"Master Harold and the boys", by Athol Fugard focuses on 17 year old Harold and his struggle to understand racial tensions in South Africa during the 1950's. While Harold's mother is out to visit his father in the hospital, Harold engages in a series of heated debates with Willie and Sam; his life long South African friends.
Although Harold's Friendship with Willie and Sam has lasted his entire life, he risks it in one afternoon as the racist tendencies of South Africa got the better of him. The idea of whites being intellectually superior to blacks is a theme that can be seen throughout the play. When Sam warns Hally of the way he treats his father, Hally retaliates by telling Sam he is "treading on dangerous ground." Hally starts to believe that his mother was right in warning him to stay away from the blacks. Hally humiliates Sam by reminding him that he is "only a servant", therefor Hally decides he should be addressed as Master Harold. As if Hally has not done enough harm already he taunts Sam with a racial joke about a black mans "arse.".
Sam had been training Willie to be a dancer at the start of the play. Harold immediately dismisses dancing as a pointless amusement to please "simple-minded" black folks. Sam counters by explaining that dancing is an art much like painting or music. Sam also goes on to compare dancing to politics. Countries are bumping into each other all the time, but for the wrong reasons; "America bumped into Russia" and "England bumped into India" During the dance things will be as they should be in a perfect world. "Going to see six couples get it right, the way we want life to be" This is a message of hope, someday the countries may be able to bump into each other in harmony instead of turbulence.
The debate between Harold and Sam over people of great magnitude brought forth the differences of the two. Harold repeatedly mentioned scientist as Darwin for contributing the most to society.
