Gigue

index

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14 20 GIGUE

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4

Historical Analysis

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Play Review

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For it or Against it

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The 100

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Superwoman of Youtube

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Swiss Interview

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Proud Sisters Pride

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Ru Paul Interview

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Danger of the Media

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Society’s got ninety nine problems and the media is one

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Out with old, in with the new

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Purple Hibiscus Bookreviews

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Film Review

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Obituary

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Advice Colum

Gigue Magazene Address: Parklands Collage 1 College Avenue Director Murray Fogg Editor Emile Tredoux Art Directors Retha Jordaan Sabrina Da Mata Social Media Director Filippo Cortese

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HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF GENDER INEQUALITY The sudden beginning of this centurieslong slow war for equality began in 1789, during the French Revolution. It started with the formation of militant feminist movements in France. The first effective step towards equality was achieved on 5 October 1789. This day marks the start of the Women’s March on Versailles.

We are still struggling, to this day, to correct the views and opinions society has developed over the centuries. Our goal is to make society view women and men as equals. We need all In Ancient Rome, a major shift occurred. the help we can get. Make your mark in history.

Unlike in Greece, where women were seen Make the difference. as intellectually inferior, women could join the slave workforce and work on handicrafts. Filippo Cortese Upper class females could also study academic subjects such as literature and philosophy. if they chose to oppose them.

This social construct does, however, change in the centuries that follow. In the emerging powers like the Greek empire, women’s connection to the pantheon gods softened, causing them to become socially inferior to men. This led to women having fewer rights in comparison to male citizens in Greece. Unable to vote, own land, or inherit, a woman’s place was in the home and her sole purpose in life was rearing children.

Gender-based social constructs have morphed throughout the ages. To understand this we need to go back to Ancient Egypt, where people were classified for the first time based on their gender.

In Ancient Egypt, it was already evident that men were, on average, physically stronger than women. This however did not interfere with the value of women in the eyes of the Egyptians. Women were actually seen as gifts from the gods. They were also allowed, even preferred, to rule the empire.

Spartan women were also treated in a manner different to that of the Greeks. For example: women had to do physical training like men, they were permitted to own land and they had access to luxurious goods like wine.

However, throughout all history, men saw themselves stronger than women, and with the development of different philosophies and needs throughout history, mankind started to associate physical strength with intellectual strength and leadership skills.

There is no specific date when all of this happened, but rather a millennia-long The reason why women were preferred course of events that, no matter how small rulers, as opposed to later in history, is due to or insignificant they may have seemed at the the pantheon gods who were worshipped in time, slowly started to shape the world we live Ancient Egypt. Two prominent gods of that era in. were the gods of life and prosperity and both of these were portrayed as female. This resulted in the ancient Egyptians appointing a female pharaoh to act as a good omen to the gods, bringing prosperity and life to the empire.

Noting the above, it would seem safe to assume that this ideology applied to all women in Ancient Egypt, but this was not the case.

Egyptian men were seen as the leaders of the plebeian society as they were physically superior to women and could overpower them

Recently women started to fight back and strive to reach social equality with men.

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Play Review of Twelfth Night Murray Fogg

Twelfth Night by playwright William Shakespeare was performed at Maynardville Open Air Theatre and directed by Geoffrey Hyland. It was performed by a group of actors who transported the audience to the island of Illyria off the coast of Africa. It follows the love triangle of the protagonist Viola and Olivia and the Duke Orsino. Viola and her brother Sebastian get ship wrecked on the island and Viola disguises herself in her brothers clothes and transforms into the male servant Cesario who finds himself working for Duke Orsino.

Mistaken identity, love triangles and even love interference drive this play forward. When Sebastian arrives on the island, after drifting at sea, he is wearing similar clothing to his sister who is pretending to be a man. He is mistaken for his sister by Olivia and she instantly asks him to marry her not knowing he isn’t Cesario.

Sebastian takes this opportunity and accepts willingly. The entire play revolves around the love triangle between Cesario, Olivia and Duke Orsino. Cesario falls in love with her master Duke Orsino but the Duke loves the newly mourning Olivia. He sends Cesario with loving words but Olivia falls for Cesario instead of the Duke.

Characterization shocked the audience with the multiple camp and camp-looking characters. Feste

or Fool was dressed in all black with black high heel boots but the audience was taken aback with his deep and masculine voice, where as Sir Andrew lived up to the definition of camp with his high register voice and his flamboyantly pink clothing.

These characterisation shattered the gender stereotypes of men and was a pleasant twist to the masculine characters. Viola portrayed Cesario as a typical butch man with her low register and spoke with a monotone voice, playing on the stereotypical man. She abandoned the typical traits of a women and replaced them with the manly spread legs and physical attributes.

comedy of the production. There were unfortunately scenes where the magic of theatre was dissolved due to the audience being reminded this was just a production and not real life, with microphones picking up on other performers or Duke Orsino removing his chain to give to Cesario to deliver to Olivia. The setting was within an amphitheater with minimal amount of stage props and adequate stage lighting adding to the mood and atmosphere.

Well performed added songs by Feste contributed to the overall performance. It added a whimsical contemporary twist, that the audience thoroughly enjoyed and The dialogue was kept to the showed their appreciation through traditional Shakespearian language applause. The ambiance music added with modern day additives that added to the mood and feel of scenes but to the performance in a positive way, sometimes overpowered the speech by updating the 400 year old script. of the actor performing.

