Mine Boy Chapters 13–16 Summary, Analysis

Mine Boy is a Marxist novel written by Peter Abraham that details the life and struggles of its characters in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ending chapters of the novel, 13, 14, 15, 16, are where the climax is as different events begin to unfold. The last four chapters of Peter Abraham’s Mine Boy areominous as it turns out to be prescient, as two years later a period of institutionalized white supremacy and racial segregation known as the apartheid began.

       Chapter 13 opens with Xuma calling Eliza’s name from his sleep and Ma Plank who is also in the room at that time doesn’t know what to do. Ma Plank hovers over Xuma till he opens his eyes. Xuma returning to reality, asks of Eliza. Ma Plank tells Xuma that Eliza is gone and that she isn’t going to return. This news catches Xuma off guard as it wasn’t a news that he expected. Xuma stares at Ma Plank hard and long without uttering a word. Ma Plank noticing Xuma’s expression tries to explain to him that Eliza loved him, but she doesn’t know how to explain it to him

“… it’s hard to explain Xuma, for the things that are in the mind of another person are always hard to understand”

Ma plank reveals that Eliza has the same sickness that Daddy had-tuberculosis–which she thinks is part of the reason Eliza left. Xuma though present is absent at the same time. Ma Plank does not understand Xuma’s reaction to the news although she had not anticipated any form of reaction she did not also expect him to sit down and stare like he was doing. Ma Plank dished Xuma a plate of food and placed it before him, Xuma eats the food subconsciously as he is not aware of other things but the blankness that envelopes him at that time. Xuma becomes aware of the food and puts it aside, Ma Plank tries to coax him to eat saying that Eliza’s request was for her to cook him a meal. Xuma pleads with Ma Plank to let him be as he wishes to be alone. Ma Plank is hesitant, but she lets him be and goes from the room. Ma Plank leaves the room and Xuma sits on the edge of the bed delving again into subconsciousness. Xuma is seriously hit by Eliza’s leaving as he keeps repeating the same thing “She’s gone.” This continues until afternoon slips into evening.

       Maisy shows up later in Xuma’s room smiling cheerfully but there is a deep pain buried in the depths of her eyes. Maisy picks up a shirt and a pair of pants and tells Xuma to get dressed. Xuma stands up and gets dressed then resumes his position on the edge of the bed. Maisy determined to make Xuma come out of his current mood questions him about work, but Xuma doesn’t have work that night. Maisy invites Xuma to a dance with her friends, but Xumadeclines the offer. Maisy then tries using Leah’s name to get to him, but Xuma coldly tells her to leave him alone

“I don’t want to go anywhere. Please leave me alone Maisy. Later, maybe, I will go with you again. Now, I want to be alone.”

Maisy reluctantly goes out in tears leaving Xuma in his world of blankness. Xuma hears Maisy crying and gets annoyed, but it fades away quickly and Xuma reclaims his position on the edge of the bed and withdraws into his subconscious state brooding over Eliza’s departure from his life.

       Leah storms into Xuma’s room 20 minutes after Maisy’s tearful exit from the room. Leah speaks harshly to Xuma initially to gain his attention and sure enough she gains it. With Xuma’s attention gotten Leah’s tone softens and becomes more friendly. She speaks to Xuma like a mother comforting her child. Leah urges Xuma to go out for a long walk to clear his mind

“… Now… Go out and walk. Walk for a long time and when you are tired come back.”

Leah taunts him with the idea of taking him to “bed.” Leah picks him up from the edge of the bed and shoves him outside the door and she urges him to walk. Leah quickly withdraws into the room and leans heavily against the door with tears glisteningher eyes. Leah looks around the room and smiles wistfully as memories of Eliza’s happy moments floods her memory. Leah sees a snapshot of Eliza pinned above the table she unpins it and slips it into the folds of her dress. Leah comments that no oneknows how she feels about Eliza’s departure. Two big tear drops roll down Leah’s face, but she is quick to wipe it and straighten up before going into the outside world.

       In chapter 14 Xuma takes a walk as Leah urged him to. As Xuma walks he keeps thinking about Eliza. Xuma walk without knowing where he is going to, he doesn’t see the people walking pass him neither does he hear the sound around him the only thing he is aware of is Eliza’s desertion. As Xuma walks on the blankness in his mind starts to   clear and he becomes aware of the things around him. A wave of dizziness hits Xuma and his legs become weak from walking two hours without as mush as a pause because he was lost in the rhythm of motion. Xuma looks around and wonders where he is he sees a familiar flat stone, and he recalls activities from the pervious night. Xuma remembers how he and Elizasat there the night before and how she asked him not to go to work and how she told him to love her right there. It was like Xuma could see her right there. Xuma felt a strong pain in his heart that left a lump in his throat. It was then that the fact that he wouldn’t see Eliza again hit him hard. Xuma immediately wanted to leave the spot and go back. Xuma kept walking till he got to Malay camp. Xuma pushed through a group of people as he was walking, and a man grabbed his hand, but Xuma shook the man off and continued walking. The man out of annoyance cursed him and walked after him the woman that was with the man went after the man and stopped him

“‘leave him.’ She spoke. ‘You can see he is in trouble’”

Xuma went to his room, but the pain only grew worse because the room did not feel the same without Eliza. Xuma stepped out of the room and decided to go to Leah’s place not because he wants to but because she is the only one that he knows.

       Xuma goes to Leah’s place Joannes and Lenawalk in. Joannes lifts a man by his throat and threatens to kill him Lena slaps him and he drops the man and begin to cry. While all this is going on Leahlaughs at how easily a strong man can be brought to tears. Leah asks Xuma to accompany her to ask the policeman on the next raid information. On the way Leah tells Xuma that she also misses Eliza, and she loves her too. Leah tries to comfort Xuma on Eliza’sleaving. Leah gets the information she needs as the policeman tells her that the raid would take place the next day. They return to leash place and Maisy take Xuma out for a walk Leah tells them to get back in time to hide the beers. While walking Maisy takes the chance to profess her love to Xuma. Xuma doesn’t say anything. They return to Leah’s and as they start hiding the beer policemen enters and arrests Leah as she tells them not to take any of her friends. The police men reveal that they have been gathering evidence against her for a while as someone had been hitting on her. Leah says goodbye to her friends and tells Xuma that he is like a son to her. Leah tells Ma Plank to sell off the place and save the money till she returns. When Leah is taken away Xuma reflects that it was first Eliza now its Leah.

       In chapter 15 Xuma is smoking at dawn he is thinking of Leah’s trial the judge sentenced her to nine-month imprisonment. Paddy joins him in smoking and tells him he also has the same view as he Xuma doesn’t believe because he is black and Paddy is white. Paddy doesn’t give up but makes Xuma see his sincerity Xuma is happy as he has found some one willing to fight with him against discrimination.

  In chapter 16 Xuma becomes fully aware of the racism and exploitation in the mines. This chapter focuses on Johanne’s death; it is because of his death that Xuma finds out that there is no regard for the life of a black worker. Xuma runs away from the scene out of fear. Xuma is hunted by his action and decides to turn himself over to the police. Ma Plank tries to dissuade Xuma, but his mind is already made up. Xuma confesses his love to Maisy and tells her to wait for him to be out of jail then he would start a family with her.

Main Themes in Chapters 13-16 of Mine Boy by Peter Abrahams

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16