how does master harold and the boys end

He controls himself and calls him, Master Harold, thus, concluding their racial war in a nonviolent way and ending their friendship. The play ends with the dance practice of Willie and Sam, signaling the peaceful coexistence of all races.

Full Answer

What is the summary of Master Harold and the boys?

"MASTER HAROLD"... and the Boys Summary " MASTER HAROLD"...and the Boys is a play by Athol Fugard in which Hally, a white South African boy, lashes out at Sam and Willie, two black employees at his mother's tearoom. Sam and Willie are black South Africans employed at a tearoom by Hally's family.

How does “Master Harold” by William Shakespeare end?

“Master Harold”... and the boys ends on a hopeful note because it continues after Hally leaves. Willie realizes that he should not beat Hilda and resolves to treat her better.

What is the setting of the play Master Harold?

The play recounts the long, rainy afternoon that Hally ("Master Harold") spends with Sam and Willie, two middle-aged African servants of his parent's household, in a tea shop owned by Hally's mother.

When was Master Harold and the boys first performed?

"Master Harold"...and the boys is a play by Athol Fugard. Set in 1950, it was first produced at the Yale Repertory Theatre in March 1982 and made its premiere on Broadway on 4 May at the Lyceum Theatre, where it ran for 344 performances.

What is the point of Master Harold and the Boys?

Athol Fugard's 1982 play "Master Harold" …and the Boys uses the relationship between a teenage white boy and his mother's two black employees to point out the conflicts, class and race divisions, and injustice that plagued the young nation under apartheid.

What is the climax of Master Harold and the Boys?

Climax. This is when Sam reasons with Hally to show him what is wrong with calling him Master Harold. He offers sympathy for his embarrassment of his father and he explains that he has tried to raise him to be a better man than his father.

Is Master Harold and the Boys a tragedy?

Review | Master Harold and the Boys | Written and Directed by Athol Fugard | Signature Theatre. Master Harold and the Boys moves with this compelling force of a Greek tragedy. It's classic and iconic, and must be seen.

What is the major conflict of Master Harold and the Boys?

The conflict is to show the power of a “white man” that is Sam showing respect and obeying orders from him (Hally) but it difficult for him to command Sam's respect instead he tends to humiliate Sam.

Who is the antagonist in Master Harold and the Boys?

Sam (ditto) Sam's much easier to identify with in the play, but we're calling him the antagonist because he's the force that Hally comes up against. The antagonist throws up obstacles in the protagonist's way, but Sam's not the classic antagonist like a villain.

What does the kite symbolize in Master Harold?

Kite Flying: Kite is a source of hope and fraternity. It signifies freedom, desire and aspiration. It symbolizes the consciousness of two characters Hally and Sam. It stands for their desire to transcend all the racial barriers.

How old is Sam Master Harold?

Sam Semela is a "black man in his mid-forties" (20) working as a waiter in the St. George's Park Tea Room. Fugard paints him as an intelligent, refined, and compassionate man who's patient with Hally and who really gets Hally's problems with his family.

Is Master Harold and the Boys based on a true story?

“Master Harold” . . . and the Boys subscribes to the school of realism in that the actions and dialogue of the three characters are very much as they would be in real life. This is not surprising given that the play is based on events from Fugard's own life.

How many acts does Master Harold have?

one act“Master Harold and the Boys” is written by Athol Fugard and was enacted in 1982. The premier show was held in Broadway, the venue being the Lyceum Theatre. It is a one act play on the apartheid era of South Africa.

Why is Hally referred to as a master?

Hally is short for Harold; it's his childhood nickname, what Sam calls him. Willie, however, calls him "Master Harold," a term of respect that indicates Hally's superiority over Willie.

What does the bench symbolize in Master Harold?

The bench symbolizes the political and social prejudice during the apartheid. Sam and Hally are legally supposed to be seperated but emotionally they are friends and enjoy eachother.

Where is Master Harold and the Boys based?

South AfricaThe play takes place in South Africa during apartheid era, and depicts how institutionalized racism, bigotry or hatred can become absorbed by those who live under it.

How old is Hally in Master Harold?

seventeen-year-oldHally is a "seventeen-year-old white boy" (193). In some ways he's a typical high school kid; he draws funny pictures of his teachers, complains about his homework, and gets into philosophical debates with his buddy Sam.

