Journal 6

The Australian author of The Power of One, Bryce Courtenay, grew up in a racist South Africa. Facing many struggles throughout his younger years, he eventually made it to Oxford University where he studied journalism. Banned from returning to Africa, from starting a weekend school for black children, Courtenay moved to Australia where he lived with his new wife Benita. Retiring at the age of 55, he became an author, writing his best-selling The Power of One.

            The way he wrote his first book is quite interesting. It has a ‘stream-of-consciousness’ style and tone where it sounds like the main character, Peekay, has sat himself down by the campfire and is about to tell his life story. As I have noted before, this can be seen already on the first line: ‘This is how it happened.’ This style and tone may also be sub-consciously used as the story of Peekay is very similar to that of Courtenay’s, The Power of One being an opportunity for Courtenay to share his story to the world.

            Throughout the novel, Courtenay shares his point of view on many different aspects of life. He does this through the use of tone, structuring his sentences to promote certain attitudes, values and beliefs. Christianity is one theme on which Courtenay instils a certain viewpoint to his readers. At the beginning of chapter eight (page 153), Christianity is introduced to Peekay and he immediately doesn’t like it. Peekay doesn’t understand what has happened to his mother and wonders what this weird man (Pastor Mulvery) has done to her. By first making the reader idolise Peekay and his morals, and then making Peekay look at Christianity with animosity, Courtenay induces the reader to dislike it. In this set of pages, where Peekay is presented with the idea of Christianity, Courtenay sets the tone for Christianity. This tone appears whenever Christianity is brought up, giving the reader a negative view toward Christians and what they believe.

            Courtenay also reveals his view on racism through the tone that is present in The Power of One. Peekay treats all people the same, no matter what their skin colour is. The Afrikaans boxers call him a proper Boer while his black supporters believe his is one of their chiefs, coming to challenge the white government. This was strongly contrasted with the way the Afrikaners treated the blacks showing that Peekay did not have the same racist attitude. In many ways the author was similar to Peekay – not only in his life story but also his attitudes, values and beliefs. Wanting to overcome the racial discrimination in South Africa resulted in him being exiled from the country. He told the world his story and beliefs through the character Peekay and through the style and tone of the book.