No Witchcraft for Sale

Gina M. Dees English IV- Honors Mrs. Daly 11/11/12 Culture at its Best Piccanin, shouted teddy, get out of my way And he raced in circles around the colour electric razor until he was frightened, and fled back to the bush. This scene from Doris Lessings No mesmerisecraft for Sale depicts a child being affected by the results of apartheid, a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on case of race, in South Africa. Similar to segregation in America, apartheid separated the nastys and white into two different classes the blacks being of lower class and whites having high rank in society.Gideon, a cook in Doris Lessings short story and the main char makeer, served the Farquar family all of his life. Even though this separation deemed whites as superior, this separation occurred because of cultural differences. As the story begins the audience is introduced to the Farquars family who has just brought their first child, Teddy, into the world. This family, the bosses or th e masters lived on a compound and represent the oppressors. This family has a cook servant named Gideon who represents the op touch.Gideon and the Farquars young child Teddy have a strong splice from the beginning. Gideon acted as a father in many ways to the Farquars child. Their bond was so extraordinary in this story that is set in a time in South Africa when blacks were treated inferior to whites. Though it was evident Gideon and Teddys relationship was real it did not prevent the elements of what racism teaches. Little time was spent by Gideon caring for his family or even being on that point for his son. Gideon played tirelessly with Teddy catching him when he fell as he learned to walk and tossing him up in the air.Gideons son could solely watch from the edge of the bush and gaze in awe of the young white son his same age. Each had a curiosity for the other. Teddy formerly put out his hand in curiosity to touch the face and hair of a black boy. Gideons bond is ironic becau se whites treated the black natives as if they were so much less than they were, yet the very person coaching a white child to lean to walk was a black man who earned the admiration of his superior and increases in his wages oer other workers on the compound.When Gideon says to Mrs. Farquar Ah missus, these are both children, and one will grow up to be a baas, and one will be a servant he accepts the fact that no matter how much pick out he has for the boy that Teddy will conform to the nasty ways of society. Gideon also gave the child his nickname Little Yellow Head. This nickname shows that Gideon had a level of crawl in and adoration for the young white child. Although this relationship with the child was evident, is it possible Gideon showed the child so much affection to avoid punishment?Gideon even realized that the child he had once held and nurtured would grow up to conform to society. This became evident on the day Teddy used his scooter to frighten Gideons son and when r eprimanded intimately the mean act gave the defiant response, He is only a black boy. This showed indifference to Gideons son as a person by regarding his act equal to what had been done to scatter squawking chickens and irritated dogs. One afternoon as Teddy was walking exploring the outdoors, a snake spit poisonous venom into his eye.Everyone in the home knew that he could potentially go blind. The child writhed in agony as his mother tried her best to assist her son tho she knew not of a cure. When she called for Gideon he sprung into action and ran off into the bush for some herbal medicine that was common among the other African natives to handle being poisoned. When he returned he held in his hand a root. Gideon chewed the root, spit its juices into the eyes of the boy without hesitation even with his mother crying out in protest and pressed it into the childs eyes guaranteeing he would be cured.As the reader, I could not help but to feel a certain amount of respect and lov e towards Gideon, as the Farquars did because of his rapid response to help the afflicted child. This quick response was borne out of love for Teddy. Not only were there elements of Gideon and Teddys relationship, but certain cultural differences kept the baas and natives separate. The natives lived off of ways of the land and kept secrets of remedies to each other. I believe they kept the remedies a secret in order to preserve their culture and practices.The text reads No one can live in Africa or at least on the veld, without nurture very soon that there is an ancient wisdom of leaf and soil and season-and, too, perhaps most important of all, of the darker tracts of the human mind-which is the black mans heritage. Up and down the order people were telling anecdotes, reminding each other of things that had happened to them. In contrast the whites believed in medical advances and were skeptical about the accuracy of some of the natives bush medicines.When the scientist states We are invariably checking up on this kind of story, and we draw a blank every time it proves his disbelief of the African remedies and that he does not trust that they will work. as well as the scientist and The Farquars try to persuade Gideon to disclose the root by assuring him that the information will be used for the common good. This is a cultural smash because the whites are trying to advance their modern medicine as Gideon is trying to save his cultural practices. Gideon would not let the sacred root of the African witch doctors benefit humanity for a cost.The friendship between Gideon and The Farquars is affected by his defiance. They begin to look at him with disdain and annoyance and Gideon displayed hostility, stubbornness and make contradictory statements about the location of the root. This cultural clash could also be connected to the power struggles displayed throughout the short story. The scientist and Farquars wanted power over Gideon so he would tell the truth a bout the root, but Gideon maintained control by leading everyone into the bush on a wild twinge chase.The text reads He (Gideon) picked up, without an attempt at looking anything but casual, a handful of blue flowers that had been growing plentifully all down the path they had come. Gideon is vexatious the scientist and Farquars will and intelligence as he had them walk 6 miles in the bush to search for this root when all he did was pick up a measly flower that had been growing down the whole path. He showed them and the readers that he was not afraid to protect his cultural practices.