Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014), the South African Nobel laureate, is renowned for her unflinching portrayal of the moral and psychological toll of apartheid. Her 1956 short story, “Six Feet of the Country,” is a quintessential example of her early work. At first glance, the story seems to be a simple, tragic anecdote about a poor African man who dies and is buried, and the ensuing bureaucratic struggle to retrieve his body. However, beneath this surface lies a profound exploration of racial insensitivity, the chasm between white privilege and black suffering, the failure of liberal goodwill, and the impersonal, dehumanizing machinery of the apartheid state.
The title, Six Feet of the Country, refers to the common phrase "six feet of earth" needed for a person's burial, symbolizing the minimal space allocated to a person's life. The story highlights the disparities in how different social classes are treated, even in death. six feet of the country by nadine gordimer summary
The narrator is irritated. He is tired after a long day, and he views Petrus’s request as an inconvenience. He does not want to get involved. He coldly informs Petrus that he cannot issue a pass; only the native commissioner can do that. He tells Petrus to take his brother to the "kaffer doctor" (a derogatory term for a traditional healer), as that is “good enough for them.” Petrus persists, pleading that his brother is coughing blood and is very ill, but the narrator dismisses him. In a moment of self-justification, the narrator later tells his wife that the rules are the rules, and if he started issuing passes for every sick relative, he would be overrun. Six Feet of the Country by Nadine Gordimer:
He then asks for the receipt for the £20 paid to the government, perhaps thinking he can use it to claim a tax deduction or simply keep his accounts in order. Petrus hands him a crumpled piece of paper. It is a receipt for the burial fees. The manner of his death and the ritualized