Out of Bounds, Beverley Naidoo

The Playground 1995

Here are detailed reading questions to help you understand this short story.

The story is set in 1995. Explain briefly the political situation in South Africa in that
year.

Read the short story once, rapidly, then again, more slowly, answering the questions as you go along.

1. Who is Rosa?
2. What colour skin does she have?
3. (lines 1 – 13) Who is “trigger-boy”? What colour is he?
4. Use 2 or 3 adjectives to describe him.
5. How old is Rosa?
6. What new school is she going to in January?
7. (lines 23 – 28) What do we learn about this school and its headmaster?
8. Where does Rosa live?
9. (line 42 – 52) Names some differences between her present school and Oranje Primary.
10. Who is Hennie? (You’ll need to read a bit further to be sure).
11. Who does Rosa’s mother work for?
12. Rosa also works for them in her spare time. What does she do (2 jobs)?
13. What colour do you think Mr and Mrs Van Niekerk are?
14. (line 95 – 101) What were black people able to do for the first time in SA in 1994?
15. What word is used to describe the new SA?
16. How would you describe Mr Van Niekerk (Meneer = Sir in Afrikaans)? (3 - 4 adjectives)
17. What about Mrs Van Niekerk (Mevrou= Madam in Afrikaans)?
18. (lines 264 – 267) What are the Springboks?
19. Who is Thato?
20. (lines 276 – 284) How does Rosa’s mother react when she hears racist comments from the Van
Niekerks?
21. (lines 304 – 329) What do you conclude from the TV interview of students from another newly-
mixed school?
22. (line 330 – 356) Why is Rosa still worried about going to Oranje Primary?
23. (line 410) “This has echoes of Little Rock”. Find out about this reference (where / when / what).
24. (line 408 – 418) Who is the man with the American accent and the microphone?
25. When Rosa enters the classroom, who does she find?
26. How does Rosa feel about this?
27. (lines 453 – 485) Rosa has to write about her holidays. What does she write about?
28. (lines 485 – 546) Briefly say what happened at break time.
29. Who rescued her?
30. How would you describe Rosa’s attitude after the playground incident?
31. Do you think this short story is optimistic or pessimistic about the future of SA? Justify.