Immaturity and Selfishness Themes in Master Harold... and the Boys Essay Sample

Hally and Willie both display immaturity and selfishness that keeps them from learning, in the end only Willie comes to embrace the comic qualities of maturity and selflessness that leads him to growth.

Hally and Willie both exude immaturity and selfishness at the start of the play that keeps them from learning. Although he is a white man in a place of privilege, Hally still demonstrates his immaturity and selfishness hindering his personal growth. As Hally condemns “Jungle Jim…Batman and Robin… Tarzan…” (11) calling them “rubbish! Mental Pollution” (11) he illustrates his close minded thinking as he doesn’t understand the value in simple comic books. Hally in a moment of immaturity dismisses these comics and decides that they are not up to his seemingly high standards of education.  After Hally and Sam's debate on their “man of magnitude” Hally claims that “Tolstoy may have educated his peasants but I’ve educated you” (23). Ultimately Hally’s comparison of himself to a famous writer who has a history of staunch advocacy highlights his immaturity. The demeaning nature of this comment highlighted Hally’s immaturity, hindering his growth. When disagreeing with Sam, Hally claims “Oh well, so much for trying to give you a decent education, I have obviously achieved nothing” (39). Hally is once again displaying his immaturity; he is a young boy talking to a grown man as if Sam was a child. His lack of respect for Sam and claims that he is very disappointed in the way that Sam has progressed even after supposed years of teaching all display the qualities of an immature boy. Furthermore, Hally’s comment that “Failing a Math exam isn’t the end of the world Sam, how many times have I told you that examination results don’t measure intelligence…[Sam replies] I’d say about as many times as you have failed them” (17), illustrates his selfishness. Hally is blatantly disregarding his own failures in a system that wants him to thrive. As Hally disregards his own failures he fails to realize that Sam was never even given the opportunity to thrive in a similar environment. Instead Sam has to find other means to measure his intelligence not by a math test. Additionally, although Willie is a full grown adult, he also displays his selfishness and immaturity that keeps him from growth. As he dances in a world “without collisions'' Willie often finds himself messing up the rhythm and colliding. As he collides he displays his selfishness, he blames his sub par dancing on his partner Hilda. He claims that “She makes [him] in the hell too much” (7), this excuse illustrates Willie's immaturity as he is blaming others for his own faults. He selfishly deflects any notion of personal responsibility and manifests his blame by “hit[ting] [Hilda] too much” (7). Furthermore, Willie's consistent use of addressing Sam as “Boet Sam” (10) illustrates that he is assuming the role of a little brother. As Willie calls Sam “Boet'' he is constantly looking to Sam as his big brother for help. Willie’s repeated need for help from Sam directly contributes to his immaturity and hinders his growth. after Sam and Willie sprint around the tea room fighting, Willie apologizes by saying “Sorry Master Hally…but it’s him” (13) once again blaming his own faults on Sam. Willie’s plea to Hally illustrates that he understands that Hally is a disciplinary figure who will be able to punish Sam. Willie also asserts the repeated notion of Hally’s supremacy as he calls Hally “Master Hally“ , highlighting his own inferiority and immaturity. 

Despite Willie’s past selfishness and immaturity he comes to embrace the comic qualities of maturity and selflessness, this personal growth highlights Hally's inability to do so. Willie is able to move past his own selfishness and immaturity and grow to be open to Sam’s teachings. After Hally and Sam's huge fight, Willie comes up to Sam, saying “You lead, I follow” (60) showing that Willie is finally growing to accept and follow Sam’s direction in a display of maturity. He is going to take Sam’s advice and practice dancing until the contest and in doing this he leads himself and Sam back into a world with beautiful rhythm, a world filled with dance. Willie “goes to the jukebox, puts a coin in and selects a record” (60), illustrating that dance will now be his main focus. Willie is so willing to immerse himself back into a life without collisions that he gives up his bus money to play a song on the jukebox.Willie now out of money stating, “To hell with it! I’ll walk home… How did you say it, Boet Sam? Let’s dream”(60) illustrates his selflessness as he is now open to Sam’s idealistic life of dreaming. Even going as far as giving up his own hard earned money for it. Sam and Willie return to the start of the play dancing and dreaming of a better and more equal world, a world with no collisions. Despite Willie’s success, Hally is unable to move past his immaturity and selfishness. Hally demands “Don't try to be clever Sam it doesn't suit you” (35) in doing so Hally demonstrates his immaturity as he is attempting to lessen the value of Sam's opinion by telling him that being clever and witty is not suitable for him. As Hally “Grabs his ruler and gives WILLIE a vicious whack on the bum.) …[and tells him to] Get back to your work”(38), he is highlighting how he has not overcome his immaturity. Hally resorts to physical violence that he knows Sam and Willie cannot directly respond to. Also as Hally tells Sam to “Mind your own f—— business and get back to work” (53), he illustrates that he has not moved past his own selfishness. Hally is demanding that Willie and Sam get back to work, while he is not doing any himself. Hally claims “So much for a bloody world without collisions” (50), Hally is demonstrating that moving past his own world full of collisions is impossible. He uses harsh curse words such as bloody to emphasize his unyielding belief that he will never be able to reach a world without collisions.