Masking for survival: An exploration of Alex La Guma’s In the Fog of the Seasons’ End

Abstract

The fiction of Alex La Guma is consistently, classed as “protest” literature. This is, presumably, due to his pointed political commentary, his focus on spectacular episodes of brutality, and his conviction that the reader must do something. His novel, In the Fog of the Seasons’ End seems to be directed to a multiple audience. While clearly intended to raise consciousness and indignation in the non-white population of South Africa, it also clearly speaks to an international audience with less experience in the day-to-day realities of the system of apartheid. This paper therefore hopes to analyze and explain how La Guma uses the technique of masking the identity of his characters in an attempt to help them survive in a politically dangerous environment; South African apartheid era, and simultaneously respond to the harsh discriminatory policies perpetrated against the non-whites by the minority whites. The study presented to us the means by which Alex La Guma uses masking—concealing the identity of the characters, especially major characters—to enable them function in their underground movements to revolt against the apartheid regime. Most significantly, his narrative technique and characterization are what we clearly take cues from in order to understand his position for revolution.