Who are the characters in Master Harold and the Boys?

"Master Harold" … and the Boys CharactersHally. Hally, or Harold, is the 17-year-old son of a tearoom and convenience store owner. Hally's father is also a crippled, alcoholic, ad racist World War II veteran. ... Sam. Sam is a middle aged black man. ... Willie. Willie is also a middle aged black worker in 's mother's shop.

What does the bench symbolize in Master Harold?

The bench symbolizes the political and social prejudice during the apartheid. Sam and Hally are legally supposed to be seperated but emotionally they are friends and enjoy eachother.

Who wrote Master Harold and the Boys?

Athol Fugard"Master Harold"...and the Boys / PlaywrightAthol Fugard He has written more than thirty plays, four books and several screenplays. His plays include Blood Knot (1961), Boesman and Lena (1969), “Master Harold” . . . and the boys (1982), The Road to Mecca (1984) and My Children! My Africa!

What does Hally speculate about the social reformers of their age?

During Hally's conversation with Sam about social reformers, Sam shows himself to be educated and thoughtful, with somewhat of a romantic nature. H...

How does Hally turn the dance contest into a metaphor for life?

As he helps Hally with his English assignment, Sam creates a poignant simile that compares ballroom dancing to a harmonious world. If ballroom danc...

What does Hally speculate about the social reformer of their age?

What pages are you referring to?

What was Athol Fugard's mother's name in Master Harold?

Like Hally’s mother in “Master Harold”… and the boys, Athol Fugard’s mother, Elizabeth, owned a general store, the St. George Tea Room in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In an interview after its publication, Athol Fugard acknowledged that “Master Harold” was written in part to atone for an incident between him and a black friend and mentor really named Sam who worked in his mother’s store. When he was 10 years old, young Athol, who also went by the name “Hally” at that time, had an argument with Sam that culminated in his spitting in Sam’s face. Athol’s father, Harold, like Hally’s father in the play was also disabled. He worked as a Jazz pianist. Athol studied Philosophy and Anthropology at the University of Capetown but dropped out before graduating in order to travel. After hitchhiking to northern Africa, he spent two years working on the steamer ship, the S.S. Graigaur, an experience he would later chronicle in his writing. But Fugard credits his time working as a clerk in the Native Commissioners’ Court in Johannesburg in the late 1950’s and 1960’s for giving him a keen awareness of racial injustice. He has written over thirty plays in addition to several novels. His wife Sheila and daughter Lisa are also novelists. He now lives with his wife in San Diego, CA, where he teaches writing at U.C. San Diego.

How old was Athol when he spit in Sam's face?

When he was 10 years old, young Athol, who also went by the name “Hally” at that time, had an argument with Sam that culminated in his spitting in Sam’s face. Athol’s father, Harold, like Hally’s father in the play was also disabled. He worked as a Jazz pianist.

Why was Master Harold banned?

First Staging: Because of what the conservative government of South Africa saw as radical racial content, “Master Harold”… and the boys was banned from the stage in that country. As a result, it debuted at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1982.

Where did Athol go to school?

Athol studied Philosophy and Anthropology at the University of Capetown but dropped out before graduating in order to travel. After hitchhiking to northern Africa, he spent two years working on the steamer ship, the S.S. Graigaur, an experience he would later chronicle in his writing.

What was the Civil Rights Movement?

Civil Rights Movement, which peaked in the 1960’s, saw the expression of many parallel and poignant condemnations of racism and oppression though the institutions of racism—and the battle against them—persist to the present day.

What is the historical context of Master Harold?

Historical Context of "Master Harold" … and the Boys. The establishment of apartheid in South Africa in 1948 sets the political and social context for “Master Harold”. The abolition of slavery in the U.S. starting with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st 1863 and followed by the ratification of the 13th Amendment on April 8th ...

Where does Harold and the Boys live?

He has written over thirty plays in addition to several novels. His wife Sheila and daughter Lisa are also novelists. He now lives with his wife in San Diego, CA , where he teaches writing at U.C. San Diego. Get the entire Master Harold & the Boys LitChart as a printable PDF.

Where is Master Harold and the Boys set?

