
transition as the novel moves from beginning to end is very clear and we can see how the two
symbols are represented.

Ruins:
Represent South Africa and the situation as a whole for the blacks under apartheid. The
blacks have a tougher life, with much less rights and privileges than the whites. They
were poor and lived in run-down townships. The whites held no care or concern for them
and no desire to give them a respectable life. Just like how no one has care for the ruins
in the novel, the blacks' lives were in ruins. They were viewed as inferior like a rundown
building.

Water:
The water supply that many people lined up for is a symbol of life. Water is essential to
the survival of a human being and without it you will eventually perish. It shows us how
desperate the blacks were under apartheid, for the most basic necessity. They were
lined up for the ability to continue. ’Lined up for life’.

Baby:
The baby is a symbol of renewal, rebirth and redemption, focused on Tsotsi. It is the
catalyst to change Tsotsi back to the person he once was, David. Tsotsi sees himself
within the child and it triggers the pursuit of cleansing and redemption within his life. The
baby is Tsotsi also; it is what he represents when he is David, innocence, kind-
heartedness and youth. In attempting to save the baby at the end he is actually saving
himself from the ‘thug life’ he was living.
Miriam:
Miriam represents the Mother Mary. She is caring and nurturing and shows Tsotsi how
to start loving again. She is a character who can forgive him for his actions.

The City:
This represents the labyrinth of Tsotsi’s mind. He is confused about what he is feeling on
his walk back home after encountering Morris. His feeling of being lost in the literal
sense is relatable to the metaphorical idea that he is physiologically lost.

Isaiah:
He represents the link to God, and his way of speaking to Tsotsi about redeeming himself is
pivotal.

HELPFUL INFORMATION

Setting

The novel, Tsotsi, is set in the 1950’s in a location or township called Sophiatown near
Johannesburg. People struggle to make a living and their shack homes are constantly threatened
by demolition teams. Many resort to crime.
Narrator

We see what happens through the eyes of an omniscient third person narrator. We are thus able to
gain a good understanding of the other characters. He describes what they look like, what they say,
and the effect their actions have on the other characters. We also gain an insight into Tsotsi’s
criminal psyche.

We gain an insider perspective on the changes in Tsotsi as his consciousness of his own
identity grows. From wishing to silence Boston, he now wants to hear what he has to say. From
enjoying the cruel game of hunting down a victim, Tsotsi chooses not to kill. He gains an
understanding of who he really is, and he recovers his values.

Conflict

Conflict is associated with rising action or the building of tension. Inner conflict arises from the
problems that a character faces. Tsotsi has suppressed his emotions as a way of dealing with the
trauma of being left without anyone to care for him. Now, his inner conflict is between whether to
continue to be cruel and indifferent to the pain he inflicts on others, or to respond to the needs of
others, knowing how important nurture and a secure home is.

Outer conflict relates to verbal or physical action. In Tsotsi, this is related to physical attacks such as
David Madondo’s father’s attack on the dog, Gumboot’s death, or the merciless assault on Boston
when he asks questions that anger Tsotsi.

Mood and atmosphere

The mood in Tsotsi is predominantly sombre or foreboding. Moments of happiness are seen as
illusionary short lived. David’s happy life with his mother is threatened from the start by the police
raids and the lack of money. Maxulu and Gumboot’s happiness is cut short by Gumboot’s tragic
death. The jubilation of a Saturday Street is also short lived in that it is limited to that day. The
ending is bittersweet. David Madondo (formal Tsotsi) dies, but he dies smiling.

Tone

The narrator’s tone usually reflects his attitude to a particular event or emotion. The tone is ironic,
for instance when Tsotsi visits the general dealer.

