Revision of the novel Buckingham Palace District Six

1. Buckingham Palace
District Six
Background:
https://prezi.com/2vaej_7cugf7/quotbuckingha
m-palace-district-sixquot/

2. Autobiographical introductions to each section:

3. Part One - Morning (1955)
Introduction:
• first of three chapters narrated in the first person by Richard Rive.
• details his childhood in District Six and is set in 1955.
• introduces the residents of Buckingham Palace while recounting the events of a weekend in the district.
1. Friday evening he is sent to the fish and chip shop to get food for his family.
2. Saturday morning he goes shopping with his mother and the shopkeepers (such as Katzen) are
introduced.
3. Later that day he goes to Star Bioscope to watch a movie and it is indicated that characters like:
Pretty Boy and Zoot are legendary figures in the district.
4. Sunday morning his family attends church before consuming a heavy Sunday lunch.
5. After this, he would play with his friends until nightfall.
This chapter portrays the district as a place that was poor but happy and vibrant.

4. Mary
• introduces Mary Bruintjies and gives them her life story
• starts with her childhood in Boland with her father, who is a pastor
• joins the Church Brigade to provide her with alibis for her relationships with men but becomes a drum major
due to her baton-twirling prowess
• found in a compromising position with a drummer and sent to District Six to stay with her aunt
• also joins the Church Brigade but leaves for the same reason as in Boland.
• incident of a similar nature she leaves her school and moves in with the Knights
• Caught in a compromising position with Mrs. Knight’s husband’s brother (Henry Knight), they decide to get
married.
• does not last long before Mr. Knight packs up and leaves
• establishes the Casbah and the Girls begin to move in.
• The cottage is painted bright blue and Zoot September is hired as a bouncer
• Despite all this Mary still maintains her membership of the church
• indication that she is still of good character

5. Zoot
• early life of Milton September later as Zoot.
• named after John Milton, the English poet, as his aunt was passionate about poetry
• developed a reputation for causing trouble at school
• run away from four schools by the age of 13
• fifth school: develops a love for reading and writing as well as gymnastics
• decided to only attend those lessons.
• became a very good tap-dancer
• caught stealing numerous times
• sent to the local reformatory after being caught trying to rob a store
• paid by fellow inmates to write insulting poems about the guards
• becomes the caretaker of his old school but is sent to prison for stealing from it
• once again released he takes up a position as a bouncer at the Casbah
• continues his tap-dancing career
• eventually earns the name Zoot because of the type of suit that he wears.

6. The Jungle Boys
• Abrahams family – next to Zoot at 203 Caledon Street.
• Mr. Abrahams:
• small, nervous man - tailor, spent most of his time at home reading the newspaper in the
corner of the room.
• Wife: Sies Mariam made all decisions
• three sons by the names of Braaima, Amaai, and Toyer
• huge, aggressive boys
• one of the most formidable rugby front rows in the Cape.
• nicknamed “The Jungle Boys” firm supporters of Zoot
• sister Moena - thought not very good-looking (Moena Lelik)
• Boys play a rugby game against their greatest rivals.
• try but fail to threaten the referee
• game is called off after the scrum collapses on him (ref)

7. Contextual questions:
1. What was Mary’s surname before she changed it
back to Brown? Why did she change it?
2. Was Fiela Vreters sick? Why did she lose her
appetite?
3. Explain the term “got her well again”.
4. Why did the Moena in this extract get the nickname d
Moena Mooies and what nickname was given to her
cousin? Why?
5. What did the family call them
6. Who was Moena Mooies’ boyfriend? Why do you
think it is mentioned that he was white?
7. A Casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the
safeguarded quarter of a city. Why do you think this
may be a suitable name for Mary’s house?

8. Pretty-Boy
• Zoot finds a man sleeping in his bed.
• Pretty-Boy Vermeulen, an old friend from prison.
• an accomplished pickpocket -probably on the run.
• promises to pay rent to Zoot and Zoot lets him stay -Zoot knows he will never get any rent.
• begins fixing up the house and stealing food for dinner.
• also steals furniture and appliances and creates an illegal electricity connection to the house.
• hires a man named Oubaas to paint the house with pink paint that he has stolen.
• Oubaas is not the painter he claims to be and ends up painting all the furniture bright pink.
• After this Pretty-Boy allows Oubaas to stay in the house permanently.
• The house is named Winsor Park because it is the residence of Zoot, the so-called king of District 6.
• After a housewarming party a man called Boere is found asleep on the toilet and stays at the
• house for the next few years.

