51 pages • 1 hour read
Olive SchreinerThe Story of an African Farm
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1883A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Research the history of Dutch and English colonialism in South Africa. With this in mind, discuss the relationship between the novel’s Boer and English characters.
What role does Tant’ Sannie play in the children’s lives? How does she influence Lyndall and Em? How do her actions impact Waldo?
What does the novel suggest is the ultimate purpose of education? How does its depiction of education relate to its depiction of art?
How does the novel define women’s roles at the time during which it is set? Does the colonial setting impact those roles?
Discuss the structure of the novel. How does Part 1’s focus on Bonaparte Blenkins relate to Part 2’s focus on the Em-Gregory-Lyndall love triangle?
How does Gregory Rose’s character change throughout the course of the novel? Is his transformation sincere? Why or why not?
What is the role of the natural world throughout the novel? Does the novel suggest a distinction between the farm and the “wilder” setting that surrounds it?
How does Lyndall’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy intersect with her protofeminist philosophy? Does the novel suggest that her relationship with her unnamed lover was the cause or the effect of her views on marriage and women’s equality?
How does the title reflect the contents of the novel? That is, how is this the story of an African farm? Does the farm impact events or influence characters? Does Africa impact events or influence characters?
