Kaffir Boy - Book Review

The author of "Kaffir Boy" Mark Mathabane's father is unfit to provide and care for his family because of his immaturity and ignorance. In this short story a young boy growing up in South Africa is forced by his mother to go to school against his will. Mathabane would rather live in a junkyard and make it on his own by stealing and live by the knife. Like his father, who never learned to read or write himself, young Mathabane feels like an education shouldn't be emphasized. When Mathabane's father finds out his mother took him to school earlier in the morning, his father handles it immaturely and looses his temper. On his way home that evening after playing soccer, Mathabane is told by his neighbor that his mother and father have been at it and that his mother is hurt and will be staying at his grandmother's place. When Mathabane arrives at his house, windows are shattered and bricks lay broken on the front porch from being thrown at the door. His father is inside with a meat cleaver threatening to kill him and his mother. Scared, Mathabane goes down the street to his grandmothers to see his mother. Mathabane's father acted like a child throwing a tantrum because he has the ignorance of a child.

Which brings me to my next point, Mathabane's father is ignorant. Mathabane's grandfather led his father to believe that a white man's education was worthless as far as black people were concerned. His grandfather also led his father to believe that white people would use his education as a tool to take things away from him. Mathabane's father never learned how to read or write. His lack of education narrowly focused his life. For example, Mathabane's father spends all his money drinking and gambling because he lacks the intellect that's required to do other things such as get decent job or invest his money in his son's education. In conclusion, I think Mathabanes father is unfit to provide and care for his family.