No Witchcraft for Sale

“There was no second baby; and one day Gideon said: ‘Ah, missus, missus, the Lord above sent this one; Little Yellow Head is the most good thing we have in our house.’ Because of that ‘we’ Mrs. Farquhar felt a warm impulse towards her cook; and at the end of the month she raised his wages.”

Mrs. Farquhar appreciates Gideon’s affection for Teddy and the way he puts him on a pedestal instead of making her feel guilty or deficient for not having a second child. She raises his wages to show her affection and gratitude; when Teddy was born, the servants brought food and flowers, but here, Mrs. Farquhar shows her appreciation with money. This illustrates a difference in values that becomes more evident later on when the Farquars and the scientist try to pay Gideon in exchange for his knowledge about herbal healing. Gideon and the other natives do not value money in the same way the white people do. This quote shows the transactional nature of the relationship between Gideon and the Farquars, friendly though it is.

“‘Ah, missus, these are both children, and one will grow up to be a baas, and one will be a servant’; and Mrs. Farquhar smiled and said sadly, ‘Yes, Gideon, I was thinking the same,’ she sighed. ‘It is God’s will,’ said Gideon, who was a mission boy.”

This quote illustrates the relationship between Gideon and the Farquars. Lessing hints at the story’s setting with the word baas, which is Afrikaans for “master.” Gideon and Mrs. Farquar are watching their children interact as toddlers with no sense of prejudice. Both parents are aware of how their relationship will necessarily change as children grow and learn about their prescribed social statuses. This quote also alludes to their religious convictions, a brand of missionary Christianity that reinforces the racist social structure and hierarchy. It is Gideon who says such division “is God’s will,” as if he accepts this as the natural order, even when it hurts him.

“Teddy said defiantly: ‘He is only a black boy,’ and laughed. Then, when Gideon turned away from him without speaking, his face fell […] He could not bring himself to say he was sorry; but he could not bear to lose Gideon’s affection either.”

This quote illustrates how Teddy gains a sense of superiority over Gideon and his family at an early age. When he is only six, he dismisses the young Black boy and his feelings as if they matter less because he is Black. However, he is also deeply affected by Gideon’s disappointment in his attitude. He does not apologize, which would be admitting that he was wrong, but he does try to get back into Gideon’s good graces because he does not want to lose the relationship he has with him.

“With Gideon he was polite, and carried himself formally, and if he came into the kitchen to ask for something, it was in the way a white man uses toward a servant, expecting to be obeyed.”

This quote illustrates how as Teddy grows older, he is socialized to regard and treat Gideon differently. His awareness of social expectations is increasing, and his family and school are reinforcing these expectations. He is learning from authority figures how to treat people in Gideon’s position, even though he developed a strong bond with Gideon as a child.

“‘Do not be afraid, missus,’ said Gideon. ‘This will cure Little Yellow Head’s eyes.’”

After Gideon comes back to the house with the plant that will heal Teddy, he calmly reassures Mrs. Farquar that everything will be fine. As people familiar with the Bible, they would understand that healing the blind is a skill that Jesus has. Jesus also frequently assures his followers to not be afraid. This quote casts Gideon in a Christ-like role. While Teddy is compared to Jesus earlier in the story due to his elevated status, Gideon earns this comparison through his deeds.

“They felt helpless because of their gratitude: It seemed they could do nothing to express it.”

After Gideon heals Teddy’s eyes with the medicinal root, Teddy’s parents heap praise and gifts upon him but recognize that this is not enough to repay him for what he did. Their relationship has changed because Gideon has a skill and power that they do not, and they will always be beholden to him and his knowledge of herbal healing. The narrator notes several times throughout the story that the Farquars reward Gideon with money and gifts. They do not consider that there are things such as loyalty and respect that he might value more.

“No one can live in Africa, or at least on the veld, without learning very soon that there is an ancient wisdom of leaf and soil and season—and, too, perhaps most important of all, of the darker tracts of the human mind—which is the black man’s heritage.”

This quote indicates an understanding of the broader relationship between Black and white people in South Africa and Rhodesia. The white people are aware that the native Africans have passed down a special understanding of their land and what it offers. This is an understanding that they will never have access to and is one aspect where Black people hold power.

“This was the kind of tale they told. As always, with a certain amount of exasperation, because while all of them knew that in the bush of Africa are waiting valuable drugs locked in bark, in simple-looking leaves, in roots, it was impossible to ever get the truth about them from the natives themselves.”

This quote gets at the idea that in a larger context beyond the Farquars and Gideon, the white colonists in Africa are aware that there is a huge and valuable, body of knowledge that native people are keeping from them. There are many stories of servants performing natural healing practices that white people could never understand, and they are frustrated by the ways their servants, who they view as beneath them, have this particular power over them.

“The scientist explained how humanity might benefit if this new drug could be offered for sale […] But when the scientist began talking of the money that might result, [...] their feelings over the miracle (that was how they thought of it) were so strong and deep and religious, that it was distasteful to them to think of money.”

This quote about the scientist shows how Western medicine operates and how it is regarded in Africa at this time. There is a facade that its purpose is to take native healing wisdom and turn it into widely available medicine to help humanity, but there is also keen interest in monetizing these principles for the benefit of white people. The Farquars are less interested in making money off of the cure and are persuaded to help because they want something good to come out of Teddy’s experience.

“‘The Big Baas want to know what medicine I used?’ He spoke incredulously, as if he could not believe his old friends could so betray him.”

This quote from Gideon shows how the divisions between race and social class damage relationships. The Farquars are operating on behalf of the white scientist, who wants to find and learn more about Gideon’s healing root. In this moment, the Farquars ignore any sense of loyalty and care they established with Gideon. For years, they cultivated a relationship that rewarded Gideon for his care for Teddy; now, they abandon those notions to help the white scientist they just met. Betrayed, Gideon now understands that the barriers created by racism and classism are too much for them to completely overcome.

“The magical drug would remain where it was, unknown and useless except for the tiny scattering of Africans who had the knowledge, natives who […] were still born to healing, hereditary healers, being the nephews or sons of the old witch doctors whose ugly masks and bits of bone and all the uncouth properties of magic were the outward signs of real power and wisdom.”

This quote demonstrates how native African people withheld their knowledge of ancient healing practices as a way to wield power over the white people who invaded their land and asserted themselves as their superiors. Though it may have been useful for people to have access to these cures, this is one of the few ways native African people could protect their heritage and retain some sense of power and identity.

“It was a terrible day, fit only for reclining on a veranda with iced drinks, which is where they would normally have been at that hour.”

This quote provides insight into the Farquars’ lifestyle: On a hot day, they can usually be found relaxing on the veranda with cold drinks, probably served by Gideon and other servants. When Gideon takes them out to the bush to “find” the healing root, they are completely out of their element and uncomfortable, and Gideon knows it. This scene highlights the Farquars’ privilege; Gideon knows his way around the uncomfortable and wild environment, and the white people are at his mercy and must trust his lead.

“The scientist went to the kitchen to thank Gideon: He was being very polite, even though there was an amused look in his eyes.”

After Gideon leads the Farquars and the scientist on a long charade of a hunt for his magic plant, he finally picks some flowers and carelessly gives them to the scientist. From the beginning, the scientist is skeptical that Gideon will lead him to the root. This quote shows that while he may represent the capitalistic drive of Western science, he takes the episode in stride and never really expected to gain anything from his visit.