The Bench by Richard Rive
"The Bench" by Richard Rive is a poignant narrative set against the backdrop of apartheid in South Africa, exploring themes of race, identity, and social justice. The story follows Karlie, a young black man from a rural town, on his first visit to the vibrant and diverse city of Cape Town. During a public meeting, he encounters a powerful speech advocating for the rights of the black majority, which challenges the ingrained beliefs he has been taught about racial separation.
As Karlie reflects on the speaker's message, he becomes inspired to assert his own rights within a society that has long enforced segregation. This culminates in a bold act of defiance when he chooses to sit on a bench designated for "Europeans only." His decision sparks a range of reactions from onlookers, highlighting the complex social dynamics of the time. Though faced with aggressive opposition from authorities, Karlie's experience becomes a catalyst for his personal empowerment and a broader commentary on the struggle against apartheid. The story encapsulates the conflict between entrenched societal norms and the emerging fight for equality, making it a significant exploration of resistance and self-discovery in a divided world.
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The Bench by Richard Rive
First published: 1963
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The mid-twentieth century
Locale: Cape Town, South Africa
Principal Character:
Karlie , a young man
The Story
After Karlie has lived all of his life in a remote rural part of South Africa, this is his first visit to Cape Town, a bustling metropolis in which all sorts of people rub shoulders. More obviously than in his more segregated home town, Cape Town shows the tensions that result from the rigid system of separation of races known as apartheid. Karlie sees people of all colors—some black, some white, and others mixed.
As the story opens, Karlie is standing in a large crowd that is listening to a black speaker who is proclaiming the rights of black majority, the working class to whom he refers as the proletariat. Karlie is impressed by what the speaker is saying because it seems to be the first time that he has even considered the possibility that blacks do, in fact, have any rights at all. He notices that two white detectives are taking notes on everything that is being said at the meeting.
As Karlie listens, he recalls the advice he received from elders in his own community. Ou Klaas, for example, taught him that God created blacks and whites separately, and therefore they should continue to live separately.
On the platform with the speaker is a white woman in a blue dress and Nxeli, whom Karlie recognizes as a famous trade-union organizer. As he watches, the white woman gets up and begins speaking. She encourages the black crowd to refuse to play by the rules imposed by the whites: Blacks, she says, should sit wherever they please, and go wherever they want.
As he leaves the meeting, Karlie is both confused by the new ideas and exhilarated. He doubts whether anything of this sort could ever be put into action in his own little town, but he is beginning to think it might be a possibility. At the train station that will send him home he notices, in a new way, a bench labeled "Europeans only." Inspired by all that he has heard and the sense of individual responsibility that the speakers have aroused in him, he decides to sit on the forbidden bench.
At first, no one seems to notice him. Time passes, and he thinks that his protest may go unheeded. After a while he eases into his new situation, and sits simply because he is tired. At that moment a young white man shouts at him to get up off the bench. Karlie neither speaks nor moves. As the white man continues shouting, a crowd gathers. Different people express different reactions. Some are outraged that Karlie will not sit on the benches reserved for blacks. Others declare that he should be allowed to sit wherever he wishes.
A police officer arrives and tells Karlie to move. Again, Karlie remains silent and stays where he is. As the officer begins shouting, the white woman who gave the speech Karlie heard approaches and defends Karlie's rights. Nevertheless, the officer begins beating Karlie; he puts handcuffs on him and drags him away. At first Karlie struggles and tries to hold on to the bench; when he sees that this is hopeless, he stands up and goes with the officer, smiling and asserting the arrogance that he now feels.