Tsotsi

by Athol Fugard

Cassim Character Analysis

Cassim is an Indian shopkeeper whose shop Tsotsi enters hoping to buy milk for the baby. Cassim, suspecting Tsotsi is a gang member, is terrified. He tricks Tsotsi into leaving the store by giving him a tin of condensed milk, whose label Tsotsi can’t read, and telling him it’s milk for babies.

Cassim Quotes in Tsotsi

The Tsotsi quotes below are all either spoken by Cassim or refer to Cassim. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Apartheid and Racism Theme Icon
).

Chapter 4 Quotes

He didn’t see the man, he saw the type.

Related Characters: Cassim, Tsotsi (David), The Baby
Page Number and Citation: 43
Explanation and Analysis:

This was man. This small, almost ancient, very useless and abandoned thing was the beginning of a man.

Related Characters: Tsotsi (David), The Baby, Cassim, Boston
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
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Cassim Character Timeline in Tsotsi

The timeline below shows where the character Cassim appears in Tsotsi. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
Apartheid and Racism Theme Icon
Identity and Memory Theme Icon
Cassim is trying to sell a woman fabric in his shop when a young man (Tsotsi)... (full context)
Apartheid and Racism Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Identity and Memory Theme Icon
Tsotsi comes back when there are no other customers. Cassim’s wife and children hide in a back room. Tsotsi demands milk, but Cassim thinks he... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Identity and Memory Theme Icon
Tsotsi, leaving Cassim’s store, makes himself stop while holding the tin to show himself he doesn’t care whether... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
...and water that morning. He knows condensed milk and baby’s milk aren’t the same, but Cassim told him the tin’s label said baby’s milk. The baby keeps crying. Tsotsi wishes Boston... (full context)