Setting. St. Georges Park Tea Room, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 1950. "Master Harold"...and the boys is a play by Athol Fugard. Set in 1950, it was first produced at the Yale Repertory Theatre in March 1982 and made its premiere on Broadway on 4 May at the Lyceum Theatre, where it ran for 344 performances. The play takes place in South Africa ...

Who wrote Master Harold and the Boys?

A student moves from childhood innocence to poisonous bigotry. "Master Harold"...and the boys is a play by Athol Fugard. Set in 1950, it was first produced at the Yale Repertory Theatre in March 1982 and made its premiere on Broadway on 4 May at ...

What did Hally do when Sam made him a kite?

Hally warmly remembers the simple act of flying a kite Sam had made for him out of junk, when Hally was much younger. However, Hally wishes the kite story had more of a twist ending, as it ended with Hally sitting to watch the kite fly, while Sam quietly went back to work.

What does Hally do to Sam?

For the first time, apart from hints throughout the play, Hally begins explicitly to treat Sam and Willie as subservient help rather than as friends or playmates, insisting that Sam call him "Master Harold," threatening to fire him if he refuses. It all comes to a head, as Hally maliciously spits in Sam's face.

What is the conversation between Hally and Sam about?

The conversation between the three moves from Hally's school-work, to an intellectual discussion on "A Man of Magnitude", where they mention various historical figures of the time and their contribution to society, to flashbacks of Hally, Sam and Willie when they lived in a boarding house.

What is Fugard's way of writing plays about apartheid?

Fugard has now perfected his way of writing plays about the tragedy of apartheid ; he avoids the spectacular horrors and concentrates instead on the subtle corrosion and corruption, on the crumbling of the spirit for which the cure would be heroic action that may not be forthcoming, which the blacks try to assuage with the salve of dreams, the whites with the cautery of oppression.

Who translated Master Harold en die Boys?

The Afrikaans version was translated by Idil Sheard as Master Harold en die Boys .

Why does Hally leave Sam alone?

Hally leaves Sam and Willie alone in the restaurant to close up. Willie tries to lift Sam’s spirits by promising that he will find Hilda and tell her he is sorry. Willie uses his bus money to play “Little Man You’re Crying” in the jukebox so that he can dance with Sam.

What does Sam tell Hally about his mother?

Sam listens to the conversation and tells Hally that his conversation with his mother “sounded like a bad bump.”. Hally gets angry at Sam for interfering and realizes that there can be no world without collisions. Sam scolds Hally for calling his father a “cripple” and blaming the collisions in his life on his father.

Why is Hally upset with Sam?

Hally is upset because his alcoholic father will be returning home that evening. When Sam tries to comfort him, Hally lashes out and makes racist remarks. Sam is initially furious, but then he reminds Hally of the kite Sam built for him years ago. It is unclear whether they will be able to repair their relationship.

Why does Sam scold Hally?

Sam scolds Hally for calling his father a “cripple” and blaming the collisions in his life on his father. Hally’s shame toward his father turns to rage against Sam, and he demands that Sam, like Willie, call him “Master Harold.”. Hally tells Sam an antiblack joke related to the definition of “fair” that he says he “learned from [his] father.”.

What does Hally learn from Sam?

Hally learns from Sam that the hospital called and that Hally ’s mother has gone there to pick up his disabled, alcoholic father. Hally tries to deny that his father is returning home. Later, Hally tries to convince Sam that he has not heard his mother’s message correctly. While Sam calls the owner’s son “Hally,” Willie calls Hally “Master Harold.”.

What is Hally's memory?

The best memory for Hally is the day Sam created a kite from brown paper, tomato-box wood, glue made from flour and water, and a tail made from Hally’s mother’s old stockings.

Why does Sam tell Harold he has made him feel dirtier than he has ever felt in his life?

Sam tells Harold that he has made him feel dirtier than he has ever felt in his life because he is not sure how to wash off Harold’s and his father’s filth. Sam reminds Harold of the time they had to fetch Harold’s drunken father from the floor of the Central Hotel Bar. Harold had to go into the bar and ask permission for Sam, a black man, to go into the white bar. People crowded around to watch a black man carrying his drunken master on his back. Sam says that Hally had walked with downcast eyes and a heart filled with shame as he carried his father’s crutches. Hally had walked behind Sam as he carried his drunken father down the center of the town’s main street. Everyone in town watched the strange spectacle of a black servant carrying a drunk master.

