The Power of One
Sebastian Rhind
In the novel, “The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay, it showcases a young boy’s childhood and early adult life. Peekay the protagonist, leads a fighting effort to take South Africa out of the oppression it had fallen into. A memorable idea that was interesting in the book was the power of one he found inside himself. Another interesting idea inside the book was the oppression that had become so present in South African society.
During Peekay’s journey in the book, he discovers “The Power of One” which is an inspiring force inside him. The Power of One teaches him to lead a group of people into a better future demonstrated through boxing. Values Peekay also demonstrate through the power of one include resilience, respect and believing in yourself. Peekay gradually learns the importance of each value as the story goes on and he experiences different life situations that are thrown at him. Throughout the book, Bryce Courtenay conveys to the reader the importance and significance of this idea. An example of this is when Peekay defeats the Judge at the end of the book, showing that with enough determination and perseverance, anything is possible. Another example of this is when he first attends boarding school, just at the age of five he gets bullied and miss-treated by the older kids but is resilient and completes school.
Oppression is another idea showcased in the novel. When Doc is sent to prison as an unregistered alien at the start of WW2, Peekay learns while visiting Doc how much oppression is present in South Africa. One of the most disturbing examples of this is when in Prison, a new guard named “Sergeant Bormen” forces all colored prisoners to eat each other’s human waste after Geel Piet’s relationship with Doc is found out about. Courtenay here is displaying how extreme, inhumane and oppressed the country could be. This specific example is quite eye-opening and situations similar have most likely happened in the real world before in the South Africa World War 2 era. Further examples of oppression include when Peekay originally went to boarding school and was bullied by The Judge. This further displays the many issues present in South Africa during the era.
Throughout Bryce Courtenay’s “Power of One” novel, he displays many ideas including the oppression inside SA, as well as the willpower and mental durability Peekay had. I imagine myself living through the things he did and it makes me realize how lucky I am living in a country that is safer and more stable for all cultures. However, Peekay’s ability to rise above and succeed in spite of the challenges presented to him is inspiring and I know there will be times in my life when I draw on his power. I felt that Bryce Courtenay captured an era of oppression and, in particular success, that in spite of the odds that was groundbreaking for that time. Although I find the themes hard to relate to I feel they are incredibly important for everyone to understand and learn from. I think he portraits an important time in history that we should be forever aware of with the hope we don’t repeat our past.
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