Question

in lines 58, 136, and 194, the phrase "wise old witch" is used to describe the husbands mother in the short story Once upon a time written by Nadine Gordimer. Explain how the wise old witch can be interperted to symbolize the government of South Africa.

Answer 1

In Once Upon A Time by Nadine Gordimer, the narrator tells a "bedtime" story about a family which becomes obsessed with its safety and goes to extreme ends to protect itself from an unknown force which it is led to believe consists of undesirable people, "loafers, tsotsis" (hooligans) and even the unemployed. There is little understanding between cultures and "people of another color" are viewed with suspicion unless they are the "reliable housemaids and gardeners."

Answer 2

Answer:

It should be noticeble that although the term "wise old witch" is a reference to the husband's mother, she is a symbol of the previous apartheid regime in South Africa. The government of that time acted only in the interests of privileged whites, who are represented by the rest of the family in the story. Her action in paying for the extra bricks to have the wall extended is symbolic of the measures taken by the white racist South African government.