The Power of One

Bryce Courtenay

Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One. Canada: Little, Brownand Company, 1933. 530 pages.

Question:

Do you think that Peekay's defense mechanism effected how he acted throughout his life?

As a young boy of five who is living in Africa durring the Second World War, Peekay is shipped of to boarding school because his mother has a mental breakdown. At this boarding school, Peekay is the youngest and only english speaking boy there. At his arrival he is immediately verbally and physically abused by a senior boy called the Judge and his "stormtroopers". Peekay soon discovers that the only way to survive at this school is to disappear. Disappearing is his camouflage and defense mechanism. Peekay also learns that crying is unacceptable because it shows weakness and that intelligence makes one stand out. 

At such a young age Peekay hides his true self. He does not trust poeple nor does he show people who he really is. Peekay was attaked at a young and defenceless age, and because of his boarding school experience he carries with him the means of camouflage throughout his entire life. He never forgets what happened at his first boarding school. 

Because Peekay was so affected a his first boarding, I believe that he had a hard time finding friends his own age. The boys his age were all bigger than him and he always thought that bigger beats smaller. He is contradicted once he meets Hoppie Groenwald who is a professional boxer. Hoppie beats another boxer that was almost twice his size. Hoppie teaches Peekay the most important moral that he carries on with him throughout his life, "First with the head, then with the heart". After seeing that small can beat the big, Peekay ambition in life is to become the next welterweight champion of the world. He is driven by the notion that one day he will see the Judge again and that he will be able to defeat him.

Peekay's first boarding school experience affects him negatively and positively. He is not able to trust people and refuses to take or loan anything for then he will not be in control of his life. He makes himself a promise once he leaves his first boarding school that he would never forfeit his independence and he would never find himself in a situation were he was not controling his own life. However, because he was so good at his camouflage and going unnoticed, he was able to help many people, such as the prisoners in the Barberton prison, where his first real friend Doc is being held.

Doc helps Peekay learn to trust others and that intelligence is not something that should be hidden. Peekay's first friends are all teachers or adults that are intelligent people or people that can help him realize his dreamof becoming the next welterweight champion of the world. With the help of his new Barberton adult friends, Peekay is admitted to the Prince of Whales boarding school. At the Prince of Whales boarding school, Peekay's concept on camouflage is changed and he finally makes some very goods friends that are his age.

At the Prince of Whales boarding school, Peekay also realizes that another camouflage is being a winner and the best which he achieves through his boxing skills. He learns that no one challenges of questions a winner. With the help of his new best friend as well as his boxing manager and gambeling partener, Morrie, who is the only Jewish boy at the school, they learn together, "that survival is a matter of actively making the system work for you rather than attempting to survive it".

Once Peekay and Morrie finish school, Morrie tells Peekay that his father is willing to pay for Peekay's tuition for university but Peekay refuses because he would not be in control of his life and he would be in debt. So, instead he decides to go back to Africa to work in the mines to make the money that he will need to pay for University. At the mines, Peekay makes tones of money and is one of the best grizzly men. However after a near death experience almost a year after he started he decides that it is time to go home and go to university. At the mines he was able to build up his body strength which helped him put on some body weight that would help him in his boxing career. Everything that he did at the mines made Peekay come closer to his goal.

Before he left he paid one more visit to the local bar. However in the bar he finally meets his enemy, the Judge also known as Jaapi Botha. The JUdge attacks Peekay without knowing it was the kid who he bullied at school and the kid who help him pass school. After a long fight the Jugde finally falls to ground and realizes who he has been fighting. Peekay then gets on top of him and carves "PK" on the Judges arm.

Peekay's defense mechanism did not stay with him his whole life, for as he walked  out of the bar's doors his spirit was lifted and he was free. Free of the fear that the Judge had pushed onto him, free of the guilt and free of the hate. Peekay was finally able to live his life without having to worry, for small could beat the big. He had a clean slate for a new beginning.

Symbol: A full moon

A full moon was mentioned many times throughout this story. A full moon is only mentioned when someone has died. There was a full moon when Granpa Chook, Peekay's first friend and chicken, was killed by the Judge, when Geel Piet, a prisoner who helped Peekay with his boxing technique, was murdered, when Doc told Peekay that he would die in the crystal cave of Africa, and when Peekay left the bar after knocking the Judge unconscious. Even though the Judge did not die something else did. Peekay's hatred for the Judge died the second he walk out. The full moon also starts a new beginning and hope because after everyone of these deaths Peekay was able to take the knowledge of what happened and use it in his life.