Mary is the central character, or protagonist, of this novel. Her actions, reactions, psychological and emotional state of being, complete mental and spiritual deterioration, and ultimately her death that drive both the narrative action and the development of the novel's central themes. What's particularly interesting about this character is that she is both archetypal, in that she represents a certain set of consistent characteristics within a certain group of people, and highly individualized, given that her particular circum-stances are equally important in defining her identity. In terms of the former, she has many of the characteristics of individuals within her situation—white people in mid-apartheid South Africa. These characteristics mostly develop in relation to black people—specifically, from the unshakeable belief that whites are, in every way, superior to blacks, that they have the right to.....
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