2. he's a good boy, this one
i don't know what we'd do
without him
he knows where everything is
all the prices
the regular customers' likes and dislikes
and he's only been here a year
yes, he is a good man
this boy
who's never heard
about being your brother's keeper
and turning the other cheek
but still manages to smile
as baas
leans on the crutch of his shoulder
as he stumbles to a chair
in the sun
then shrugs him off
as if he were swatting an irritating fly
He's a good boy,
this one
Shabbir Banoobhai
3. stanza
one
1
The word boy is a patronising
term used by certain white
South Africans to address black
males.
“This one,” indicates a certain
depersonalisation towards black
people.
2 - 7
He is extremely valuable, yet he
is only seen as an object of
labour.
His place of work is deliberately
kept vague so we might apply
this idea to other black people
in similar situations.
he's a good boy, this one
i don't know what we'd do
without him
he knows where everything is
all the prices
the regular customers' likes and dislikes
and he's only been here a year
4. lines
8-12
8 / 9
The use of man / boy
emphasizes the sense of
superiority the persona feels
towards the black character.
10 - 12
This shows that the character is
an outsider to christianity which
sets up the irony of the fact that
he acts in a far more christian
way than white people.yes, he is a good man
this boy
who's never heard
about being your brother's keeper
and turning the other cheek
5. lines
13-19
13
His smiling is extremely admirable in
the face of such a lack of gratitude.
14
‘Baas’ is the Afrikaans word that black
people would have addressed their
employers by in the period.
15 / 16 / 17
The metaphor reveals how although the
character helps his employer in this
intimate way he is still seen in terms of
no more than an object. To the ‘baas’
he is not a person but merely a crutch.
18 / 19
This action is seen as a devastating
betrayal because of the baas’s lack of
gratitude. The simile emphasizes how
low his opinion of the black person.
but still manages to smile
as baas
leans on the crutch of his shoulder
as he stumbles to a chair
in the sun
then shrugs him off
as if he were swatting an irritating fly
6. Questions
1. Explain the use of the words ‘boy’ and ‘man’ in the poem by
referring to the context and their connotations. (2)
2. In what role is the black person primarily cast? Quote to
support your answer. (2)
3. Explain, in detail, the white people’s attitude to the black
person with close reference to the poem. (3)
4. Which biblical story does the phrase “brother’s keeper’ come
from?”
5. Identify and explain the use of irony in the poem regarding
religion. (3)
6. Explain the symbolism used in the actions of the black person
helping the white person to a chair in the sun.
7. Discuss the final simile and comment on whether you think it
to be an effective one.
