Nadine Gordimer’s “The Ultimate Safari” Summary

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and political activist. In 1991, she won

the Novel Prize for Literature. Gordimer’s story is based on the real experiences of several

refugees from Mozambique during the 1980’s when the white minority South African

government-backed a rebel coup in an attempt to overthrow the black-run Marxist

government that was place in the country. “The Ultimate Safari” by Nadine Gordimer is a

short story about a family from Mozambique, who goes on a journey together as refugees to

escape the horrors of war in their home country. The story is narrated by an unnamed little

girl, the middle child of the family, who records the events of the family’s escape to South

Africa.

The story begins with the narrator’s account of the disappearance of her mother, who

went out to get oil for their camp stove and never returned. According to the narrator, it’s

likely that her mother was killed by the rebels “bandits”. The narrator’s father is long gone,

off to fight bandits whom she believes are destroying her country. To escape a fate similar to

that of her mother and father, the narrator’s family including her two siblings and her

grandparents, decides to flee the country. They decide that the best route is through Kruger

Park, a wildlife refuge visited often by rich white tourist that include daily safari tours to spot

various large beasts – lions, elephants, and other animals. In the park, the family finds almost

nothing to eat. They and other refugees also traveling through the park are starving. At one

point, the narrator’s grandfather, who is suffering from dementia or a similar disease,

wanders off into the tall grasses. Unable to track him down, the narrator’s grandmother

decides to leave her husband behind to get her grandchildren something to eat and a place to

rest. Finally, the grandmother leads the children to a refugee camp at the edge of South
Africa. They are given a corner in a tent shared by many other families. The other refugees in

the camp are in the same circumstances they are, and there are few opportunities to make a

living or gain money to buy a house or a shelter other than the refugee camp tents.

Eventually, the narrator’s grandmother finds a laborious job to provide foe her grandchildren,

though they aren’t able to save enough to leave the refugee camp. At the end, some group of

“white people” visited them, foreigners who arrive with video cameras to document the

refugees’ experience in the camps.

 Nadine Gordimer’s “The Ultimate Safari” Analysis

In The Ultimate Safari by Nadine Gordimer have the theme of loss, fear,

displacement, struggle, and hope. The story is about a family from Mozambique, who goes

on a journey together as refugees to escape the horrors of war in their home country. The

story begins by the disappearance of the narrator’s mother and her father has gone fight to the

war. In this scenario the narrator has lost both her mother and father. Thus, it explores the

theme of loss.

It also shows fear. Wherein the narrator is afraid of the situation she finds herself in.

she does not know when the bandits (rebels) will return to the village and such she leaves

with her grandmother and two brothers to somewhere safer. Striding from one place to

another by the narrator and her family to somewhere safer shows the displacement.

There is also an extent of struggle in the story which is evident when the narrator is

walking through Kruger Park. She is hungry and tired of carrying her brother. Also, they find

almost nothing to eat. They and other refugees also traveling through the park are starving.

Their arrival to the refugee camp they see hope. There is a feeling that things would

get better, and they do, thanks to their grandmother skills. The ending is very interesting

because the narrator appears to have found happiness in the refugee camp. It may not be her

home, but she is not there without the generosity of her grandmother. The narrator eagerness

to return to Mozambique is noticeable. This is against to the will of her grandmother. When

the grandmother were asked if will she go back home? The grandmother answer “…there is

nothing. No home.” Even so, the grandmother has suffered too much loss. She understands

that her life will never be the same. But as a reader there is a hope in me that the narrator will
take a go back to Mozambique because she is still young, so she might not be scared as her

grandmother. However, only time will tell.