| The Power of One | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Bryce Courtenay |
| Country | South Africa |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Bildungsroman, Historical novel |
| Publisher | Matt Moran(MHS faculty) (UK) & (Random House & (Marclar Productions) (USA) |
| Publication date | February 1989 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 576 pp (UK hardback edition) & 533 pp (US paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-434-14612-9 (UK hardback edition), ISBN 0-345-35992-5 (US paperback edition) & ISBN 0-141-30489-8 (children's adaptation) |
| OCLC Number | 59213894 |
| Followed by | Tandia |
The Power of One is a novel by Bryce Courtenay, first published in 1989. Set in South Africa during the 1930s and 1940s, it tells the story of an Anglo-African boy who, through the course of the story, acquires the nickname of Peekay. (In the movie version, the protagonist's given name is Peter Phillip Kenneth Keith, but not in the book. The author identifies "Peekay" as a reference to his earlier nickname "Pisskop": Afrikaans for "Pisshead.")
It is written from the first person perspective, with Peekay narrating (as an adult, looking back) and trusting the reader with his thoughts and feelings, as opposed to a detailed description of places and account of actions.
A film adaption was released in 1992.
When his mother suffers from a nervous breakdown, five-year-old Peekay is sent to a tiny rural Afrikaans boarding school. He is severely bullied and teased for being English (anti-English sentiment was widespread amongst Afrikaners because of atrocities committed by the English against Boer women and children). Peekay is especially bullied by "the Judge", a cruel, avid Nazi supporter and the oldest student. At the end of the year, traumatized from his experiences, Peekay is informed that he will not be returning to the farm, rather, he will be going to the East Transvaal town of Barberton, where his grandfather lives after the outbreak of Newcastle disease on his previous home.
On the train to Barberton, Peekay befriends Hoppie Groenewald, a guard. During Peekay's short train trip Groenewald shares his love of boxing with Peekay. After Hoppie Groenwald wins a boxing match, Peekay is mesmerized with the sport and vows to become the welterweight champion of the world. After winning the match, Hoppie leaves to fight the Nazis in Germany; Peekay never meets him again, but is inspired by Hoppie's words for the rest of his life.
Over the course of his childhood and young adulthood in Barberton, Peekay encounters numerous friends. The first is a German professor of music, Professor Karl Von Vollensteen, who instills in him a love of knowledge. The professor, known for his love of cacti and his nickname "Doc", soon becomes Peekay's mentor and father-figure. Part of the way through the professor is imprisoned for being an unregistered foreigner. While spending time with Doc in prison Peekay meets and befriends Geel Piet, a coloured South African who starts Peekay's formal boxing training. Through his friendship with Geel Piet, and with the encouragement of the Professor, Peekay begins to see the injustice of apartheid South Africa. During the years the Professor is in prison, Peekay enlists the aid of the local librarian, Mrs. Boxall, and his teacher, Miss Bornstein, and they begin to provide aid for the prisoners and prisoner's families, including writing letters for the prisoners. One night Peekay discovers Geel Piet has been murdered in the boxing gym by the warden.
Book Two of the novel describes Peekay's experiences at the Prince of Wales school. He quickly partners up with the son of a Jewish multimillionaire, Morrie Levy. Peekay and Morrie take the school by storm - Peekay's boxing talent reforms the pathetic Prince of Wales boxing team, and Morrie becomes Peekay's manager. Soon the two boys have a lucrative gambling business set up, as well as all kinds of other "scams" which bring in enough money for Peekay to begin boxing lessons with South Africa's top coach, Solly Goldman. Peekay becomes a stranger to failure, excelling at boxing, rugby, and academics. However, he must face Doc's death towards the end of his school career as well as the disappointment of not winning a Rhodes scholarship to attend Oxford University.
Book Three traces Peekay's life in Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia) where he takes on a dangerous (but lucrative) job as a "grizzly man" in the mines in order to build up his body for his boxing, and to earn enough money to pay his way through three years at Oxford. He forms a close friendship with a Russian miner, named Rasputin, who eventually saves Peekay during a mining catastrophe, dying in the process. Peekay recovers but, before leaving the mines, he discovers that he has been working for his old nemesis, Jaapie Botha, previously known as "the Judge" when he encounters his diamond-driller at the local crud bar. He then brutally beats "the Judge" and exacts his revenge. The novel concludes with Peekay leaving Northern Rhodesia no longer lonely and empowered within himself.