THE PRISONER WHO WORE GLASSES — Bessie Head

About the Author
Bessie Head (1937–1986) was a South African writer who spent most of her life in exile in Botswana. Her work deals with apartheid, racial identity, and human dignity.

Summary
Set in a South African prison farm during apartheid, a group of political prisoners called Span One maintain discipline and solidarity. The new warden, Jacobus Stephanus Hannetjie, is extremely cruel and abusive. Brille, an older prisoner who wears glasses, discovers that the warden is secretly stealing prison produce. Brille uses this knowledge to form a silent agreement with him: he will not expose the theft if the prisoners are treated better. This creates a shift in power, and eventually Hannetjie begins to change and shows more humane behavior toward the prisoners.

Themes
• Dignity and resistance: The prisoners maintain unity and self-respect even under harsh oppression
• Power and control: Brille shows that intelligence and strategy can challenge brute authority
• Apartheid and injustice: The story reflects the realities of systemic racial oppression in South Africa
• Human transformation: Even a cruel authority figure can change through moral pressure and human interaction

Exam-Ready Points
• Brille is a moral and intellectual hero rather than a physical one
• His glasses symbolize insight and clear understanding
• Solidarity is shown as a powerful tool against oppression
• The story reflects Bessie Head’s lived experience of injustice and exile