In a dialogue, the speaker’s tone can be bitter, angry, mocking, harsh, friendly, or kind, to
give a few examples. Miriam’s tone is usually courteous, as opposed to the aggressive tone that
Tsotsi often uses, until he starts to change

Outline of the novel

Chapter 1: The gang meet and plan and execute the murder of Gumboot Tshabalala

Chapter 2: Tsotsi brutally attacks Boston

Chapter 3: Tsotsi is given a baby in a shoe box

Chapter 4: Tsotsi finds a place to hide the baby

Chapter 5: Gumboot Dhlamini is buried, and Butcher and Die Aap meet up with Tsotsi

Chapter 6: Tsotsi singles out Morris Tshabalala as his next victim

Chapter 7: Tsotsi and Morris meet and talk

Chapter 8: Tsotsi coerces Miriam Ngidi into feeding the baby

Chapter 9: Flashback to Tsotsi’s childhood

Chapter 10: Tsotsi takes the baby to Miriam Ngidi so she can feed it

Chapter 11: The story of Boston’s earlier life emerges

Chapter 12: Tsotsi is crushed by a bulldozer when he tries to rescue the baby

Chapter 1:

Pre-reading

1. What does the title and the picture of the cover of your edition of the novel suggest about the
focus of the novel?

Reading

2. Explain why Butcher does not pay much attention to the stories Boston tells.
3. What mood is created in the first paragraph and what does it lead you to expect?

4. There is something of a contradiction here. Die Aap and Tsotsi are said to listen attentively, yet
they do not seem really interested in the stories. Explain this contradiction.

Post-Reading

5.1 What is surprising about Tsotsi’s hands?

5.2 What is ironic about Tsotsi bringing his hands together as if he is going to pray?

6. The four members of the gang are very different. What do their actions and words reveal about
their chief characteristics?

7. Comment on the effect that Tsotsi has on people when he walks down the street on his way to
commit a crime.

8. Explain why Gumboot describes his year away from Maxulu as a short one in some ways and a
long one in others.

9. Outline the reasons that Tsotsi chooses Gumboot.

10. What is particularly tragic about the timing of Gumboot’s death?

Chapter 2

Pre-Reading

1. How do you feel when you are asked very personal question, especially by people who are not
close friends?

Reading

2. What phrase in the second line reveals that Butcher’s laughter is intended to belittle Boston?
3. Boston seems to dislike violence. What possible reason does he have for slapping Rosie?

4. Soekie does not know her birthday. Explain how this is possible.

5. People usually pay for their drinks once they have been given them. Why does Soekie collect the
money before she pours a round of drinks?

Post-reading

6. Compare Boston’s attitude to violence to that of the other members of the gang?

7. What does the description of Rosie reveal about the life of some women in the township?

8. Briefly explain what Boston means when he says that Gumboot Dhlamini has died because of his
decency.

9. Comment critically on Boston’s warning to Tsotsi.

10. Suggest a reason for Fugard’s choice of ‘sprawling’ to describe the effect on Boston of the first
kick.

Chapter 3

Pre-reading

1. Based on what you know about Tsotsi so far, what reaction do you expect him to have to his
violent attack on Boston?

Reading
2. Boston’s warning sounds in Tsotsi’s head again and again, but the words are not exactly the same.
Explain why this is happening.

3. What is ironic about Boston’s chief function in the gang?

Post-Reading

4. Explain why Soekie is so anxious to have Boston taken away from her shebeen as soon as possible.

5. Tsotsi sees his purpose in life as killing or striking fear in the hearts of people. Explain how his
three rules help to keep him on that path.

6. Some sights and smells evoke the past for Tsotsi. Identify two of these.

7. Explain Butcher’s disappointment when Tsotsi ignores the young prisoner, who passes them one
day when they are rolling dice.

8. While he stand taking shelter among the Bluegum trees, Tsotsi is able to think more calmly and
explore the reasons for his angry explosion. What does this reveal about the change that is
beginning to happen in him?

9. The woman suddenly thrusts the shoe box with the baby inside it into Tsotsi’s hands. Suggest a
reason for her action.

10. In the light of what you have learnt about Tsotsi thus far, what do you think Tsotsi is likely to do
with the baby?

Chapter 4

Pre-reading

1. Discuss the dangers face by people working in small shops in impoverished communities.

Reading
2. From whose perspective is the first part of the chapter told?

3. Comment on Cassim’s sales strategy.

4. Explain why Cassim is not alarmed at first, when Tsotsi comes into the shop.

5. Tsotsi does not find it easy to move through the crowd on his way back to his room. What does
this reveal about the mood of a Saturday street?

