Education is valued by many countries around the world.  In chapter 30, Clyde says that Mark must be stupid because he was taught that blacks cannot learn due to the size of their “smaller” brain.  Do you think that if the blacks in South Africa had been educated that their living situation might have been better,  why or why not?  Do you value education, why or why not?

In reflecting on the old stories his mother told he and is siblings, Mark learned many deep life lessons.  In the last 5 paragraphs of chapter 12 (pg79 & 80) he summarizes these lessons in a clear and moving way.  Choose a portion of one of those paragraphs that means the most to you and rewrite it here.  Reflect on why it “hits home” for you and why you think others should learn it’s wisdom.

Chapter 9 focuses on the Evangelists who come to Alexandria to “save” the local population.  Give your personal reaction to their mission.  Address the following five aspects: Do they have an ethical “right” to convert locals from tribal religions? Did their methods and approaches help or hurt the cause of Christianity? Do you see the evangelist’s actions as “Christ-like”? If you were the father, would you have reacted the same way? What do you think of the mother’s explanation of the “whiteness” of the depictions of G-d and the Devil(pg61)?

One theme of Kaffir Boy is the trials of raising children in an environment of abject poverty.  The question has been raised in class of why would people still have kids if they know they can’t provide for them?  Why do you think this is? Please include factors (human, medical, cultural, etc.) that might play into this.  Draw parallels between the author’s experiences in South Africa and people in our society who have children and are not prepared.

Chapter 5 focuses on the rituals that Mark’s father insisted on passing on to his family and particularly his sons.  What is the difference between rituals, traditions, and superstitions?  Why was it important for his father to pass on these rituals?  What are rituals you keep in your life or know of others practicing?

Kaffir Boy is a true story of Mark Mathabane who moved against overwhelming odds to escape the worst kind of poverty and racism.  Over the next several weeks we will explore the qualities and circumstances that not only allowed him to survive, but eventually find success and peace.

In Chapters 1 & 2, the author looks at the naked racism that surrounded him from the moment of his birth.  Explain the difference between racism and prejudice.  Describe how racism is illustrated in the beginning of the book.