Once Upon a Time

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

This story is set during the South African apartheid. Based on what you already know about this period in history, make a prediction about the themes or conflicts in the story.

Teaching Suggestion: The South African apartheid took place from 1948 to 1994. It was a time of deep institutionalized racism between white and Black South Africans. After students have made their predictions, you might invite them to share with the class. It may be helpful to work with students to make connections between historical facts and how those facts might manifest themselves in a work of fiction.

• This webpage from the History Channel provides further details and context for South African apartheid, including images.
• This video and interview transcript is a 37-minute discussion with author Nadine Gordimer following her Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. She discusses her time in South Africa, her writing, and more. If a shorter excerpt is useful, the first 7 minutes of the interview contain details relevant to “Once Upon a Time.