Literary Devices in Master Harold... and the boys
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Well, that was easy. Not so fast, Shmoopsters. Let's dig a little deeper.Family BusinessThe Tea Room is Hally's mom's business, and the relationships between Hally, Willie, and Sam, all revolve aro...
Genre
Well, "Master Harold"…and the boys is a play so…it belongs in the drama category. Got it? Good. But don't quit reading yet. We can give that genre a little flair and call it a coming-of-age dra...
Tone
Fugard's tone is light and happy at first. The "boys" are singing and dancing, and Hally joins in the fun. There's joking and happy reminiscing by everyone. This is a real escape for Willie and Sam...
Writing Style
As an intimate drama about three people, Fugard writes in an informal, conversational way to show the close relationship between the characters. Colloquial South African phrases like "Ja" and "Boet...
What's Up With the Title?
"Master Harold"…and the boys has got to be one of the most meaningfully punctuated titles we've ever seen. And we've seen lots of titles (check 'em out). So let's break it down. First up, we've g...
What's Up With the Ending?
The very last thing left on the stage when the lights go dim is Willie and Sam dancing to the Sarah Vaughan song "Little Man". The lyrics end with "Little man you've had a busy day," and neatly (an...
Tough-o-Meter
Besides a few cultural references that people who aren't from South Africa might miss, the play is really pretty straightforward. No hidden messages or crazy dream sequences; the play's an open boo...
Plot Analysis
Put On Your Dancing ShoesEverything seems cool as Sam and Willie prepare for the dance competition and Hally eggs them on after school. Here, we're finding out who the characters are and their rela...
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis
Hally comes home from school in a seriously bad mood and makes some rude comments about Sam and Willie's dance contest, Sam's intellect, and his teacher's assignments. He's got a bad attitude, bu...
Three-Act Plot Analysis
Willie and Sam practice for the dance competition and Hally comes home and encourages them. He's in a pretty good mood until he gets a phone call from his mom saying that she's going to bring his a...
Trivia
Fugard called "Master Harold"… and the boys "the most intensely and immediately autobiographical" of all his plays. Fugard's real first name is Harold (nickname Hally), which is his father's name...
Steaminess Rating
There's nothing graphic onstage, but Hally does mention the time that he walked in on Sam and his girlfriend, Cynthia, "going at it." That's as far as the steam rises in "Master Harold"…and the b...
Allusions
William Shakespeare (544)William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (547)Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy (566-592, 644-645)Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, War and Peace (579)Alexandre Dumas (625)Karl Marx (625)Dostoevsky...