Introduction: Since the onset of time, the art of values, doctrines and creeds has always been used as a political weapon to enslave humanity and rival opposing dogmas. This was clear and evident in the evolution of Apartheid in South Africa which propagated hatred, violence and warfare in the name of national glory. Hence, the play “Somewhere on the Border” provides us with a glimpse of the blurred lines between identity and ideology, politics and warfare, sexuality and violence- the grey spaces in which truths are revealed and true living is begun. Thus, the following essay will validate this statement by discussing how the play turns the mirror towards the audience in an uncompromising language that gives a clear account of the racist, patriarchal colonial war. The Victims of White Supremacy: The play gives a clear account of military brutality by straying into the lives of five conscripts, their commanding officer, and an anonymous “Black Actor.” This is clear and evident in the fact that their commanding officer, Bombardier, violently reacts towards the conscripts for displaying a lack interest in the war i.e. Andrew Campbell is violently attacked for stating that he does not believe in the war. On this note, Bombardier’s brute language and aggressive nature serves to supplement the propaganda that was fed to the …show more content…
This is revealed when Bombardier takes pleasure in prosecuting Campbell for his ethnicity by pronouncing his name as “Kammel.” This ethnic division is heightened when the character’s themselves wage war on each other with regard to their differences i.e. Mombray refers to Levitt as being a “cunt-eyed schemo of a typical Jewboy.” Hence, the audience is faced with the reality of accepting that whites also suffered under