Bryce Courtenay used his life story to help him write the popular book The Power of One. At least fifteen strong similarities exist between Courtenay and Peekay. The most important one, which is what leads on to the rest, is the country and time they both grew up. At the beginning of the book (the year 1939), Peekay is five years old, living at a boarding school. At the same time, Courtenay was 6, living in a orphanage. Both had to learn to deal with racism and bullying while living with the African children.
Courtenay uses his personal knowledge of the language and context of Africa during and after the war. He also uses his knowledge on other experiences Peekay has, such as boxing, rich private schools, and the way a grizzly works in the copper mines. All through this book, Courtenay uses his own experiences to add a personal touch to the book. Peekay tells the reader his feelings, probably the same feelings Courtenay had when he went through those experiences. This connects the reader with Peekay, making the reader feel the same way as Peekay about certain themes in the book.
This makes the book very appealing. The Power of One is one of the most popular books in Australians. The book was written to inform the larger community, especially Australians, about the racism in South Africa. I didn't have any idea about this sort of racism before reading this book. This captivating story about a 5 year old boy who fights racism to become the welterweight champion of the world is a book everyone, and especially Australians should read.
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