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The Power of One Bryce Courtenay

The Power of One Bryce Courtenay. Tylia Johnson Period 6 17 May 2013. Bryce Courtenay. Born 14 August 1933 in Limpopo, South Africa Attended one of the most prestigious schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, The Prince of Wales school.

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The Power of One Bryce Courtenay

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  1. The Power of OneBryce Courtenay Tylia Johnson Period 6 17 May 2013

  2. Bryce Courtenay • Born 14 August 1933 in Limpopo, South Africa • Attended one of the most prestigious schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, The Prince of Wales school. • He was branded a communist at the age of 17 for teaching Africans how to read and write, he was thrown out the country • At the age of 50 he quit his job and created his own agency, Harris Robinson Courtenay

  3. Style • Symbolic • *Use symbols to enhance characters and meaning of story as whole • Thematic • *Gradually reveals life lessons throughout the story • Cultural • *Utilizes real political and societal issues

  4. 1980’s • *The effect of the Richard Nixon scandal • *Attempt of assassination on Reagan • *War between Mozambique and South Africa • *Collapse of the Apartheid in Africa

  5. Setting of the Novel • Takes place roughly between 1939 and 1951, World War II period and the beginning of the apartheid era • Book One and Two take place in South Africa while Book Three takes place in Northern Rhodesia

  6. Major Characters • Peekay; main character; protagonist; obtains the power of one • The Judge; antagonist; beats Peekay down mentally and physically during his boarding school days; defeated by Peekay • Doc; significant mentor; strong relationship with Peekay; teaches Peekay to be himself and embrace who he is • Geel Piet; Peekay’s boxing trainer; close friend; his life lessons led to the defeat of The Judge • Hoppie; the reason Peekay began to box; “First with the head, then with the heart” • Morris Levy; teaches Peekay the tricks and ways of gambling; partner at the Prince of Wales; he learns about black people through Peekay

  7. Themes • The Slow Poison of the Apartheid • The Importance of Camouflage for Survival • The Necessary Existence of Logic and Magic • Big vs. Small

  8. Symbols • The Snake; “hatless snake”; cause Peekay shame and embarrassment; later becomes the symbol for Peekay’s transformation; the end of the novel the black mamba snake becomes a symbol for danger; foreshadows • The Loneliness Birds; foreshadows a turning point in the growth of Peekay; appears after a death • The Full Moon; symbolizes death; can also symbolize birth; significant in last scene • “Tadpole Angel”; symbol of hope for blacks

  9. Major Conflicts • Peekay v. The Judge; controls Peekay; abuses Peekay leaving him scarred and afraid to be himself; Peekay is victorious over The Judge in final scene • Peekay v. Peekay; does not allow the camouflage to be removed; with the help of mentors he learns who he is

  10. Sources • "Collapse of Apartheid." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 17 May 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/12chapter11.shtml>. • Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One. Toronto: MacArthur &, 1999. Print. • Nelson, Elizabeth. "The Power of One Themes." Suite101.com. N.p., 12 Aug. 2007. Web. 17 May 2013. <http://suite101.com/article/the-power-of-one-themes-a39425>. • "Welcome to the World of Bryce Courtenay." The World of Bryce Courtenay. Penguin Group, n.d. Web. 17 May 2013. <http://theworldofbrycecourtenay.com/about.html>.

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