Post-reading

6. Discuss the inner conflict that for about two hours prevents Tsotsi from going right into the shop.

7. Cassim describes Tsotsi as “a bad egg”. How appropriate is this description?

8. Comment on the irony of the power dynamics in the conversation between Cassim and Tsotsi.

9. Explain Tsotsi’s reason for deciding to keep the baby.

10. What makes the ruin of MaRhabatse’s home such an appropriate place to hide the baby.
Carefully explain.

Chapter 5

Pre-reading

1. What would you usually expect to happen at a burial service? Include the social importance of a
funeral in your discussion.

2. What qualities would you expect a successful gang leader to have?

Reading

3. Comment on the ironic aspects of the funeral.

4. What do you think the description of Boston lying in the gutter is intended to make readers feel at
this point?

5. What makes this day rather different from the usual pattern of this particular gang’s life?

Post-reading

6. Compare the way Butcher sees the woman who passes by and the way Tsotsi sees her.

7. Comment on Butcher’s effectiveness as a substitute storyteller for Boston.

8. Discuss the effectiveness with which the writer conveys Tsotsi’s failing ability to be the gang
leader.

9. What is the relationship between Butcher and Die Aap? Explain how it is linked to the theme of
social disintegration.

10. Die Aap and Butcher interpret Tsotsi’s hitting the palm of his hand with his fist as a signal that he
is about to announce the target area. How does this action underline the way in which Tsotsi and the
group are drifting apart?

Chapter 6

Pre-Reading

1. Why would a paraplegic be easy prey for robbers?

Reading
2. Egged on by his gang, Tsotsi makes the decision to go to the ‘city’, the term that is used for the
shopping centre near Terminal Place. Why are the people safer there in the early morning than after
sunset?

3. A ‘quid’ is a colloquial term for a pound, the currency at the time. Why is “quadrangle” a clever
term for this shopping centre? (clue: A quadrangle is a space where people assemble)

4. Some words are written to reflect the way they are pronounced in the community. One example
is “Lay-ee-deeshin” (late edition). How would the following be written in formal English?

4.1 “Cit-ee-deshin”

4.2 “Layeet-spotreesilts”

Post-Reading

5. Why does Morris Tshabalala shout obscenities at the children who do not treat him respectfully?

6. Morris routinely uses the insult “whelp of a yellow bitch” when people step on his hands. Why
does it affect Tsotsi so deeply?

7. What is the reason for Tsotsi’s choosing Morris Tshabalala?

8. Morris becomes a beggar because he has no other choice. Comment critically on this statement.

9. In what way is Morris’s present life of criticism of the evils of apartheid?

10. Comment critically on the success with which Tsotsi is depicted as playing a cat-and-mouse game
with Morris Tshabalala.

Chapter 7

Pre-Reading

1. Based on what you have read so far, do you think that Morris Tshabalala would welcome death?
Explain your answer.
2. Skim the first paragraph. What sign is there that Tsotsi is no longer an expert criminal?

Reading

3. What prompts Tsotsi’s flashback?

4. Tsotsi finds himself forgetting about Die Aap and Butcher and musing about the baby, the
Bluegum tree and the bitch. What does this suggest about his priorities at this point?

Post-Reading

5. In what ways are Morris and the yellow bitch that Tsotsi remembers similar?

6. Discuss the credibility of Tsotsi’s decision not to kill Morris.

7. What is Morris’s reason for leaving all his money in a pile under the street light so Tsotsi can see
it?

8. Discuss your response to the meeting between Morris and Tsotsi.

9. What is the extraordinary realisation that Morris reaches, on this night.

10. Explain why Tsotsi cannot go back to making the choice to kill. As part of your answer, outline
the events that have led him to this point.

Chapter 8

Pre-reading

1. The church bell of the Church of Christ the Redeemer rings at the beginning of the chapter. What
event in Tsotsi’s life could the bell be foreshadowing?
Reading

2. What kind of effect does the resounding bell have on the township?

3. The ants invade the condensed milk tin. What does this reveal about Tsotsi’s ability to look after
the baby?

4. What picture are we given of Miriam as she takes her place in the queue?

5. Simon, Miriam’s husband, has disappeared after being involved in the bus boycott. How is this
incident liked to the theme of the oppression of Apartheid and its negative effects on society?

6. When Tsotsi knocks at her door, Miriam is not suspicious at first. Explain why she tries to slam the
door shut to prevent him coming in a few minutes later.

