KidLit Forum

"The Gun" is the fifth chapter of the books "Out of Bounds" by Beverly Naidoo, an exiled South African prisoner. She was imprisoned because she fought against the apartheid. All the chapters of the book present harsh situations that Blacks had to face as a result of increasing racism.

"The Gun" is one of the hardest and realistic chapters in the novel. It presents the situations of a South African family who was being own by a White man, but whose jobs are to find poachers and other dangers for the animals and prevent them. However, Esi, who is the main character of the chapter, and his father, are not allowed to use guns because of the colour of their skin. In my opinion, the fact that they are not allowed to use guns is the fear the Whites have that the Black would revolt against them and eventually kill them. But they would be allowed to take the gun and clean it, taking good care of it.

Esi's father is a wise man who tries to teach his son the lesson of docility because he thinks that is the best and safest way to protects his family. Esi questions these things and does not understand why they are not allowed certain things and must always obey but never receives an answer.

The owner is a pretty nice man that would allow the family many things and take good care of them. But he later has to go back to his hometown and an overseer, his soon-to-be son-in-law takes his position until he returns. The man is mean and holds inside himself a White-supremacy complex which makes him think he is king there and everybody should do as he pleases. He speaks rudely to women and not only, treats the Blacks as slaves.

One day, the man decides to go seek a danger that may threaten the place but actually, he just wanted a kudu bull as a trophy in his house. Which was poaching, but Esi and his father couldn't do anything for fear of something happening to their family. Esi is the one accompanying the man on his hunting. But the "unfortunate" happens and the White man is hurt by tripping over a tree root. This reminds me of Ernest Hemmingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" who dared to hunt a very dangerous animal and who also brought him death.

The man asks for help but at that moment Esi's hatred for him saw the perfect opportunity for revenge. He took his gun and decided to leave the man to suffer, and eventually die, alone in that place. Even if he knew he would be sentenced to death for his actions, he felt this is the right thing to do. Esi had no mercy left for the White man.

The chapter is meant to represent the "Underground War" fought by mistreated people along with Nelson Mandela in 1961 - 4, during apartheid and show resilience by all people against these unfair rules.