9. Mr Wilkens
• girl from Kimberley moves into the house of Mr. Abrahams also
Moena
• very good-looking Moena Mooies (Moena beautiful),
• family refer to them as Onse Moena and Moena van Kimberley
• Moena Mooies soon becomes friendly with the Girls and visits
the Casbah frequently.
• worried Sies Mariam but she and the Jungle Boys decided it is
best to ignore Moena Mooies.
• cream Dodge arrives at the house carrying Anthony Wilkens
(white man -Moena’s boyfriend.
• sits down for tea with the family and admits to disagreeing with
Apartheid laws.
• Jungle Boys don’t like him.

10. Mr Wilkens (continues)
• next weekend he picks up Moena Mooies and takes her out.
• continues until he is confronted by the Jungle Boys and told never to return to the district.
• Moena Mooies is furious - eventually told to leave the house by the Jungle Boys
• she moves into the Casbah.
• falls pregnant and is left by Mr Wilkens -he turns the whole district against him.
• Mary is able to “sort the baby crisis out” but Mr Wilkens is still not liked.
• Zoot spots Mr Wilkens’s car and reports it to the Jungle Boys.
• they smash up the car.
• he is furious and he shows his prejudice
• beaten up by the Jungle Boys.
• first instance of something going seriously wrong in the district
• and first time we hear of some of the resentment that is hiding underneath the district’s happy
appearance

11. Contextual questions:
1. How long is a fortnight?
2. Name two of the inhabitants of Winsor Park.
3. Who is the lady Zoot fell in love with?
4. How did he get to know her?
5. How did Zoot prepare for his first visit to this lady’s
house?
6. Did this lady’s mother approve of Zoot? Why do
you think so?
7. Why did Zoot’s relationship with this lady end?
Who was responsible?

12. Jennifer
• Jennifer sends Zoot a letter asking to meet him - he accepts.
• claims she heard of him and his poetry through his aunt at school
• Zoot learns manners from The Girls in preparation for his visit
• arrives at Jennifer’s house - greeted by her and introduced to her mother- dislikes him
• mother goes for a nap - Zoot and Jennifer talk and Zoot writes some poems for her
• Jennifer gives Zoot a photograph & agrees to meet again, away from Jennifer’s mother
• Zoot changes drastically - spends his time looking at photo, listening to records in his room.
• After an eventful day at the funfair Zoot proposes to Jennifer who says she’ll think about it.
• Taking her answer for a yes, Zoot tells the Boys that they will have to move out of Winsor Park.
• unhappy - decide to force Zoot out of his relationship with Jennifer.
• They send Pretty-Boy to tell Jennifer’s mother that Zoot’s previous wife had disappeared.
• Jennifer breaks up with Zoot.
• Zoot and the Boys burn Jennifer’s photograph and everything goes back to normal

13. Mrs Knight
• Mrs Knight = unhappy that Mary (a sinner) is allowed to be a member of the church congregation.
(Her husband does not mind)
• reverend asks for volunteers to run stalls at the annual church bazaar -Mary is excited to help
• The Boys and the Girls work together to run a stall called “In a Persian Market” -run by the Girls and
guarded by the Boys.
• tell their plans to Mr Knight (Churchwarden)
• Mrs Knight rejects them and unleashes her anger on Pretty Boy and The Butterfly.
• Mary asks reverend for help - allows them to run their stall.
• still need donations to decorate the stall.
• shopkeepers refuse -they are owed money by the Boys.
• Boys start stealing what they want
• shopkeepers eventually give in and the stall is flooded with donations.

14. Mrs Knight (continues)
• During this period Mr. Knight has a heart attack and is
rushed to hospital.
• While he is there Mary comforts Mrs. Knight and they
make amends over a cup of tea
• On the day of the bazaar the stall is a hit and is far
busier than any other business.
• The chapter ends with the reverend making a speech
and congratulating the Boys and the Girls
• they contributed more than anyone else

16. • second to be narrated by Richard Rive.
• events of Christmas Day in District 6 and some of Boxing Day.
• The Rives attend church in the morning, visit family and friends, have lunch and then
attend church once more in the evening
• go to the beach on boxing day.
• main purpose of the chapter is to introduce the idea that the district is under threat.
• last paragraph foreshadows what is to come
• life outside the district is not as rosy as in it, due to the apartheid laws

17. Knight-Before-Last
1. Who is Knight-Before-Last? (3)
2. Write down a synonym for “astonished”.(1)
3. Why was Mary astonished? (2)
4. Why does Mary feel uncomfortable? (2)
5. What is your opinion of Knight-Before-
Last? Why? (2)

18. Answers: Knight-Before-Last
1. Who is Knight-Before-Last? (3)
• He is Mary’s husband who left her.
• His brother is Last-Knight.
• His real name is Henry
2. Write down a synonym for “astonished”. (1)
• Surprised, amazed, speechless
3. Why was Mary astonished? (2)
• She never thought she would see him again
• He was a bishop
4. Why does Mary feel uncomfortable? (2)
• Henry calls a brothel “evil” and she runs a brothel, the Casbah.
5. What is your opinion of Knight-Before-Last? Why? (2)
• Own answer and explanation.

