Describe a key relationship between two or more characters or individuals in the text. Explain how this relationship helped you to understand at least one of these characters or individuals.
In the novel, the Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, Peekay is a young boy who lives in South Africa and is surrounded by racism. He forms a good friendship with an old man named Doc who he then looks up to. This becomes a key relationship in the book. The relationship between Doc and Peekay helped me understand Peekay’s issues with belonging and the sense of hope that Doc gave him.
Peekay and Doc’s relationship helped me understand Peekay, particularly on the night of the concert where he gives hope to the prisoners. Doc sees that the prisoners were lacking hope and he used his musical talent to unite the tribes at the prison. He spends hours practising at night so the prisoners end up calling him a frog. The prisoners believed that Peekay inspired the concert to happen because Peekay is also known as the tadpole angel (the child of the frog). The concert created togetherness between the prisoners and therefore a sense of hope. “Eventually the composition would be played by philharmonic and symphony orchestras around the world, accompanied by some of the world’s most famous choirs, but it would never sound better than it did under the African moon in the prison yard when three hundred and fifty black inmates lost themselves in their pride and love for tribal land.” In my opinion, Doc and Peekay gave the prisoners hope and showed them that there were still good things left in this world.
The relationship between Peekay and Doc helped me understand Peekay with regards to belonging. Doc gave Peekay a sense of where he felt he belonged, where he felt valued and therefore where he felt at home. This relates to belonging because Peekay had never had a place where he felt at home and where people valued and cared for him. Because he had a greater sense of belonging he then felt the need to help the people that surrounded him. “I had become an expert at camouflage. My precocity allowed me, chameleon-like, to be to each what they required me to be.” This means Peekay had usually tried to hide and shows that he wasn’t comfortable in being himself. In my opinion, Doc was almost like a father role model to Peekay and helped Peekay with his belonging in this world.
In conclusion, Byrce Courtenay uses Doc and Peekay’s relationship in the novel, the Power of One, to portray Peekays issues with belonging and how Doc offers him hope. Courtenay’s book made me think about my morals and beliefs. It also made me think about how lucky we are to live in a place as beautiful as we do.