Smell of Apples

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Marnus reacts by crying, which is comprehensible regarding the way his father corrected him. The situation places Marnus under a lot of pressure as he physically is unable to achieve what he assumes is expected of him by his father. Johan’s ideology is obviously unattainable for the young boy at this time which results in him crying due to lack of energy (Behr, 96 - 97). Johan, in a sense, disowns Marnus when he reacts by crying which results in him being extremely angry and scolds Marnus for his “cry-baby" attitude (Behr, 97). In his strict way of disciplining Marnus, he continues to expand his ideology by being opposed to any behaviour that contrasts his system. He opposes the act of crying because he believes that “bulls don't cry" ( Behr, 197). The act of crying is seen as a female act, thus in a male dominated society it should not be visible. Therefore, Marnus’s father maintains his male-dominated idea by means of evident humiliation of the young boy’s strength and emotional responses to situations.

Marnus's acceptance of the male-dominated role as seen in society happens when the general’s achievements are shown to Marnus (Behr, 196). The military achievements can subsequently be seen as another sign of the male-dominated system that his father illustrates. Marnus can’t comprehend why having these achievements are honourable as externally they are noble, yet internally his father does not reflect them.

Marnus, despite regarding his father as a role model is also scared of him. This apprehension is initially revealed when he rejects to show affection towards his father as well as his participation in showering (Behr, 193). This conflicting action shows how Marnus retaliates his father’s ideology, which usually includes a lot of physical interaction.

Near the end of the book, when Johan physically disciplines his son for displaying resistance, it can be said that this act figuratively ‘beats the cultural identify into’ the young boy (Behr, 196-197). Johan’s act of beating his son is seen as symbolically forcing his dominant, cultural identity in a way to remove Marnus's personal perspective. It can be said that Marnus is never able to develop his own opinion as his views have been manipulated from a young age.

In the instance of Marnus's death, his father’s influence is clearly evident as his last memories recall periods in the past and the embrace of his father (Behr, 198). It is appropriate that Marnus's concluding reminiscences are physical because Johan used physicality as a means to convey his ideology. In his dying moments, Marnus consequently accepts the ideology portrayed by his father, and in a sense embraces if as if it was his personal ideology.

“The Smell of Apples,” by Mark Behr as well as the Barnard article show us, as the reader, how Marnus is manipulated into tolerating and embracing his father’s ideology. By dissecting the character of the father and his predestined ways he has planned for Marnus, it is evident that it controls the physical actions of masculinity conveyed by the young boy. This allows the reader to understand Marnus's identity as demonstrated through the culmination of the novel. Thus, the recurring condition of Marnus's individual identity weakening is concluded and he is able to achieve the cultural identity set out and maintained by his father as seen throughout the book.

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References:

- Barnard, Rita. "The Smell Of Apples, Moby-Dick And Apartheid Ideology." MFS Modern Fiction Studies 46.1 (2000): 207-226. Web. (Barnard 207-226)

- Behr, Mark. The Smell Of Apples. London: Abacus, 1995. Print.