What happens to Sam and Willie at the end of the play?

Sam and Willie are alone again at the end of the play, just as they were at the beginning. However, the chair - the symbol of white power - is gone. While it is unclear what might happen to Hally after the events of the play, Fugard has often written that he deeply regrets the spitting incident.

What does Willie do when Hally leaves?

Hally leaves. Willie decides he will walk home and puts his transport money in the jukebox. He wants to go to Hilda, apologize for beating her, and romance her. The music plays and Sam and Willie dance to Sarah Vaughn.

What does Sam warn Hally about?

Now, though, Sam warns Hally that if he is not careful, he will be sitting alone for a long time without any kites in the sky. Sam and Willie start cleaning up and finishing their tasks. Hally gets ready to leave, but before he walks out Sam softly suggests that maybe they should try to fly another kite.

Why did Sam make Hally fly the kite?

He also knows that Hally's dad 's public displays of drunkenness created shame in the young boy as well. He confesses that he made Hally the kite because he wanted to give the young boy something to look up at and be proud of. Even when Hally was happy flying the kite, though, he never noticed that he was sitting on a “Whites Only” bench. Back then, Sam did not want to tell him because he was too young and excited. Now, though, Sam warns Hally that if he is not careful, he will be sitting alone for a long time without any kites in the sky.

What does Hally tell Sam about a joke?

Hally boldly asks if that is a threat; Sam replies that he is just telling him what will happen. Hally responds by claiming to be teaching Sam a vital lesson in respect, just like his dad has always said. Hally then tells Sam about a joke that he and his father both find funny.

Why is Sam depressed?

Sam is profoundly depressed because he thought that Hally could be better. Sam's displays of friendship and kindness have not been strong enough to combat the pervasive discrimination of Hally's community.

What is the second theory of Sam and Willie?

Jordan’s second theory proposes that Sam and Willie are the collective protagonist is borne out of the play's last moments. “Master Harold”... and the boys ends on a hopeful note because it continues after Hally leaves. Willie realizes that he should not beat Hilda and resolves to treat her better. Combined with Willie’s refusal to allow Sam to hit Hally, Fugard presents an endorsement of nonviolence, restraint, and patience (underlined by Sam's earlier mention of Mahatma Gandhi). After Willie recognizes his mistake, he and Sam put on music and dance. In contrast to Willie, Hally does not apologize to Sam for spitting at him - he runs away from his problems, instead.

What does Sam teach Willie in Master Harold?

Teaching. Teaching permeates the text and the plot of "Master Harold" ... and the boys. Sam teaches Willie to dance, patiently explaining the steps to him. Hally teaches Sam what he learns in school, giving the older man access to an education that his race prevents him from obtaining. Sam tries to teach Hally how to become a decent man ...

What is the message of the play "Nonviolence"?

Nonviolence. Fugard subtly threads the message of nonviolence throughout the play. After Hally spits on Sam, the normally patient Sam badly wants to hit the boy. He checks himself, however, and asks for Willie's advice. Willie, who has the tendency to beat his girlfriend, realizes that Sam should desist.

What is the relationship between Sam and Willie?

The politics of apartheid slowly encroach on the bond between Willie, Sam, and Hally over the course of the play. Sam and Willie also share a meaningful friendship that is not complicated by race. Willie’s respect for Sam leads him to take his friend's advice and apologize to Hilda at the end of the play.

How old is Hally from Coming of Age?

Coming of Age. As a seventeen-year old boy, Hally is at an important stage in his life. He is growing up and trying to decide where he belongs in the world and what he believes in. In some ways, Hally demonstrates potential to overcome the apartheid mindset that his parents embrace.

What is Hally's father's role in the play?

Hally’s father never appears on stage but his imminent return catalyzes the main arc of the play, just as he exercises power over his son in his absence. Hally's father is an alcoholic bully who wields power disproportionate to his physical and mental condition simply because he is white and middle class. Hally is profoundly ashamed of his father’s behavior but refuses to admit his feelings. Regardless, Hally’s father has impacted his son's perspective in many ways without him realizing it. Hally is arrogant, prickly, and depressed. He has a tendency to lash out when he feels powerless. In addition, Hally has internalized his father’s racism which manifests itself in his treatment of Sam and Willie. Hally cringes and subordinates himself before his father, even after he mocks his mother for doing so. In fact, Sam has been more of a father figure to Hally, but the apartheid mindset prevents Hally from understanding the importance of Sam in his life.

