Member-only story

Grass Is Singing: A Tale of Racial Hatred and Oppression

Devon Mitchell

·6.9k Followers· Follow

Published in Grass Is Singing: A Novel

7 min read

76 View Claps

5 Respond

Save

Listen

Grass Is Singing: A Novel

by Doris Lessing

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2911 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	260 pages

Grass Is Singing is a powerful novel that explores the devastating effects of racial hatred and oppression. Set in South Africa during the apartheid era, the novel tells the story of Mary Turner, a white woman who marries a black man and faces the consequences of her decision.

Mary Turner is a young woman who is raised in a privileged white family in South Africa. She is educated and intelligent, but she is also naive and sheltered. When she meets Moses, a black man who works on her family's farm, she is immediately attracted to him. Moses is handsome, intelligent, and kind, and Mary quickly falls in love with him.

Mary's family is horrified when she announces her plans to marry Moses. They forbid her from seeing him, and they threaten to disown her if she goes through with the marriage. Mary defies her family and marries Moses anyway. The couple moves to a small farm in the countryside, where they hope to start a new life together.

However, Mary and Moses's happiness is short-lived. The white community in the area is hostile towards them, and they are constantly harassed and threatened. Mary is also increasingly isolated from her own family. She begins to drink heavily, and she becomes increasingly depressed.

One day, Mary snaps. She shoots and kills Moses, and then she turns the gun on herself. The novel ends with Mary's dying words: "I have hated you, I have loved you, I have killed you."

Grass Is Singing is a tragic story, but it is also a powerful indictment of the evils of racism and oppression. Lessing's novel is a reminder that these evils can have a devastating impact on individuals and on society as a whole.

Themes

Grass Is Singing explores a number of important themes, including:

Racism and oppression: The novel is set against the backdrop of apartheid, a system of racial segregation and discrimination that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Apartheid had a devastating impact on the lives of black South Africans, and it is this impact that Lessing explores in Grass Is Singing.
Love and marriage: Mary and Moses's marriage is a central focus of the novel. Their love for each other is strong and passionate, but it is also doomed from the start. The white community in South Africa will not tolerate a marriage between a white woman and a black man, and Mary and Moses are ultimately destroyed by the hatred and prejudice that surrounds them.
Betrayal: Mary betrays her family when she marries Moses, and she also betrays Moses when she kills him. Her actions are motivated by a combination of love, fear, and desperation, but they ultimately lead to tragedy.
Tragedy: Grass Is Singing is a tragedy in the truest sense of the word. The novel tells the story of a love that is doomed from the start, and it ends with the deaths of both Mary and Moses. The novel's tragic ending is a reminder that racism and oppression can have devastating consequences.

Characters

The characters in Grass Is Singing are complex and well-developed. Mary Turner is a particularly fascinating character. She is a strong and independent woman, but she is also flawed and vulnerable. She is torn between her love for Moses and her desire to be accepted by her family and community. Her tragic end is a reminder that racism and oppression can destroy even the strongest people.

Moses is another complex character. He is a proud and intelligent man, but he is also aware of the limitations that are imposed on him by his race. He loves Mary deeply, but he knows that their relationship is doomed from the start. His death is a tragic loss, and it is a reminder of the senseless violence that is often perpetrated against black people.

The other characters in the novel are also well-developed. Mary's parents are well-meaning, but they are also blind to the realities of apartheid. Mary's sister, Anne, is more sympathetic to Mary's plight, but she is also unable to help her. The white community in the area is hostile and unforgiving, and they are ultimately responsible for Mary and Moses's deaths.

Setting

Grass Is Singing is set in South Africa during the apartheid era. The novel's setting is both beautiful and oppressive. The countryside is described in lush and lyrical terms, but it is also a place where violence and hatred are ever-present. The novel's setting is a reminder that racism and oppression can exist even in the most beautiful places.

Style

Lessing's writing style in Grass Is Singing is spare and understated. She uses simple language to tell a complex and powerful story. The novel's prose is often lyrical and poetic, but it is also unflinching in its depiction of the horrors of apartheid. Lessing's writing style is a perfect match for the novel's themes and characters.

Legacy

Grass Is Singing is considered to be one of Lessing's most important works. The novel has been praised for its powerful depiction of racism and oppression, its complex characters, and its beautiful writing style. Grass Is Singing has been translated into more than 30 languages, and it has been adapted into a film and a television series. The novel remains a powerful and relevant work of literature today.

Grass Is Singing is a powerful and moving novel that explores the devastating effects of racism and oppression. Lessing's novel is a reminder that these evils can have a devastating impact on individuals and on society as a whole.

Grass Is Singing is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the horrors of apartheid and the

Grass Is Singing: A Novel

by Doris Lessing

4 out of 5