Narrator and Tone

Bryce Courtenay is an Australian author; he was raised up in South Africa as a boy. Through out his life he faced many struggles, as he took a stand against the racism in South Africa, after studying at Oxford University he owned a very successful advertising business in Sydney. After retiring at the age of 55 he became an author.

Through out the novel the power of one the Courtenay’s point of view on certain aspects of life are shown. One recurring them in the book is Christianity. Courtenay shows a very negative view toward the spiritual concept and suggests that Christianity is an inward feeling of comfort, yet it is no more than a feeling. Throughout the novel a very negative tone is put upon Christianity and it is shown to be a waste of life. Courtenay gives a very distorted view on what Christianity is. The first time that Christianity is mentioned is in chapter 8 where Peekay arrives at Barberton station and his mother picks him up. Throughout this chapter the author, sets the tone for Christianity for the rest of the book. Peekay is perplexed at how his mother talks always mentioning God and praising him. This negative tone is further expressed throughout the rest of the novel, giving the reader a negative view to both God and Christians.
As a Christian I don’t agree with how the book represents God and Christians. God is to be respected, in the book he is treated as another man, or human being, yet God is greater than that, he is almighty and all-powerful. As a Christian there is great comfort, God is our saviour, and he has forgiven our sins. The book describes Christianity as a waste of life, yet in actual fact it brings purpose to life. We are to live as God’s children to the fear and glory of his name.

Through the book the author’s point of view is also expressed concerning the issue of racism. Courtenay shows through the characters that he wants to make a stand against the separation of races. Through out the book Peekay, the protagonist tries to help the black Natives and the Boers as well as being loyal to his own race. Peekay did not show the same racist attitude that many of the South Africans showed. The author in many ways was similar to the character that he created –Peekay. He wanted to help overcome the difference between races in South Africa by starting a school for the native, but was told to leave South Africa as a result. Through the book the author shows through a negative tone that racism is wrong, yet he also shows a positive tone to helping and caring for the native people.

The Novel is narrated by Peekay the main character and the protagonist of the Novel. Peekay narrates it as in the future, as an adult looking back on his life that has gone by. Looking back on his early years, as a child growing but to manhood. The bildungsroman is narrated form the fist person point of view, from Peekay’s point of view, allowing the author to use the narrators thought, views and opinions to influence the throughs and opinions of the readers. The author uses the approach of stream of consciousness of the narrator. In this technique, the author uses the narrator of the bildungsroman, that through his thoughts processes the author is able to portray to the audience, the value, and attitudes of the character. In the Novel The Power Of One Peekay – the narrator – is presented as the protagonist. Through out the novel the author give the readers an insight to what Peekay’s though processes are and what his views are through his thoughts. An example of this is when Geel Peit Died, the author describes the pain that Peekay was feeling through his thoughts which he shared with the audience as the narrator of the story.

The story is told in a reflective sense, Peekay tells us his own reflections on what he had experienced in his life, looking back from hindsight, this gives the reader the ability to see how Peekay progressed as a character through out the novel and when growing into adult hood. Peekay also uses third person for the detail boxing matches where the reader is told in detail what Peekay’s though process is. This helps the reader to understand what Peekay is going through, and they are able to feel the atmosphere of what is going on. Through this the author is able to create a strong connection between the reader of the book and the protagonist –Peekay.