Isabel, My Children! My Africa! "One of the main characters. Written by Athol Fugard, who grew up in a privileged white family in apartheid-era South Africa and lived a sheltered life as a result. Apartheid segregated and discriminated against non-whites, including black Africans like the majority of the population. As a result, white South Africans enjoyed privileges and advantages that others did not, including access to education, health care, and social services. Isabel's sheltered life was a result of the social and economic inequalities that perpetuated apartheid, which shielded her from the harsh realities of life as a black African in South Africa.