Unlike a conventional narrative with a single protagonist, reads like a jazz composition—a collage of characters and vignettes. The "hero" of the story is the train itself, or more specifically, the collective experience of its passengers.
It remains one of the most anthologised and studied short stories in South Africa because it captures a specific time and place—Sophiatown before its destruction—while speaking to universal truths about human nature and the will to survive.
“The Dube Train” is widely available in anthologies of South African short stories, including The Oxford Book of South African Short Stories and the collected works of Can Themba, often titled The Will to Die (though check modern reprints). For the full effect, try to read it while listening to a 1950s jazz record—Dollar Brand or Hugh Masekela—and imagine the slow, rattling journey home to Dube.
Themba constantly contrasts high intellectual reflection with raw, primitive action. The narrator quotes classic literature and contemplates human nature right alongside descriptions of blood, sweat, and cheap knives. This juxtaposition emphasizes the duality of township life, where culture and barbarism exist side by side. Dube Train Short Story By Can Themba
A young woman boards the train, initially appearing confident. However, her demeanor shifts dramatically to panic when a tsotsi —a township criminal or tout—boards the train at a later stop. The tsotsi is a creature of this environment; he moves with a swagger, immediately noticing the woman and treating her as his prey. He clutches her breast and accuses her of "ducking" him. Trapped and terrified, the woman looks around for help, but the other passengers—including the narrator—turn a blind eye, embodying the story's central theme of indifference.
Can Themba was a leading figure of the "Drum Magazine generation," a group of iconic Black journalists and writers who forged a distinctive literary identity in the 1950s. His style in The Dube Train blends: Dube Train Short Story By Can Themba
: The story highlights the vulnerability of women in township life. Interestingly, a woman on the train is the first to verbally challenge the tsotsi, showing more initial courage than the men. Unlike a conventional narrative with a single protagonist,
Can Themba’s masterpiece, remains one of the most harrowing and brilliant literary reflections of South Africa under apartheid. Published during the vibrant yet tragic era of the Drum Decade in the 1950s and 1960s, this short story transcends simple journalism. It captures the psychological, social, and physical toll of state-enforced segregation.
By ending the story with the narrator's nonchalant remark, Themba makes a profound statement. Under apartheid, death became unremarkable. The murder of a man on a train is not a tragedy; it is "just another incident". This underscores how systemic violence can desensitize an entire population, turning even murder into mere entertainment for a "greedily relishing" crowd. This theme gives the story a terrifying, timeless quality that extends far beyond the apartheid era.
The moral conscience of the community; the voice of traditional dignity. Defiant / Outspoken “The Dube Train” is widely available in anthologies
In the corner of the crowded car, a "Tsotsi"—a young thug with a cap pulled low and eyes like flint—began harassing a woman. His words were low, oily, and dripping with a practiced cruelty. The carriage went silent. It was a cowardly silence, the kind born from years of knowing that a hero's reward in this city was often a blade between the ribs.
To fully appreciate the urgency of The Dube Train, one must understand the socio-political landscape of 1950s South Africa. This era saw the aggressive implementation of apartheid legislation by the National Party, including the Group Areas Act of 1950, which strictly segregated residential zones. Black South Africans were forced out of urban centers into poorly resourced townships like Meadowlands and Soweto, turning daily commuting into a grueling, mandatory ritual.