Quote 3
“‘How did he die?’ my mother asked.
‘He shunned school and, instead, grew up to live by the knife. And the same knife he lived by ended his life. That’s why whenever I see a boy-child refuse to go to school, I stop and tell the story of my dear little mbitsini [heartbreak].” (Mathabane 127).
‘He shunned school and, instead, grew up to live by the knife. And the same knife he lived by ended his life. That’s why whenever I see a boy-child refuse to go to school, I stop and tell the story of my dear little mbitsini [heartbreak].” (Mathabane 127).
Analysis
In this book, getting an education is like the only way to reach a successful future. This quote shows an example of why having an education leads to greater things than not having one at all. In Alexandra, many of the children did not understand how important education was. Education was not valued in the story by many of the Alexandra people because they had many other things to worry about. Many of them lived in poverty and were more concerned about staying alive than becoming educated, which cost money. This leads to a sort of cycle, where a lack of education just leads back to a life of poverty, in some cases.