A Chain of Voices: Analysis of Major Characters
"A Chain of Voices" is a novel that intricately explores the lives and perspectives of its major characters during a tumultuous period marked by a slave uprising in South Africa. The story unfolds through monologues, allowing readers to delve into the inner thoughts and emotions of each character. Piet van der Merwe, the patriarch and a once formidable Afrikaaner farmer, struggles with the repercussions of his past and the impact of his oppressive beliefs on his family, revealing a complex image of a man torn between his convictions and his failures. His wife, Alida, reflects on her hardships and the bitterness of her life, having reconciled with her fate amid the chaos wrought by her husband's actions.
The narrative also centers on the dynamics between the van der Merwe family and the enslaved individuals, particularly highlighting Ma Rose, a resilient and wise native woman who embodies strength and understanding in contrast to the prevailing cruelty. The character of Barend mirrors his father's harshness, while Nicolaas, the more sensitive younger son, grapples with his desire for approval, caught in a web of familial expectations. Other significant characters include Hester, Barend's wife, who navigates the challenges of her oppressive marriage, and Galant, a slave whose complex relationship with Nicolaas culminates in tragedy. Through these diverse voices, the novel paints a nuanced portrait of a society in conflict, grappling with themes of power, oppression, and the quest for identity and freedom.
A Chain of Voices: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: André Brink
First published: 1982
Genre: Novel
Locale: Near Cape Town, South Africa
Plot: Historical
Time: The 1780's to 1826
Piet van der Merwe (peet fahn derh MEHR-vah), an Afrikaaner farmer and patriarch. Once a strong and forceful man, the aged Piet has become helpless from a stroke. Because the novel is composed solely of monologues by the characters, Piet himself records his part in the events that surround the slave uprising, traces the course of his life to the uprising and his stroke, and reveals his relationships with the other characters. He emerges as a God-fearing, British-hating, racist, self-righteous, and often cruel man who unintentionally destroys his family as he seeks to carry out what he believes to be the will of God. In some ways, he is a stereotypical Afrikaaner of the era.
Alida van der Merwe (ah-LEE-dah), Piet's wife. Aging and worn from her hard life as a farmer's wife on the South African veld, Alida recounts the past years with bitterness: her youth as a beautiful young woman in Cape Town, her stormy marriage, the years of childbirth and hard work, and the disappointments and disillusionment. She has attained a sort of peace, having become reconciled to the destructive force unleashed by her husband and even to her own death, for which she longs.
Ma Rose, an elderly native woman. She is closely connected to the van der Merwe family as servant, mistress to Piet, and nurse to his children. Through her monologues, Ma Rose emerges as the noblest of the characters, endowed with patience, resolve, fairness, and understanding. As she speaks, she enlarges her own character to embrace the long-suffering black race by drawing parallels between the present struggle for freedom with the trials recorded in ancient tribal myths. Of Ma Rose, one of the characters says that her book “was the whole world.”
Barend van der Merwe (BEHR-ihnt), Piet's eldest son, a farmer. Like his father, whom he longs to please, Barend develops into a cruel, harsh man who mistreats his wife and slaves. During the slave uprising, he proves himself a coward.
Nicolaas van der Merwe (NIH-koh-lahz), Piet's youngest son, a farmer. Weaker and more sensitive than his father and older brother, Nicolaas destroys himself through his longing to gain their approval. He is his mother's favorite child, but Piet disrupts their relationship.
Galant (gah-LAHNT), a slave. Galant is a handsome and powerfully built black man who was reared with Piet's sons and becomes Nicolaas' slave. Their relationship as slave and master is a subtle, complex one that finally leads to Nicolaas' murder by Galant.
Hester van der Merwe, Barend's wife. An attractive young woman, she finds her marriage to Barend dismal, especially the sexual violence that she is forced to endure. While pretending to be submissive, she nourishes an inner strength that leads her to freedom, in part through her sexual encounter with Galant, then through the courage she shows during the slave rebellion. Along with Ma Rose, Hester evolves into one of the novel's rare sympathetic characters.
Cecilia van der Merwe, Nicolaas' wife. Plain and drab in appearance, she has developed a harsh and cold air to endure not only the oppression that is the lot of Afrikaaner women but also the indifference of a husband who despises her.
Pamela, a slave woman and Galant's chosen wife. She is forced to become Nicolaas' mistress and has a son by him.
Lydia, a simple, childlike slave woman, another of Nicolaas' mistresses.