Beverly Naidoo's Short Story 'Out Of Bounds'

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Although growing up can be tough, it is something everyone has to go through. These are the moments that shape us and make us better people. In the short story ‘Out of Bounds’ by Beverly Naidoo, the main character Rohan comes from a very privileged family. One day, squatters come and take over the land in front of his house. Rohan’s parents have tried to shield him from the poverty however when their out, he helps a squatter called Solani. Through helping Solani, Rohan grows and matures as a character. This is evident when he gains independence, he learns things for himself and above all, he starts to empathise.

The first reason to why I think Rohan is maturing is because he’s becoming more independent. For example, at the beginning, Rohans …show more content…

Through his conversations with Solani, Rohan learns a little bit about what it’s like to be a squatter. Some evidence is when they're chatting about the wire cars, Rohan tells Solani to sell his cars in the mall because he would make lot’s of money but Rohan is surprised when Solani replies “We can’t go there. The guards-they don’t let us in.” This is just a simple example but it shows a lot for example, maybe the squatters are ‘dangerous’ Most importantly Rohan learns that it can be rewarding to help someone. We can see this when Solani gave Rohan a chance to go back home, Rohan replied ‘“No it’s fine. Let’s go.” Rohan heard a strange brightness in his own voice.’ This shows that he is determined to help Solani and after saying that he starts to feel good. Rohan is learning a valuable lesson for himself and is therefore is …show more content…

After Solani said thank you to Rohan for helping fill the buckets, the text says ‘The unexpected softness in his voice had a strange effect on Rohan. It sounded different from his own bossy tone. Suddenly he felt a little ashamed.’ This shows he is starting to realise how grateful Solani is and that he feels a little bit guilty, this is a sign of maturity. Another example is when Solani’s mum is thanking Rohan for his help, Rohan replies “”It’s OK.” His voice came out strangely small.’ This shows that instead of at the beginning he when he acts superior, he has become more humble and he shows more respect for Solani. Feeling bad for Solani shows that he is starting to empathise and connect with him and this shows