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Gcina Mhlophe’s, “The Toilet”
Published in 1987, The Toilet is a short story in Gcina Mhlophe’s, Stories of Africa. Written to explore the political and creative side of black women -which directly relates to Gcina Mhlophe's life as a worker attempting to be a writer. The story often references Virginia Woolf's proposal that a woman must have money and a room of one's own if she wants to be a writer. Set in Orange Grove, South Africa, main character Mholo must face her life as a domestic worker while still maintaining her writing lifestyle. The short story explore themes of transformation, identity, and overcoming obstacles.

Plot Summary

 * I. The story begins with Mholo’s inner dialogue of the struggle between being respectable and enjoying freedom. It is revealed that she lives secretly in the house that her sister works at, where she spends the weekends locked in her room to avoid being seen by the Madam of the house. In order to remain quiet her only option was to read books, magazines, and newspapers. Eventually, she got a part time job at a clothing factory and would wait at the public toilet for two hours in the park every morning before the bus arrived. At first the toilet is nothing but a means of escape from the difficult weather, but eventually becomes a place of daydreaming, reading, and writing in her beloved notebook.
 * II.One day Mholo comes back to Madam’s house before her sister returns. She is quickly discovered by the dogs, who growl and bark at her until Madam finds her. Madam allows the dogs to continue to antagonize her for a fair amount of time, and then indicates for her to leave. Later she is found by her sister, Irene, who is obviously disapproving of Mholo’s foolish actions and proceeds to scold her.
 * III. Mholo continues to find refuge in the toilet for many days following the incident. However, one day when she goes to the toilet, she notices that it is locked. This is the day that Mholo realizes that toilet is not hers after all. This is when she decides to go sit on a nearby bench and proceed to write a story despite the odds.

Character List

 * Mholo- (Protagonist) - Main character who often faces internal conflict between a respectable lifestyle and her own desires. Proves to want more in life than ordinary social construct, and can often be found writing or reading -which is forbidden at this time.
 * Irene- Sister to Moholo, Irene may be seen as the "good sister" as she is working a respectable profession and following appropriate social rules. She can often be found working long hours, and going to church.
 * Madam- (Antagonist) - Described as a doll, Madam may often be seen as too perfect or even fake. Madam spends her day next to the pool, painting her nails, or having tea with her friends. She proves to be adversary to the story, as her lifestyle is much different than the other characters.