Study Like a Boss
“Harold Master” And The Boys was Athol Fugal’s well-written play. He used his own personal experiences to breathe life into the play. Athol Fugard was born in South Africa, where almost all of his plays are staged. His mother had operated the St. George Tea Room in Port Elizabeth, South Africa when he was a boy. Elsewhere, Fugard’s father was injured, so he was discouraged from working.
He has always been an alcoholic, he went into and out of hospitals and held strongly racist views. He went by “Hally” when Fugard was young and was very loyal to two of the older black servants of his family, Sam, and Willie. Fugard had an argument with Sam when he was eight and was spitting on him. He wrote in his journal and that entry eventually served as the inspiration for “Master Harold”.
Athol Fugard’s drama, “Master Harold” . . . And The Boys, was written during a time of great conflict in South Africa, where he was raised. Fugard was torn between his mother, who was “Afrikaaner,” (1291) and his father, who was “of English decent” (1291). These differing influences caused Fugard to use the discussions between … Read more