"Mrs. Plum" is Es'kia Mphahlele's short story about a young black woman named Karabo employed as a cook in the home of a liberal white woman named Mrs. Plum during the days of apartheid in South Africa.

Karabo states that she has come from the village of Phokeng to work for Mrs. Plum in Greenside, not far from the center of Johannesburg. Karabo has worked for two other white families and finds Mrs. Plum's liberalism a nice change. Mrs. Plum calls Karabo by her real name as opposed to other white employers, who insisted on calling Karabo by an English name.

Mrs. Plum also encourages Karabo's education by providing newspapers and magazines for Karabo to read. In an unprecedented move, Mrs. Plum allows Karabo to eat at the same table with herself and her daughter Kate. Karabo's education also extends to her time spent at...