The Golden Notebook

by

Doris Lessing

Charlie Themba Character Analysis

Charlie Themba is a revolutionary and friend of Mr Mathlong’s, who apparently went insane years into his activism and began accusing his allies of plotting against him. When Anna begins having her own mental breakdown, she briefly decides that Mr Mathlong and Charlie Themba are the same person—but their real relationship, and their existence at all, is left uncertain.
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Charlie Themba Character Timeline in The Golden Notebook

The timeline below shows where the character Charlie Themba appears in The Golden Notebook. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Free Women: 4
Fragmentation, Breakdown, and Unity Theme Icon
Communism and Disillusionment Theme Icon
Marion asks about the other revolutionaries, and Anna mentions Charlie Themba , who “cracked up” lately: he had a breakdown that nobody recognized until it was... (full context)
The Notebooks: 4
Fragmentation, Breakdown, and Unity Theme Icon
Love and Sex Theme Icon
Action, Freedom, and Moral Courage Theme Icon
...to “summon up younger, stronger Annas,” the Annas from Africa—and she becomes Tom Mathlong and Charlie Themba , and herself again. After a time, she returns to herself and finds Saul in... (full context)