HOW DOES DALENE MATTHEE REPRESENT RACE AND IDENTITY IN FIELA'S CHILD THROUGH CHARACTERIZATION? On a mountainside in the Long Kloof, there is Fiela Komoetie who is devoted to her child - a three year old child. A 12-year-old boy she finds one night, crying on her doorstep like a shipwrecked lamb. On the other side of the mountain, in the Forest, are the Van Rooyens. Many years ago, the three-year-old son of Elias Van Rooyen, a lumberjack, and his wife Barta disappeared. In Fiela's Child, Dalene Matthee passionately introduces the reader to ideas about identity. She uses the story of Benjamin, a white boy raised by a woman of color, to communicate her thoughts on the nature of identity, not only in Benjamin's situation, but also in everyday life. Identity is generally considered to be a combination of personality, feelings and beliefs. Fundamentally, identity defines who a person is. It is used to describe and distinguish the personality of people. It's what makes people unique. Some may believe that identity and personality are similar or the same, but personality is just an insincere impression and does not involve a person's hidden feelings and beliefs. In other words, the way we are raised is what defines us; it is what we become or what we are and it cannot in any way be changed until we adopt a different culture or decide to change the way we do things. In describing how Benjamin struggles between the Komoetie and the Van Rooyens, Matthee is effectively saying that Identity can be acquired after birth, but cannot be replaced once it has been instilled in a person. The main character, Benjamin, finds himself as a small child lost in an African rainforest; he is found and cared for by a black family for nine years and literally...... middle of paper......that white racism is not completely confined to South Africa. It is possible, for example, that some white Americans would gain in humanity if they could say with an open heart: “My mother is Africa.” Here are some quotes from readers: “Everything a novel can be: compelling, thought-provoking, moving, unforgettable and timeless. » – Grace Ingoldby, “Fiela's Child is a parade that broadens and humanizes our understanding of the conflicts that still affect the South. Africa today."—Francis LevyWorks cited (1992, September 1). Accessed February 26, 2013 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fielas-Phoenix-Fiction-Dalene-Matthee/dp/0226510832Garg , R. (November 7, 2008 Retrieved February 26, 2013 from Marked By Teachers: http://www.markedbyteachers.com/international-baccalaureate/linguals/fiela-s-child-identity.htmlMatthee, D. (2010) . Dalene Matthee's books. 1.