What is the context of Master Harold?

The events of "Master Harold" ... and the boys take place within the historical context of South African apartheid. Even though there is no discussion of the actual laws or conditions of this forced segregation, apartheid permeates the characters’ behavior, beliefs, and status in society. Hally is deeply fond of Sam, who is more of a father figure than Hally's biological dad. However, from the beginning of the play, Hally makes some insensitive toss-away comments about race. Later, though, he lets out his anger about his father by spitting in Sam’s face. Hally has proven unable to exercise control over the situation with his father. However, he knows that because Sam is black, he cannot retaliate against Hally, his white master. In this way, Hally selfishly abuses the structure of apartheid and creates an irreparable rift in his relationship with Sam.

What does Hally do to Sam?

Hally's outburst does not mitigate the importance of Sam's actions, but it does illustrate the difficulty in combating apartheid's cruel influence .

What is the conflict between Sam and Hally?

The confrontation between Sam and Hally is sparked by the conflict within Hally between the corrupt legacy of apartheid he has inherited from his birth father and the more humane education and moral guidance he has received from Sam, his preferred father figure. The conflict between the two begins verbally, but escalates to such outlandish gestures between them as spitting from Hally and Sam baring his buttocks.

What does Willie say about Sam hitting Hally?

In this pivotal scene where Hally spits in Sam’s face, it is Willie who groans (“long and heartfelt” according to the stage directions); It is Willie who stops Sam from hitting Hally; it is Willie who says that If Hally had spit in his face, he would also want to hit him hard, but would probably just go cry in the back room. Ultimately, Willie crystallizes the emotion of the play “is bad.

What does Sam's dance represent?

After the second temper flair up in the play, the tempo settles again, where Hally, Willie, and Sam discuss the dance and Sam gives his metaphor on dancing. Sam’s engaging and subtle analysis of the dance contest for which Willie practices as a symbol of a harmonious world where no one “bumps” into anyone else, not onlyt hat tells us that Sam is intelligent and perceptive, but also helps Hally to realize that black South African culture is not as primitive or empty as he has been told. For Sam, the dance represents the possibility of integration, just as he, the expert dancer, has integrated white education with black know-how.

Why did Sam make the kite?

” Yet the young Hally misses the significance of the memory. Sam had made the kite to cheer up Hally after they had been to a bar to carry home his drunken father. The kite was meant to teach Hally to look up, rather than down in shame. But Sam now reveals something of which Hally had been unaware; the bench to which Sam had tied the kite was “Whites Only,” and only Hally could sit on it.

Why can't Sam stay with Hally?

He remarks that the reason he couldn’t stay with Hally when he was flying the kite was because it was a white’s only bench, segregation that Hally hadn’t realized when he was younger because he didn’t know it was a choice to either accept or not accept whites. The story helps to show the toleration that Hally used to have towards blacks and his growing feelings of superiority later in life.

How did Hally influence his son?

His attitudes have emotionally influenced his son, even as Hally intellectually recognizes them to be false and prefers the more educated, non prejudiced ideology of Sam. When frustrated by his father’s limitations, the son behaves with the same prejudice, using Sam as a scapegoat to draw attention away from his own insecurities. This, Fugard suggests, is the central impulse behind apartheid: aside from the economic advantages of keeping blacks poor so they can be better exploited, it allows whites to cover up their own shortcomings by a pretence that they are superior just because they are white.

What is the theme of Master Harold and the Boys?

The play “Master Harold”… and the Boys”, by Athol Fugard, illustrates life in South Africa under the apartheid rule. The play is written in the South African context and the issue of apartheid is central in the play. The play is an informative and autobiographical one-act play about the relationship between Hally, Willie and Sam. Throughout “Master Harold”….. and the Boys, Fugard describes many emotions that take place between the characters, to which different reactions are noted. The primary emotions in the play are love, happiness and anger.

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