Translated from Afrikaans to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.
com
HOW TO LITERATURE
(FIELA'S CHILD)
TO APPROACH
Compiled by
AneldaClark
JeppeHigh School for Boys
Dramatist
Writerof a drama
Dram
Main text:
a Dialogue
Subtext/subtext: Stage directions
Stage directions
Identify:
italics / brackets / beginning and end
of a scene
Structural elements
Bold of the drama
Buildof the drama
Explanation- pp. 42-48
Motor torque(Moment when tension begins) - Census men arrive at Wolwekraal.
See Benjamin and decide he must go to Knysna - pp. 49-51
Development phase(Further course of the drama) - Focus is on Benjamin's life
in the bush. Fiela tries to get him back - p.52-110
Crisis phase(When a turning point occurs) - Barta indicates that Benjamin is
Lukas and the magistrate decides that he must go to the forest with his parents. -
p.68
Climax(When the collision reaches a breaking point) - Barta admits she pointed
out the wrong child. - p. 113
Descent(Conflict is resolved) - Benjamin takes the name Benjamin and goes
back to Lange Kloof. - p. 116
Industrie
Industry s
• Period of 9 years from Lukas' disappearance.
1
• Benjamin's stay at the Komoeties until the census takers arrive and later
come to take him to the magistrate. (Benjamin is 12)
Operatio
• Focus on identifying Benjamin as Lukas.
n2
• Includes Lukas' years growing up with the Van Rooyens.
Industry
• Time jump of 7 years. (Nina is 17 and Lukas 19)
3
• Lukas' struggle to find his true identity.
Title:
Violinchild
What information can learners deduce from the title?
• It's about a child - main character
• Fiela is the parent - supporting character
Prediction of how the drama will end
Characters
Main character = Benjamin Komoetie / Lukas van Rooyen
Supporting character = Fiela Komoetie
• Characterization
(Dramatic technique for giving information about characters)
- Dialogue
- Naming - names can describe characters
- Behavior during a collision/conflict
- Direct presentation by narrator
- Indirect portrayal - relationship between characters/interaction
Benjamin Komoetie / Lukas van Rooyen
Main character
• Also the outsider - doesn't fit in
• Become part of Komoeties as a 3-year-old child
• Love for boats - Selling helps him make them
• Census men took him to magistrates at the age of 12
• Name changed to Lukas van Rooyen and stayed with the Van Rooyens - causing inner
conflict
• At 19 he broke away from the Forest - felt drawn to the sea and wanted to become a
rower.
• He wants to find out who he is.
• Develop feelings for Nina.
• Fiela: “blood would have stopped blood”.
• Go back to the Forest to get answers from Barta. The second time she tells the truth
first.
• He decides his name is Benjamin Komoetie - Fiela's child.
Fiela Komoetie
Side character
• Strong, hardworking, sincere, honest, proud, diligent, faithful
• Good mother who educates children - learns to read and learns from the Bible.
• Fiela experiences conflict - census men take Benjamin away. Feels the system is unfair -
she loves him despite the color difference.
• She goes to the magistrate twice to get information about Benjamin
• Businesswoman - wheat, maize, vegetables, sheep and a dairy goat. She also got 2
ostriches.
• Take care of her children - buy land, put something in the trunk for the daughters.
• Fiela's opposite and antagonist is Barta van Rooyen.
Selling Commodity
• Fiela's supportive husband.
• Weak/sick, but still contributes to the family - (knits skins) makes whips, shoes and
carriages.
• Love Benjamin - help make boats, watch the road for Benjamin, teach Benjamin to row.
• With Benjamin's rejection he refers to the Bible (prodigal son)
• He sensed that something was not right with Benjamin when he returned to Wolwekraal.
Elias van Rooyen
• Characteristics: lovelessness, violence
• Lazy, unambitious, bitter and cunning
• Want to get rich quick - want to sell elephant tusks.
• Children have to work - all money goes back to Elias.
• Not a good father figure - refers to children as "creatures"
• Racist - wants to take “brownness” out of Lukas, refers to Fiela as a “brown-skinned”.
• Lukas van Rooyen's antagonist.
• Elias is Selling's polar opposite.
Barta van Rooyen
• Weak, uncertain, terrified
• Choose the wrong child, because she is intimidated by the Lange - consequences for
Benjamin and the Komoeties are drastic
• Does not protect her children from Elias' violence.
Nina van Rooyen
• Outsider among her own people.
• Forest child - knows the forest, the animals and sounds well.
• Escape from Elias' abuse and her circumstances.
• Stubborn, strong-willed
• Feel attracted to Lukas and teach him about the Forest.
• Had to go work in town - positive influence (Miss Weatherbury) - learn manners and how
to be a lady.
• Become independent - money no longer goes to Elias.
• Told Time:1865 to 1882 (17 years)
• Story time: 2 hours on stage. (3 Acts)
• Environment- Space and time together form the environment
- Knysna Forest and Lange Kloof from the nineteenth century
Long gorge
Knysna
Forest
Sea and
Knysna
THANK
YOU
VERY
