Kyle Keens Essays - Christianity, Zakes Mda, Protestantism

Kyle Keens 201400329 Role of Religion within Zakes Mda's "The Hill" Christianity has a long standing within South Africa and since the arrival there has been the desire to use Christianity as a method of gaining something. Whether it is the land of native peoples or the subservience of them Christianity as an evangelical force has been used to carve a way for many different settlers to establish themselves within the country and also to legitimise their methods and actions. Arriving in 1652 Jan Van Riebeeck brought with him Christianity in the form of the Dutch Reform Church to be set up with many Dutch settlers who came to Cape Town to establish a resupply line for ships travelling to and from Southeast and South Asia. In 1737 the missionary George Schmidt arrived and established the first Protestant mission called the Moravian Brethren which left after being harassed for baptising Khoi-khoi slaves. 1792 the mission returned with three missionaries. The thirty years that followed saw many more missionaries from many different countries come to South Africa which had become a major trading hub. The missionaries reportedly had the goal to evangelise and civilise Africa using South Africa as a gateway. By the twentieth century Christianity made up eighty percent of the population's chosen religion however due to vast numbers of different denominations the most popular only makes up around ten percent. The story of The Hill by Zakes Mda relies heavily on religious influences and uses the influence of religion on the people as a theme within the play. Religion is painted as a force that does not do good however it suppresses and pacifies the poor with the promise of reward in the future or the afterlife. Within the play The Hill Mda portrays characters that are abused by the class system and forced to be satisfied by their religious beliefs. The aspects of religion and its place within the play will be examined as well as the portrayal of religion and more specifically Christianity within the play and the characters. Throughout the play, The Hill (Mda, 1980) the characters of the man and the young man speak of the promises that Christianity has. They argue over many of the aspects of the religion like faith and its place within their lives. The older man appears disgruntled and disillusioned by religion. They argue at one point during the play that they have not prayed enough and that the reason they do not do well is because their faith is not strong enough. The old man says on page 82 of the play Now you want to move mountains. You talk just like them. Those who call themselves the Gospel Group. Men and women who go to the compound of the N.R.C. in the evenings, and shout hymns and prayers to poor migrants who are waiting the long wait. They tell us to repent, for we are sinners in the eyes of the lord. This illustrates the view of the church in regards to the poor. Rather than being mistreated by the rich it is said that the poor are poor because they sin and because they do not pray enough or have enough faith. The character of the man argues this by stating that faith cannot feed them and give them work or protect them when they are waiting in the dangerous areas desperate for work. The nun who visits the hill every Sunday yet does not cleanse the men is a symbol of Religion and its lack of involvement in helping the men in need. This shows Mda's belief in religion simply promising a better life as a means of pacifying the poor and keeping them satisfied with their lot in life. The nun character comes in and ignores the characters and their desire for her to cleanse them. The men who before swore of religion and rejected the faith are instantly enthralled by her presence and plead for cleansing of their sins. It is the way of people to desire a solution to their problems and the church serves that purpose. No matter how they feel and how many times they reject the church to themselves when she arrives they seek her