Ha’penny by Alan Paton is a short story that revolves around the story of a young boy – Ha’penny, who is in a reformatory, for stealing. The boy is homeless and lonely which leads him to create a fictional family of his own. The story explores the themes of the need for familial love, belongingness, and loneliness.
Ha’penny | Summary
The story is set in a reformatory where out of six hundred boys, one hundred were from ten to fourteen years of age. The narrator expresses a desire to take these boys away from the reformatory and establish an industrial school for them since they were accused of trivial offenses. The narrator reveals that if such a school had been established, the narrator would be the principal of the reformatory, as it would be an easier job.
On Sunday afternoon, the narrator takes the car to the reformatory and watches the free boys sign out at the gate. This is also watched by other boys who wish to be signed out and the narrator takes these small boys, who were among the watchers to Potchefstroom Road, Baragwanath Crossroads, Van Wyksrus Road, and then to the reformatory.
One of the small boys, Ha’penny is twelve years old and was from Bloemfontein. His mother worked at a white person’s house and four siblings- brothers: Richard and Dickie and sisters: Anna and Mina. When the narrator checks for Ha’penny’s papers, it is revealed that he is a waif, without relatives and was accused of pilfering at the market. Ha’penny writes regularly to Mrs. Betty Maarman, of 48 Vlak Street, Bloemfontein. However, the lady never responds to his letters.
The narrator asks the Social Welfare Officer in Bloemfontein to investigate and the narrator questions Ha’penny again about his family. The narrator understands that the boy is clever and has made up a fictional story to be safe from questions. The Social Welfare Officer reveals to the narrator that Mrs. Betty Maarman is a real person with four children– Richard, Dickie, Anna, and Mina and Ha’penny is not her child. She knows him as a derelict of the streets. Mrs. Maarman further states that she does not respond to his letters because Ha’penny addresses her as his mother and she is not his mother of his.
The narrator feels a duty towards Ha’penny because he has a blameless reformatory record and a strong desire to have a family. Thus, the narrator asks him about his mother. The narrator understands that Ha’penny had attached himself to Mrs. Maarman and had observed her but did not know how to convey his feelings to her, through which he would be saved from the lonely life.
Ha’penny falls sick and is diagnosed with Tuberculosis. The narrator conveys to Mrs. Maarman, explaining to her the whole story, however, she refuses to take responsibility for the child. Later, Ha’penny falls ill with the disease and the doctors inform the narrator that there is little hope left for him to be saved. The narrator sends money for Mrs. Maarman to come to see Ha’penny.
Mrs. Maarman, examining the situation adopts Ha’penny without fuss or embarrassment and the whole reformatory accepts her as his mother. She sits with Ha’penny and talks to him about the siblings and that they waited for Ha’penny to come home. She pours her affection and care for him and is not afraid of being infected with the sickness. Ha’penny in return gave her all the attention and was grateful for Mrs. Maarman.
The narrator wishes to have acted sooner on Ha’penny’s request. Later, Ha’penny dies of the disease and Mrs. Maarman requests the narrator to engrave that he was her son.
Ha’penny | Analysis
‘Ha’penny’ is a short story by Alan Paton which follows the journey of a boy named Ha’penny, who is in a reformatory. The story is told from a first-person point of view:
“I should have liked to be Principal of it myself, for it would have been an easier job”.
However, the narrator remains unnamed throughout the story. The story is set in a reformatory school in Africa during the Apartheid system. It is suggested when the author states that the offenses of these children were trivial and it would be better if the boys had been admitted to an industrial school instead of a reformatory.
Ha’penny has a strong desire to belong and have a family he can call his own. He yearns for affection and care which leads him to assume Mrs Betty Maarman to be his mother:
“he had been taken from one home to another”.
He requires familial love and being surrounded by relatives. In the story, the conflict lies between Ha’penny and himself, because he strongly feels the need to belong to a family and be loved that he tricks people around him and also himself into believing that he has a mother: Mrs Betty Maarman and four siblings- Richard, Dickie, Anna, and Mina.
The narrator talks about the requirements of the boys who are under his care in the reformatory. He appreciates his more sympathetic interactions with the boys since he recognizes their longing for affection. ‘‘Had they been my children I would no doubt have given a greater expression to it,” With these remarks, Paton sets the stage for one of the themes of the story – familial love. The narrator is aware of his limitations in terms of what he can provide for the boys in the reformatory because the boys need a family’s attention, love, and care which will satisfy their longing for connectedness.
Ha’penny | Character Sketch
Ha’penny is the central character of the story, portrayed as the biggest talker, naughty and uncontrollable. He is twelve years old and is admitted to the reformatory for stealing from a market. He is a homeless child: “a waif with no relatives at all”. He is described as clever and tricks the narrator into believing that he has a family. However, he :
“was ashamed of being without a family and had invented them all, so that no one might discover that he was fatherless and motherless and that no one in the world cared whether he was alive or dead”.
His desire to have a family is so strong that he assumes Mrs. Betty Maarman to be his mother. Thus, Ha’penny represents the homeless and neglected youth of Africa, who feel the need to be loved and cared for and lack a family of their own. Ha’penny is also an example of a round character since it is later revealed to the narrator that he does not have a family and constructs a fictional family to trick the narrator.
Ha’penny | Literary Devices
Alan Paton employs foreshadowing in his short story “Ha’penny” and hints at the truth about Ha’penny’s family background. The character of Ha’penny develops a fictional family for the narrator to conceal the truth that he is homeless and does not have a family of his own. He makes the readers and narrator believe that he had siblings named – Richard, Dickie, Anna, and Mina. The narrator also reveals that Ha’penny’s mother works at a white man’s house. Eventually, the Social Welfare Officer reveals that Mrs. Betty Maarman is a real person and knew Ha’penny as a derelict and was not her child. The foreshadowing culminates in a realization for both Ha’penny and the narrator.
Ha’penny | Themes
‘Ha’penny’ by Alan Paton explores the themes of the need for familial love and belongingness. Throughout the story, one realizes that Ha’penny writes to Mrs. Betty Maarman and has assumed her as his mother. When asked about the situation, he replies that perhaps she is sick. He was ashamed of revealing to the narrator that he did not have a family. He yearns for love and affection from a family and has a strong need to belong to a family. He finally receives the desired attention when he is extremely sick and is lying on the death bed, when Mrs. Maarman, adopts Ha’penny. Ha’penny also sheds light on the situation of abandoned children who are left to fend for themselves and have nowhere to go. Ha’penny portrays the naturalistic need of humans to feel connected and secure through a family.
Ha’penny | Title
The title ‘Ha’penny’ in literal terms refers to a half penny which holds minimal value. Symbolically, it also implies that the seemingly insignificant choices that individuals make, have far-reaching and significant consequences. The narrator decides to send money for Mrs. Betty Maarman to visit Ha’penny because he is extremely sick. As a consequence, Mrs Maarman adopts Ha’penny and pours her love and affection onto him. The child feels love and receives the attention and care that he has been craving for. However, in the end, the narrator wishes to have taken a quicker action. Thus, it reveals that the narrator calls Mrs. Maarman to visit Ha’penny which is a small action, but it is consequential in making the child feel loved.