19. Write down the letter of the numbers of the FALSE statements and explain why you say so:
1. Henry preaches at the meeting and manages to convert Zoot to his ways.
2. Mary brings him to the Casbah to preach to the Girls.
3. She then leaves with him to Kalk Bay.
4. She also announces that the Casbah will close and become a branch of her husband’s church.
5. This worries the Girls, who enlist the help of the priest to bring Mary back.
6. They do this by blackmailing the bishop with information obtained from Mrs. Knight.
7. Henry has a wife and children in Johannesburg.
8. After being blackmailed Mr. Knight promptly leaves for Johannesburg without Mary.
9. Once she recovers from the shock, she closes the Casbah.
What happens next?

20. Write down the letter of the numbers of the FALSE statements and explain why you say so:
1. Henry preaches at the meeting and manages to convert Zoot to his ways.
• He preaches at the meeting and manages to convert Mary
2. Mary brings him to the Casbah to preach to the Girls.
3. She then leaves with him to Kalk Bay.
• Elsies River
4. She also announces that the Casbah will close and become a branch of her husband’s church.
5. This worries the Girls, who enlist the help of the priest to bring Mary back.
• enlist the help of the Boys
6. They do this by blackmailing the bishop with information obtained from Mrs. Knight.
• information obtained from his brother, Last Knight
7. Henry has a wife and children in Johannesburg.
8. After being blackmailed Mr. Knight promptly leaves for Johannesburg without Mary.
9. Once she recovers from the shock, she closes the Casbah.
• she returns to her old ways

21. Moena Lelik
1. Who is Moena Lelik? (1)
2. On what day does this outing occur? (1)
3. Explain what the word “frolicked” means. (1)
4. Why do you think The Girls and the rest of the
women act so differently on the beach? (2)
5. What does Moen Lelik’s behaviour indicate
about her character? (2)

22. Answers
1. Who is Moena Lelik? (1)
• She is the sister of The Jungle Boys.
2. On what day does this outing occur? (1)
• Boxing Day/ 26 December/ day after Christmas
3. Explain what the word “frolicked” means. (1)
• Played – the girls played around in the sea
4. Why do you think The Girls and the rest of the women act so differently on the beach? (2)
• The Girls were prostitutes and did not feel shy to show their bodies
• The other women were older or were conscious of social norms of how a lady should
behave
5. What does Moena Lelik’s behavior indicate about her character? (2)
• She has fun in her way and is very naïve/childlike.

23. What happens next?
1. Moena proclaims that she only feels safe in the district.
2. They are stopped by a police constable stops Moena and Pretty Boy
3. Pretty Boy and Moena Lelik go on a walk to St James beach.
4. Pretty Boy argues with the constable.
5. Everybody returns to the district.
6. Moena starts crying.
7. They are told to leave as they are on a whites-only beach.
8. They return to Kalk Bay.

24. Answers
3. Pretty Boy and Moena Lelik go on a walk to St James beach.
2. They are stopped by a police constable stops Moena and Pretty Boy
7. They are told to leave as they are on a whites-only beach.
4. Pretty Boy argues with the constable.
8. They return to Kalk Bay.
6. Moena starts crying.
5. Everybody returns to the district.
1. Moena proclaims that she only feels safe in the district..

25. 1. Who is Pastor Bruintjies?
2. Where does the scene take place?
3. What happened the night before?
4. Why is everything broken and soiled?
5. What or who was the banner for?
6. What happens next?

26. Answers
1. Who is Pastor Bruintjies?
He is Mary’s father.
2. Where does the scene take place?
The scene takes place in the Casbah.
3. What happened the night before?
They had a party to celebrate Pastor Bruintjies’ 70th birthday.
4. Why is everything broken and soiled?
A fight broke out between the Jungles and some invading Portuguese sailors.
5. What or who was the banner for?
The banner was made for Pastor Bruintjies to congratulate him on his birthday.
6. What happens next?
Mary’s father shows up after talking to Zoot the whole night and leaves shortly after.

