Reframing the Floating World

Imagine the extreme difficulty in meandering through the world with a frameless life, and prejudice aimed at you from all angles. But then imagine how satisfying and liberating it would feel to be the center and perhaps the "root cause" of a revolution against that prejudice. And how gratifying it would be to recover from the oppression, and repair a life of broken frames. Prejudice against a tribe, ethnic group, or a race can play a huge role in setting a "frameless" foundation in one's life. This was exactly the case for Margaret Cadmore in Bessie Head's novel, "Maru." After a life-long, up hill battle against prejudice and discrimination, Margaret serves a "prophet" and is the center of a nation- wide change in repair, recovery, and resolution for the Masarwa people. She keeps to herself a vision for the future of the Masarwa people, and effectively overcomes the prejudice in her life. By the end, Margaret plays a huge role in the liberation of her own kind on the African continent.


As the novel unraveled, Margaret lived under the "radar" as much as possible, and tried dodging the oppression placed upon her. Beneath it all, was a vision for the future, kept inside her; she kept a personal idea of a Utopian society. On page 63, she lets the reader know of her visions by saying, "for every living thing on earth there would be a day when everything would be free and no one the slave of another." Part of Margaret's victory over the prejudice in her frameless world was due to this determined vision for the future of the Masarwa people. After going through an emotional breakdown, she reached a state of catharsis, reaching utter peace of mind. She emptied herself of all emotional tensions. By the end of the novel, when the Masarwa people were liberated, Margaret served as the main voice and held the leading position for the Masarwas. After Margaret chose to marry the Chief, Maru, and leave the village of Dilepe, the liberation of the Masarwas was official. Bessie Head tells us on page 122, "When the people of the Masarwa tribe heard about Maru's marriage to one of their own, a door slightly opened on the small, dark airless room in which their soles had been shut for a long time. The wind of freedom which was blowing throughout the world for all people, turned and flowed into the room. As they breathed in the fresh, clean air, their humanity awakened." Thanks to Margaret, a Masarwa of all kinds, marrying the Chief of the Village the liberation took place.

Margaret Cadmore plays the role of a "prophet" in a way. She proved to the African continent that a Masarwa is worthy of life, and also important in society. She was the lone force when she married the chief of the village to lead the liberation that took place. The widespread prejudice that saturated the village of Dilepe diminished as the novel came to a close, and the Masarwa people lived the vision Margaret once kept deep within her heart. Prejudice was not only dodged, but it was completely overcome by none other than a Masarwa school teacher of all people.