Describe a key relationship between two or more characters or individuals in the text. Explain how this relationship helped you to understand at least one of these characters or individuals.
The Power of One
In the novel The Power of One by Bryce Courtney, a key relationship is between Peekay and Doc. Their relationship helped me understand Peekay’s trouble with belonging and how he had to deal with that in each stage of his life. Their relationship also helped me recognize how Peekay demonstrates the power of one and his understanding of oppression.
Peekay is a very insecure boy and normally tends to ‘camouflage’ to blend in with everybody else to become average. As a child, Peekay was sent to a South African boarding school where he was frequently bullied for being an English man. “I knew already that camouflage was the only way, that bowing your head with the rest was the best way to survive.” Before meeting Doc, Peekay never really felt like he connected with someone other than his Nanny who disappeared, and Hoppie who he only saw for a very brief time. Peekay didn’t have a father so Doc was like a father figure to Peekay. Doc told Peekay to never hide his intelligence but to drop his camouflage and not to play dumb. “To be smart is not a sin. But to be smart and not use it, that, Peekay, is a sin, Absoloodle!” Without Peekay meeting Doc it is almost guaranteed that Peekay would have stayed in his ‘cocoon’. There was always something special about Peekay, yet he always wanted to deny it and be ‘normal’ but Doc told Peekay to embrace it. Doc encouraged Peekay to work on things he liked, such as boxing and school but also encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone, like playing the piano. “Besides love, independence of thought is the greatest gift an adult can give a child.” Doc encouraged Peekay to be himself and not hide his intelligence which helped me to understand how Peekay struggled and wanted to be accepted by others.
Peekay said The Power of One is “above all things the power to believe in yourself.” This is quite significant, reflecting on his childhood as he was bullied. After a few years of his ‘camouflaging’, Peekay understood that his intelligence was a gift and could be used to help people. He had visited the prison quite a bit and observed that the prisoners were very uneducated. Peekay used the power of one within him and wrote and translated letters for the prisoners to send to their loved ones as they had never been able to do this. Peekay along with Doc took on the task of teaching the black prisoners how to read, write, and learn basic math. When Doc was at the prison he was asked to play a concert on the piano for the inspectors, and in return, he requested to play a concert for the prisoners on Sunday, which he was permitted to do so. Doc was very apprehensive about performing because he normally just played for himself and Peekay. Doc demonstrated that just one person could display such a little gesture but could change the prisoner’s lives by making them just a little bit happier. Doc demonstrated to Peekay what the power of one was by doing the concert, this helped me understand that Peekay, even when he was older, was still being influenced by Doc.
Later on, in the book Peekay was requested to fight with a professional black boxer, Gideon Mandoma., Peekay said ‘…the people believe in the tadpole angel…it’s a symbol, a symbol of hope’. This was probably one of Peekay’s hardest and most important fights because this was to prove if he was Onoshobishobi Ingelosi or the Tadpole Angel. As an amateur boxer, this was a crucial example of The Power of One, the power to overcome all difficulties and believe in yourself. Doc taught Peekay what the power of one truly meant by doing the concert and Peekay constantly referred back to the knowledgeable words Doc had provided which we see in both the fight and when he taught the black prisoner. This helped me understand that Peekay was a very good listener and superior at demonstrating The Power of One.
The relationship between Peekay and Doc also helped me understand Peekay’s conception of oppression. When Peekay was six years old he came across a sign that said ‘blacks only’ he was very confused as to why white people were not allowed to enter. This was the first moment where Peekay was confronted with oppression. Peekay had no concept or understanding about oppression at this point and did not yet realize the impact it would have on him later. The main point in which Peekay understands oppression is when he goes to Barberton. When Doc and Peekay had been friends for a while Doc was taken away because he was an ‘unregistered alien,’ a german. Peekay understood why Doc was getting taken away because it was at the time of the war between the Germans and the British, but Peekay didn’t understand why they were taking Doc, because there was no way he was a threat. After Doc was taken to the prison Peeky visited almost every day. There he saw many white prison wardens abuse the black prisoners. Peekay unlike most people at this time was ‘colourblind’ which meant he did not see people for the colour of their skin but the content of their personality.
While visiting the prison Peekay meets Geel Piet. Geel Piet is a ‘yellow man’ (which means he was neither black or white) and was abused by the wardens. During the book, Geel Piet turns out to be one of Peekay’s best friends. On the night of the concert held by Doc and Peekay, Geel Piet is killed for the custody of a photo which had both black and white people in it ‘the photograph captured the exact moment when I understood with conviction that racism is a primary force of evil designed to destroy good men’. At this moment Peekay completely understood that even though claimed, the world was not equal. This helped me understand Peekay because Doc didn’t intentionally shape Peekay’s thinking about oppression, but the moment Doc was arrested Peekay understood oppression Peekay figured out it was a problem by himself. From then on Peekay was very cautious of his actions and the actions of those around him.
In conclusion, Bryce Courtneys The Power of One, through Doc and Peekays relationship helped me understand Peekays trouble with belonging and how he coped with that throughout each year of his life, the way Peekay portrayed and understood The Power of One and the way Peekay grasped the conception of oppression both at him and around him.
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