H.+Rider+Haggard+in+Africa

H. Rider Haggard in South Africa Jordan Springer Authors can get their ideas from many different types of sources, such as a sudden streak of inspiration or something they read about. For H. Rider Haggard, the world-renowned British author, it was what he saw in South Africa that gave him the ideas for some of his novels. Born in Bradenham, England, on June 22, 1856, H. Rider was the eighth child of Ella Doveton and William Meybohm Rider Haggard. Although his father was a barista, his mother was an author and poet. It is thought that his father thought that he wasn’t going to amount to much, and as such, he went to the public Ipswich Grammar School rather than the private Garsington University he was originally slated to attend. He studied at Ipswich because his father could not afford to support his private education anymore. After he failed his army entrance exam, he was sent to South Africa in 1875 and served as a secretary for Sir Henry Bulwar, who was governor of Natal, a province in Africa. In 1876, he served Sir Theophilus Shepstone, who was Special Commissioner of the Transvaal. The Transvaal was originally a country owned by the Boers, or Dutch,living in South Africa, but eventually was annexed by the British. In fact, Haggard was present for this annexation and read out part of the proclamation because the official who was supposed to read it had lost his voice. In 1878, he was appointed Master and Registrar of the Transvaal. While in Africa, Haggard became well acquainted with the Zulu culture. He especially respected and admired their warriors and he speaks highly of them in his novels. After marrying his sister’s friend Marianna Louisa Margitson when he moved back to England, they traveled to an ostrich farm Haggard owned in Africa. In 1882, when the Transvaal was returned to the Dutch, the two returned to England to raise their children, of which they had four: three daughters and one son. Following the move, Haggard dedicated much of his time to writing. Although his first few were unsuccessful, Haggard had a great success with his 1885 //King Solomon’s Mines.// Although many would say that he ripped off R.L. Stevenson’s //Treasure Island//, the truth is that he made a bet with his brother that he could make a better book. This book centers around British explorers who set out to find the treasure of the abandoned mines of King Solomon in rural and unexplored area of Southern Africa. For this book, Haggard drew upon what he knew about African culture and what he had heard from explorers. The book also reflects some of his personal views through the main character, Allan Quartermain. Like Haggard, Quartermain is a patriot and believes in British colonization, but also respects the natives of Africa. It is thought that //King Solomon’s Mines// is the novel that started the lost world genre. The lost world genre revolves around the discovery and exploration of a new place. However, Haggard’s novel still contained many stereotypes found in this genre, such as awing natives with technology, tyrannical tribe leaders, and lost kings. Haggard wrote many more novels set in Africa before moving on to various other locations. However, his works set in Africa will, for the most part, will always be considered his greatest. Not only were they full of action, they defied the views of many British citizens and set the bar for an entire genre.