“The Power of One” by Bryce Courtney is a novel that revolves around the differences between the English language and the Afrikaans language. Peekay is the tormented protagonist because he is the only English-speaking student at his boarding school. His inability to speak the Afrikaans language makes him a target among the boys at school. He is often mistreated and tormented because they do not see him as acceptable to them. The boys call him names such as "pisskop" and "Rooineck", and they make him commit horrible acts like eating human feces (Bryce Courtney). This abuse and torment continued throughout his childhood. Spending a lot of time at boarding school, Peekay learned to write and speak Afrikaans as well as Zulu and Shangaan. These three languages ​​were the most widely spoken in South Africa. The Afrikaans language is the common language spoken in South Africa. It is estimated that more than 6 million people speak this language. It was created by Dutch settlers in the 17th century (the Afrikaner language). It is considered one of the Indo-European languages. This language was a major element of the novel because it symbolized power. Peekay couldn't speak the language, so he was tormented and abused because he wasn't like everyone else. Growing up in South Africa and not knowing the most spoken language creates a barrier between Peekay and everyone else. He feels like she doesn't belong with the rest of the kids. Language was a very important aspect linked to the character because it differentiated him from the others. The story took place in the 1930s and 1940s in South Africa. Peekay...... middle of paper ... with humans, so they believed they had to connect with the spirits to cross Nkulunkulu. Peekay learned a lot from the Zulu people of South Africa as he was raised by his Zulu nanny from birth. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Internet. June 3, 2010. “African Tribes – Zulu People.” African safaris, African tours, African holidays and Africa travel guide. Internet. June 1, 2010. .Courtenay, Bryce. The power of one. New York: Delacorte, 2005. “The Afrikaans Language” in print. Easy Afrikaans. Learn Afrikaans online. Internet. June 3, 2010. .Spark Notes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. Internet. June 3 2010. .