litrature essay 400 words about " in the novel mother to mother , mxolisi a black south african male is both a victim of violence as well as a perpetrator of violence
In Guguletu, as children are taught to hate the government, they are incited into violence. Mandisa recollects this cultural descent into chaotic violence clearly: "The Young Lions! We praised them... From near and far, admiration fell on their already swollen heads" (56). But according to Mandisa, this violence has led the children down an inescapable path: "Our children fast descended into barbarianism. With impunity, they broke with old tradition and crossed the boundary between that which separates human beings from beasts" (56).
From early on in his life, Mxolisi was filled with a rebellious spirit. At four years old, Mandisa recalls him reciting war cries. He has already been exposed to so much violence, as he "could already tell the difference between the bang! of a gun firing and the Gooph! of a burning skull cracking, the brain exploding" (104). She compares these children to dogs, sent to fight the wars of the owners—dogs that are sent out while their owners are safe, dogs that have been trained to know what to do: they "go after the target and grab it by the throat" (138). "It is the dog that takes the risk," she writes, " that could get hurt. Or killed. Or jailed" (138). Mandisa blames those that taught these children that violence was worth engaging in as much as she blames her son for Amy's death, if not more.
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