the grass is singing why did charlie move to africa

For reasons that are never made entirely clear, Mary’s racism is unusually intense and sadistic, even for a white South African.

However, the biggest source of conflict in Mary’s life comes from her treatment of native people.

She is a strong-willed, independent, and remarkably feminist woman who resents having to live on someone else’s terms. Mary marries Dick Turner as a result of social pressure, and it is clear almost immediately that she is ill-suited to Dick’s rural life. (There is also a strong suggestion that Mary’s father sexually abused her, although this is never stated explicitly however, it is made clear that events from her childhood leave her repulsed by sex.) Once Mary’s parents die, she embarks on a joyful and fulfilling life in an unnamed town, working as a secretary, living in a club for single women, and attending social events every night. The daughter of white South African-born parents, Mary’s childhood is blighted by her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s endless misery. The novel begins with Mary Turner’s death, and the plot largely revolves around her character.

The grass is singing why did charlie move to africa