My Son’s Story by Nadine Gordimer
My Son’s Story takes place in South Africa during a time when blacks are fighting to gain full rights of citizenship. The main character, Sonny, is married to a woman named Aila. They have two children, Baby and Will. As the story opens, the two children are young teenagers, and Will witnesses his father leaving the movie theater with a white woman. He believes his father is about to have an affair. Will struggles with this, as it plants the seed for a deep resentment toward his father that continues to grow. He doesn’t want to tell his mother, as he doesn’t want her to be devastated.
During this time, Sonny is a teacher. One day, he leads his students into a demonstration near the school, and he is fired. He becomes swept up in the movement for black liberation and gains popularity as a public political and social activist.