27. Mr. O’Grady
True or False?
1. Zoot, Pretty Boy, and Theo Plaatjies (the local
priest) are appointed as judges of the Miss District Six
pageant.
2. This pageant is very competitive, and the judges
run the risk of upsetting many people.
3. As a result of this, they decide to make a decision
based on the contender’s personality.
4. After the initial round, a Scotsman called Mr.
O’Grady befriends Zoot and the other judges.
5. They end up giving Mr. O’Grady a lift home and
staying for drinks at his house while being entertained
by his son Elvis (who is a musician).
6. They leave after two hours.

28. Answers
1. Zoot, Pretty Boy, and Theo Plaatjies (the local priest) are appointed as judges of the Miss District Six
pageant.
False, Theo Plaatjies is the local school principal.
2. This pageant is very competitive, and the judges run the risk of upsetting many people.
True
3. As a result of this, they decide to make a decision based on the contender’s personality.
False, they decide to make a decision based on the contender’s popularity
4. After the initial round, a Scotsman called Mr. O’Grady befriends Zoot and the other judges.
False, an Irishman called Mr. O’Grady
5. They end up giving Mr. O’Grady a lift home and staying for drinks at his house while being entertained
by his son Elvis (who is a musician).
True
6. They leave after two hours.
False, they only leave in the early hours of the morning.

29. Elvis
On the night of the 1.______, all is going well. All the residents of the 2._____ are in attendance.
The O’Gradys are also there. Elvis, the son of Mr. O’Grady dances with Faith Knight and gives
her spiked drinks. While this is happening, the local councillor gives a speech about forced
3._________. This adds to the feeling that something is close to happening. After the 4.______
winner is announced, Elvis and Faith leave in his car. They don’t tell their 5.________, who are
worried about them. Faith eventually turns up at the 6._______ after running back to the district
after Elvis attempts to rape her. 7._______blames Mary for corrupting Faith and they fall out
once again.
That same night 8.________and the Jungles ambush Elvis and beat him up with his 9._______ at
the place where he tried to rape Faith. The next morning Mrs Knight comes to her senses and sends
Mary some 10.______. Mary is deeply moved, indicating that she wants to be friends with Mrs
Knight.

30. Answers
On the night of the church ball, all is going well. All the residents of the district are in attendance.
The O’Gradys are also there. Elvis, the son of Mr. O’Grady dances with Faith Knight and gives
her spiked drinks. While this is happening, the local councillor gives a speech about forced
removals. This adds to the feeling that something is close to happening. After the pageant
winner is announced, Elvis and Faith leave in his car. They don’t tell their parents, who are
worried about them. Faith eventually turns up at the Casbah after running back to the district
after Elvis attempts to rape her. Mrs. Knight blames Mary for corrupting Faith and they fall out
once again.
That same night Zoot and the Jungles ambush Elvis and beat him up with his guitar at the place
where he tried to rape Faith. The next morning Mrs.Knight comes to her senses and sends
Mary some koeksisters. Mary is deeply moved, indicating that she wants to be friends with Mrs
Knight.

31. Introduction:
In the third and final of Richard Rive’s narrations, he details the forced removals.
He emphasises the emotional damage to the people who lived there, including his own mother.
He says that people died spiritually when the district was pulled down and this is one of the
main purposes of the book –
To show how wronged and weak the people of the district felt when separated from their
home.
Rive details the bulldozing and his family’s new life in Manenberg.

32. Inspector Engelbrecht:
Katzen calls Zoot for a meeting because has received letters from the housing authorities
asking him for information on his tenants.
He refuses to fill these in and tells Zoot and promises to allow Zoot and all the other residents of
Buckingham Palace to stay indefinitely.
We learn that Katzen is a Jew who escaped the Holocaust.
The next day Inspector Engelbrecht arrives at the Casbah with forms for the Girls to fill in.
These are obviously going to be used for forced removals.
He is chased out of the house by The Butterfly.
At Zoot’s house, he is initially accepted, but Zoot makes fun of him to the extent that he is forced to
leave.
He tries the Abrahams’s house but Amaai forces him to leave.
He had more success in getting the Knights to fill in his forms.
This chapter is important because it indicates that the end is near for District 6 and also because it
gives us more information about the nature of the government’s plans.

