The best-selling Australian author of Jessica, Tandia, and The Potato Factory tells the story of Peekay, a boy growing up on the eve of World War II.

This article is the third of a series. For background information, you may want to begin by reading about the plot, author bio, and the protagonist's development.

The Tenacity of Violent Memories

A brief period of violence in Peekay’s childhood marks him with shame and self-doubt until adulthood.

Violence is portrayed as a cycle in The Power of One; the Judge inflicts violence on Peekay, but has clearly been a victim of violence. The Judge is marked by memories (whether personal or cultural) of violence in the Boer War and his desire for revenge leads him to torture other students and support Nazism.

The violence of apartheid is also central to the novel. Peekay observes the workings of a violent culture in the prison, where black inmates are abused by the white wardens. Many of the inmates had little education or opportunity. When Peekay and Morrie fail to fight the cycle of violence towards black culture by establishing a night school, they learn just how tenacious the cycle of violence is when imbeded into a culture.

Though Peekay cleanses himself of his violent memories, he can only do so through a final act of violent vengance. Because Peekay is the moral compass of the novel, the reader must wonder: is more violence the only solution to violent memories provided by The Power of One?

Camouflage as a Survival Tool

At his first boarding school, Peekay ‘camouflages’ himself by blending into the background and pretending to be nothing special. Later in life, he learns that success can also be a camouflage. His need to hide himself leads him to perfectionism, so that he will be so far beyond other students that nobody will be able to understand him.

In the end, both camouflage through mediocrity and extreme success are portrayed negatively. The ultimate goal is to be ones self, with no need of camouflage.

The Importance of Independent Thought

Hoppie’s dictum, “first with the head, then with the heart”, instills the importance of logic into Peekay. Many people around Peekay are small-minded, but Doc teaches Peekay to think broadly and logically. Morrie and Peekay defy the school by challenging their teacher’s assumptions and by starting a school for the uneducated black community. The apex of Peekay’s independent thought is his decision to become a grizzly man, an idea that is discouraged by many around him.

Logic and Spirituality

“First with the head, then with the heart” is not just about the importance of logic; it is about the importance of combining logic with “the heart” (emotions, spirituality, magic, etc.) in proper proportion.

Peekay learns about the emotional and spiritual side of life from the prisoners. Polite society in Barberton views Peekay as a whiz kid, but the prisoners view him as a spiritual symbol and celebrate him as “the Tadpole Angel”. The inexplicable knowledge and power of the black community verifies that their “magic” is just as much a part of the world as is logical deduction.

Though Doc is introduced to the plot as an intellectual figure, he is also a spiritual figure. He believes in the power of music and in the magical voice of the African community. Doc feels a deep connection to nature and God. His choice of final resting place in the magical Crystal Cave of Africa may signal that Doc’s spiritual side is actually the strongest.

Morrie, a hyper-intellectual, acts as a foil to Peekay’s emotional and spiritual side. Just as Morrie teaches Peekay to sharpen his intellect, Peekay deepens Morrie’s emotional world.

Though Hoppie’s dictum states that the head is “first”, this does not mean first in importance. While it is important to think logically before acting, the heart actually wins out in The Power of One. Peekay’s world contains an emotional depth that is compatible with logic but cannot be comprehended by it.

For more on The Power of One, check out The Power of One: Plot and Bryce Courtenay and Peekay on Suite.

Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One. Ballantine Books: 1996. ISBN 978-0345410054.