The Toilet
by Gcina Mhlope
Gcina Mhlope recalls a difficult period in Johannesburg when social inequality, poverty and isolation made ordinary life hard. A public toilet unexpectedly becomes her private reading and writing space, helping her rediscover her creativity and continue toward a literary career.
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- Dream: Mhlope wants a creative career rather than the conventional professions suggested by her mother.
- Isolation: She stays secretly in her sister's room and has little freedom in the house.
- The Toilet: A public toilet in a park becomes her quiet place to read, think and dream.
- Writing: The private space reminds her of her earlier love of writing and leads her to buy a notebook.
- Theme: Perseverance, personal initiative, creativity and the ability to find opportunity in difficult circumstances.
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A young woman searching for a direction
After completing her matric exams, Gcina Mhlope stays in Johannesburg hoping to find work and discover what she wants to do. Her mother prefers respectable professions such as teaching or nursing, but Mhlope feels drawn toward acting and creative work.
Isolation in Johannesburg
Mhlope stays with her elder sister, who works as a domestic worker. Because the Madam is often at home, Mhlope has to remain hidden in the room on weekdays. She spends much of her time reading old magazines, newspapers and books.
The public toilet as a private space
Mhlope gets a temporary job in a clothing factory. She needs a place to spend the early morning hours before the bus and the evening hours before she can safely return. A public toilet in a nearby park becomes that place. It is small, quiet and relatively protected from the wind.
The space gives her privacy. She reads, thinks, daydreams about acting and remembers that she used to write poems and stories at school. Her memories of an encouraging English teacher help revive her confidence in writing.
Turning hardship into opportunity
Mhlope eventually buys a notebook and begins thinking seriously about writing again. Even the frightening encounter with the dogs becomes part of the difficult experiences that shape her later life. The chapter shows how she turns loneliness, restriction and hardship into material for creativity and perseverance.