33. Katzen:
When the housing authorities send everyone in the district letters requesting that they vacate
the district, a meeting is called in the church.
The residents discuss their options and most of them agree that they should not cooperate with the
government at all.
However, there are some who believe that it is best to leave the district and do as they are told.
During all this, a question from Oubaas alerts us to the absurd nature of the situation and also of
the way that people fear the Pretoria government.
A lot changes when Katzen, a white man, asks to speak.
He tells of how his people were massacred in Nazi Germany and how that came to happen.
He encourages the people of District Six to stand up for themselves in what he considers to be a
similar situation.
This comparison to the Nazis emphasises how immoral the apartheid government was.

34. The Last of the Knights:
One afternoon Charity Knight arrives at the Casbah to say that her family is moving to Hanover
Park the next day.
The Girls comfort her and send her home.
Later her mother (Mrs Knight) arrives to say goodbye but is confronted by Mary and The Butterfly, who
believe that she is being selfish by going against the agreement made at the church meeting.
However, Mrs Knight will not be swayed, and she and her family move out that night.
Three weeks later Zoot talks to Mr Knight and finds that the family has already left Hanover Park.
It turns out that the apartment that they had been given was poorly built, and in an area with much gang
violence.
The Knight children were assaulted, and the family decided that it was better to stay with their relatives
in Retreat.
When the district hears of this, they become even more determined to stand up to the government.

35. The Abrahamses:
The chapter begins with Pretty Boy and Moena Lelik going for a walk.
Moena tells him that her family is secretly moving out the next day to avoid the wrath of her brother
Amaai, who believes that they are betraying the district by leaving.
When the removal lorry comes the Boys are watching and Zoot is not happy.
He too thinks that the Abrahamses are betraying the people of District 6. However, Pretty Boy
defies Zoot and helps the family move.
The moment is tense, but they reconcile and Zoot defends Pretty Boy from Amaai when he
discovers that his family has left.

36. Dieter:
This chapter opens with the news that Katzen has had a heart attack and has been taken to
hospital.
He is not in a good condition so Mary and Zoot decide to visit him.
However, they are told his condition is too serious for visitors to be allowed.
They are then introduced to Katzen’s son, who clearly does not like them.
He suggests that his father’s care for the people of Buckingham Palace was not warranted and was
caused by his sickness.
This indicates that he is a racist.
Two days later they hear that Katzen has died and after some discussion, the residents of
Winsor Park and the Casbah decide to go to his funeral.
The Abrahamses and the Knights also attend.
Even though they have shown that they truly cared for his father, Dieter still does not
acknowledge Zoot and Mary.

37. The Casbah:
Sometime after the funeral Dieter arrives at the Casbah and tells the Girls that he has sold the
houses to the housing authorities.
This almost certainly means that they will be evicted.
Mary and The Butterfly become very angry and remind Dieter of his father’s promise to allow them
to stay in Buckingham Palace, but Dieter is unsympathetic.
They soon chase him out of the house but there is now nothing that they can do to stop their
eviction.
Two weeks later the eviction notices are delivered, and the residents begin to make plans as to
where they will go.
The Casbah is the first to be emptied and a dinner is held.
Zoot claims that as long as they keep District 6 and each other in their minds they will never be the
government’s minions and will not have let them do what they wanted.
The next morning the Casbah is empty.

38. Winsor Park:
The Boys stay in their homes until the demolition.
They get their belongings out at the last moment and watch the destruction together.
When the day’s work comes to an end they gather around a fire and say their goodbyes, vowing to
tell people of the fate of District 6.

39. Contextual Questions
1. Why does The Butterfly feel guilty? Explain what
happened. (2)
2.1 Which Moena is mentioned by The Butterfly?
2.2 Why is she named like this?
2.3 What is the other called? Why?
3. Mary can be seen as the mother of Buckingham
Palace.
3.1 Why do you think that is?
3.3 Provide two examples of why Mary can be described
as generous.
4. Why is it significant that Zoot removed the red bulb on
the stoep of the Casbah?
5. Provide two examples of why Zoot can be described as
loyal.

40. Contextual Questions
1. In the first paragraph Zoot says, “ they split us apart and
scattered us like the sparks of this fire”
1.1 Identify and explain the poetic device here.
2. Why is Pretty-Boy going to stay in the Bokaap?
3. Pretty-Boy is described as a devoted person. Why?
4. Where and when does this scene take place? Explain your
answer.
5. In the first line of the last paragraph the flame is described
as: “…very low and licked weakly over the glowing bits of
wood.”
5.1 Identify and explain the poetic device that was used here.
5.2 What message do you think the writer is trying to convey
in the last sentence?

41. Theme : Apartheid