“Everything to Lose” – A Dry White Season

At this point, I have not selected a topic for the Written Assignment, therein I will “briefly summarize a scene from André Brink’s novel, A Dry White Season, which I believe should have been included in Euzhan Palcy’s film version.

An initial encounter with Melanie Bruwer during the inquest, results in Ben du Toit’s refusal to discuss Gordon Ngubene. However, “two days later, as he was having his tea and toast in a small crowded Greek café near the court, she suddenly turned up next to his small square table with the stained plastic cloth” (117) and asked to sit down. The conversation begins with du Toit’s declaration, “it went so well in court this morning”, which is met with ‘scepticism’ from Melanie. In the course of their discussion, she reveals that she is losing her objectivity. The pair discusses not only their own perspectives and motivations, but those of Stanley and Archibald Tsabalala. Therein, not only do we learn a bit more about the characters, but it is revealed that Ben du Toit is taking a great risk because, unlike Tsabalala, he has “everything to lose” (120). The film audience, certainly, understand that du Toit has endangered himself and his family. Yet, the dialogue provided in the novel between Melanie and du Toit adds a level of intensity underscores, not only the struggles of “all those Tsabalalas”, but those individuals who recognize the impact of the oppressive government.