Main Theme :
(Not supplied/ No Ditch)
The narrative details the painful and horrific experiences of this young girl who existed in an antagonistic and cruel world. From her narrative, the reader discovers a traumatic story of abuse, survival, and a quest for education to redeem her from a tortured life. Mendlali’s experience with different characters attests to the various torments that she had to face: abuse by her family; her guardian Ncane torments her intensely; harassment from old boys like Mvikelo.
It also reveals how community and family pressure aggravates the plight of Mendlali. Her abusive behavior at home manifests the themes of negligence and harshness when she is deprived of even the slightest bit of compassion and is punished ruthlessly for mistakes. Amidst all this, Mendlali is focused on her education, which is the only option left for her to seek a better future.
There are, on the other hand, characters such as Mvikelo who, although contributing to the woes of Mendlali in the initial stages, portray a spark of good-heartedness where he offers to come in at his aid, albeit in the wrong way. This is how humans can get pretty unpredictable, and change, and help may come right from where they least expected.
This aspect is developed further by involving Mvikeli’s father, Mkhwanazi, and their plans to give Mendlali work in a way that is sure to create ulterior motives. The family allows one to see societal hierarchies and the transactional nature of relations in their community.
Also, Nosipho’s and Zanele’s ambitions and discussions let one into the aspirations and dreams the girls of their age in the same environment have, against the relative shelter under which they live as opposed to the plight of Mendlali. Their desires to marry into an improved life are contrastive to the instant survival and schooling concerns that Mendlali has.
Overall, it is a moving account of a young girl’s perseverance against all odds in the midst of themes such as abuse, societal pressure, family neglect, and hope for a better future with education and personal fortitude.
