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The Road to Mecca (Notes, summaries and ebook)
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
The Road to Mecca (Notes, summaries and ebook)
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ENG1501 THE ROAD TO MECCAEXAM PREP 3
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ENG 1501
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017
THE ROAD TO MECCA
INDEX:
1. Setting
2. Summary
3. Themes
4. Essay on Miss Helen
5. Essay on Elsa Barlow
6. Essay on Katrina
7. Essay on Marius Beyleveld
8. Essay on the struggles the women face in road to mecca
9. Artists Arise: Revelations on The Road to Mecca
SETTING
Time: Summer, 1976 rekindling autumn, 1974
Place: Nieu Bethesda, South Africa
Summary
Since her husband's death, Miss Helen has lived alone and transformed her home into a work of art by creating a
myriad of cement wise men, camels, owls, mermaids, and other figures around the house; and decorating the inside
with dozens of candles and mirrors. She has created her own "Mecca" of beauty and freedom amid the harsh church-
going Afrikaners and voiceless Coloured of this desolate region of South Africa. She has befriended a young teacher
from Cape Town, Elsa, who sees the light of humanity in Helen, while others view her as an old woman who went
crazy after her husband's death.
In response to Helen's letter of distress, Elsa drives from Cape Town to make a surprise visit on the same day the local
pastor, Marius Byleveld, comes to Miss Helen's house to help with her application for a bed at the local Old Folks'
Home. Marius is invested in Helen moving to the Home because he fears for her safety (she recently burned herself by
accident). Beneath this concern, however, is his deeper fear of her "idolatry" and her self-imposed exile from the
Church; yet deeper still, is his human love for Miss Helen. With Elsa's support, Helen takes a stand, deciding to remain
alone in her Mecca, rather than going to the Home.
Themes:
1. Loneliness
The path of an artist is a lonely one. To choose art seems often to imply being forced to choose loneliness as
well. All 3 characters are desperately lonely.
Marius has lived for many years with the secret of his love for Helen : he attempt to overcome his
loneliness with religion
Elsa is seeking someone to love and trust, after being terribly hurt by her affair with a married man-
David.
Helen turned to art after the death of her husband and she attempt to overcome her loneliness
through her art, though it is her art which has caused her loneliness in the first place.
The location of the play – in the desert adds to the atmosphere of isolation and loneliness
Old age is also strongly associated with loneliness.
2. Creativity
“The only reason I have for being alive is my Mecca”
Helens creativity is her reason for living
The greatest fear she has is losing her creativity
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