Carving a path from typical reflections when examining nostalgia, Jacob Dlamini's Native Nostalgia challenged the stereotype that black people living under apartheid have no happy memories of their past in South Africa. “The only purpose it serves is to reduce white South African guilt for its past transgressions. It reduces the desire of white South Africans to engage in helping alleviate poverty today. This reinforces the belief among young black people that apartheid wasn't that bad, so why not "move on already", was the response given by Eric Miyeni, a South African writer, actor, radio and television personality. In this essay I will write a response to Miyeni's criticism of the book by referring to an excerpt from Dlamini's book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Dlamini is an author who wrote Native Nostalgia as a way to somehow show people that even though he grew up during apartheid in South Africa as a young black cabbage, he still managed to have fond memories of his childhood in the townships. Dlamini is able to share experiences that demonstrate that even though there was severe poverty and crime during apartheid, there were still things like art, music and literature that managed to work in unison to influence the lives of blacks in an era of repression. “Dlamini wrote Native Nostalgia, a book whose premise, that growing up in apartheid-designed townships was fun, I find so disgusting that I decided never to read it,” was Miyeni's response to Native Nostalgia . Miyeni's response to the book is important as it shows exactly how he feels without him going into too much detail. He admits that he has never bothered to read the book, yet he makes assumptions and statements in response to its contents. Since Miyeni does not read Dlamini's book, she has no solid basis for her response. However, while his response appears to stem from some form of stubbornness, his points in the SowetanLive article are all incredibly valid. In relation to a quote from Miyeni from the article in the introduction, we can see that his statement has validity. Over the years, there has been a serious lack of accountability from individuals who did not and do not see the extent of the harmful apartheid rules that have had over the country. Miyeni says the book reinforces the idea that apartheid was not all bad for young black South Africans and that South Africa as a whole should move forward. Personally, I think Miyeni doesn't completely understand the point Dlamini is trying to convey. to the reader with his book. Dlamini wanted to show people that even though they went through pain and misery as black South Africans during apartheid, that doesn't mean there weren't moments, even fleeting ones, that allowed them to feel joy or find an escape. in the art, literature and music accessible to them. The fact that Miyeni isn't able to see it is definitely due to the fact that she hasn't read the book. It's incredibly easy to make assumptions about what the book might entail in its entirety, but it doesn't give an accurate account or opinion of the book. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay However, Dlamini's book contains some complicated premises. Its main premise is that South Africa's townships were complex and full of contradictions with widespread descriptions that they were places of depravity.