7. Tsotsi issues brusque instructions and very short explanations to Miriam. What does this reveal
about his social skills?

8. What makes the thought of breast feeding the baby so revolting to Miriam? Explain clearly.

9. Refer to Tsotsi’s comment that “a backyard bitch would have looked after its puppies better”. It
Tsotsi’s response in keeping with what we know about him?

10. The writer describes Sunday night in some detail. What is his purpose in doing so?

Chapter 9

Pre-reading

1. What is the happiest memory of your childhood?

2. Skim through the first paragraph. What kind of world is evoked by the atmosphere that is created
here?

Reading

3. Why is Tsotsi’s mother so particularly happy on this day?

4. How do we know the police raids are a frequent occurrence?

Post-reading

5. Is Tondi’s way of bringing up her son justified? Substantiate your view.

6. Explain why the bitch has become so seemingly bad tempered.

7. What do you think worst aspect of the police raids is? Justify your answer.

8. What is remarkable about the way the old woman speaks to David before she goes off to find his
mother?

9. When David joins up with the band of homeless boys, he is unwilling to go off scavenging with
them at first. He longs for them to return as they are all he can remember. How does this description
help you to understand how deeply David has been affected by the events of the previous day?

10. David adopts the name “Tsotsi” when he begins a life of crime. What does this symbolise?

Chapter 10

Pre-reading
1. The chapter begins with someone knocking at Tsotsi’s door quite early in the morning. Who could
it be?

Reading

2. What is the significance of Tsotsi’s checking to see that the baby is all right first, rather than
checking to see that his knife is ready for action.

3. Why has Miriam needed to sew buttons onto her blouse?

Post-reading

4. How many days have passed since Tsotsi was given the baby? Draw a timeline showing the main
events each day since he was given the baby.

5. Die Aap comes to Tsotsi’s room as a matter of routine every day. Discuss the credibility of what
transpires between Die Aap and Tsotsi on the Sunday.

6. Tsotsi watches Miriam as she waits in the queue for water. What evidence is there that he is
changing?

7. Suggest a reason to makes Tsotsi name the baby David.

8. What indication is there that the relationship between Miriam and Tsotsi is deepening?

9. When Tsotsi explains to Miriam that the baby has never seen its own father, he speaks in a harsh
tone. Explain the reason for Tsotsi’s harsh tone.

10. How do we know that Tsotsi does not fully trust Miriam yet?

Chapter 11

Pre-reading
1. The previous chapter ended off with Tsotsi setting off to find Boston. What kind of meeting do you
think they will have.

Reading

2. Why does Marty want Boston out of her shebeen as quickly as possible?

3. What link is there between the fly paper whose victims are trapped on its sticky surface and
Tsotsi’s former role as a criminal?

4. Explain why Boston has decided to stop wearing glasses.

Post-reading

5. What does Marty mean when she says that Boston has returned to her shebeen too late?

6. Do you think that Boston was unjustly treated at the College? Explain your view.

7. Boston has probably not been able to eat for the past few days but this is not the reason that hie
is so thin. What has made him so thin?

8. How has Boston become a member of the gang? Is it a matter of chance, or a choice to do so?

9. Comment on the significance of the inner light that Boston sees in Tsotsi’s eyes.

10. How is Boston’s determined departure down the road linked to the theme of self-discover?
Explain clearly.

Chapter 12

Pre-reading
1. What kinds of people help you to do your best?

Reading

2. What makes Miss Marriot’s treatment of Isaac so particularly offensive?

3. Explain why Tsotsi chooses to carry the baby in his coat.

4. How does Miriam feel about the baby at this point?

Post-reading

5. Why does Isaac find being close to Miss Marriot so distasteful?

6. What does the whiteness of the sheets on Mirriam’s wash line symbolise?

7. What makes Isaac’s invitation to come to church so effective? Consider what he says and how he
says it.

8. David Madondo says, “Peace to you”, to the milkman. What does this suggest about the
fundamental way in which he has changed?

9. David Madondo dies smiling. Comment on what this symbolises in the novel as a whole.

10. Discuss the effectiveness of the ending of the novel, which leaves quite a number of questions
unanswered.