The cast, in general, performed the original script with eloquence Overall the production ran with ease, and relayed the original text in an the directors choice to challenge intelligent manner which lead the gender stereotypes paid off emensly. audience to follow with ease. It The choice of the Maynardville was unfortunately challenging to Theatre choosing to perform such follow Sebastian’s speech because a work in today’s society showed of his pronounced accent, but his the diverse nature and the forever characterization of Sebastian was of evolving world that we live in. All in high standard. all it was a noteworthy production of Twelfth Night and worth going to see.

Modern and African inspired costuming added to the modernization of the play and helped relate the play to the everyday world and its problems. The over

theatrical fight scenes added to the

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THERE ARE ONLY TWO VIEWS TOWARDS FEMINISM FOR IT OR AGAINST IT Gender, sex and inequality are issues which we are all too aware of in modern times. Many of us still seem to be hazy on the reality of the situation and what some of these terms and concepts imply in modern society. However, this has also come to bear a nature of extremism in regard to those who have strong beliefs about the nature of what gender and sex actually mean. Many extreme right wing activists would argue with utmost certainty that there are only two genders which exist, these being male and female, and that our identification as either one of those two is dictated by our biological sex.

The most prominent issue in regards to modern political movements related to sex and gender is the contorted view which is beginning to take shape against feminism. This is inherently due to the nature of extremism which exists within feminist movements around the world. These extremists however, are not embodying the ideals of feminism, but unfortunately these actions are the ones which have an impact on the media’s view of feminism within popular culture.

Arguably the largest roleplayer within the development of negative connotations with the feminist movement, media and popular culture continue to fuel passive aggression between those who see feminism as a radical movement and genuine feminist activists. This is due to the continued sharing and focus on media depicting extremists and radicals performing actions in the name of feminism and equality, which reflect anything but feminism and equality.

Whether or not one wishes to agree with it, there is a slew of evidence demonstrating the fact that social injustice based upon biological sex still exists today, and these extremist reflections on the feminist movement are only going to impede upon any positive progress which legitimate feminist activists have made. The correct way towards rectifying this injustice, as always, lies within the notions of recognition and acceptance of the existence of inequalities within society. It is also critical that we should not allow extremists with morphed ideologies represent a group with concerns and beliefs founded upon ideals of equality.

Emile Tredoux GIGUE

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OPINION PIECE

The 100 Has a Bisexual Female Protagonist and Promotes LGBT Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) is one of the main female lead protagonists in the hit series, The 100, from The CW. She is strong willed, brave and kind hearted while still being lethal. She will do anything for her people and their survival in this post-apocalyptic world. She is the embodiment of being a badass. With all these attributes, she is also a bisexual character and this is exceptionally portrayed as simply being a part of her and not questioned or judged.

Clarke shares an emotional kiss with Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), who is the leader of the Grounders.

Afterwards Clarke pulls away and states she can not go into a relationship as it is not the right time.

This hesitation is because she needs more time to fully connect with another person.

It is heartbreaking that most bisexual characters are one-dimensional and not given the time and effort to be understood by the audience. So with The 100 showing physical depictions of characters that can be related to emotionally and can display that it can have normalcy in people’s lives exhibits how mature this series is

by making Clarke the first leading character to be openly bisexual.

With Clarke and Lexa later becoming closer together many fans immediately started a ship for them called Clexa which was a large community. However as the story continued and their love was challenged, Lexa was killed by one of her by her own people in a tragic accident. Fans were shocked and outraged and with this came some good and some bad. The director of the show (Jason Rothenberg) was hated for removing this vital character from the series and from Clarke’s life. But with all this hate came the awareness of LGBT and how Lexa deserved better. With this fans donated money for this cause to spread the word of how this character died.

This series is a whirlwind of danger and disaster but within it there are moments where these intense characters have peace and have the time to have relationships in whatever manner they want and can find love in this world of pain and suffering.

Sabrina Da Mata

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IISuperwomanII Youtuber Motivating People Around the World

From uploading a short comedy video on YouTube in 2010, 28-yearold Canadian Lilly Singh, known to fans as IISuperwomanII, obtained 12 million subscribers with her world changing channel. This makes her the third biggest YouTube superstar.

With all those viewers she creates clips and posts them twice a week to share laughs and happiness to others and inspire them to do positive actions to themselves and people around them.

Lilly Singh makes videos that are snippets of relatable situations like parents, school, livelihood and relationships in a fun and entertaining way which attracts the attention of people as we all love a good laugh. But what is even better is that she does it in a thoughtful and cheery manner, while adding her Punjabi heritage in the mix.

With this is encourages all people to respect everyone and love each other peacefully.

“Even though I do comedy, it’s always positive,” she says. “It’s always uplifting. It’s never negative towards anyone, and it’s me making fun of myself.”

Although one of her mottos are “One Love”, she had some trouble trying to deal with her depression in finding what she wants to be and looking for her path in this world. So after she graduated psychology, she uploaded her video on YouTube in 2010 and with the start of that first clip she began her journey to changing her life.

All her fans always support and “It was really because I was sad and I embrace their Superwoman and thought maybe YouTube videos would appreciate her videos. They inspire positivity and provide emotional make me feel better, which they help for children and families with did,” she says. “I made my first video the problems they have. At the end becoming creative all over again of every clip she touches all her fans’ because I had lost my spark and one video led to the next leading into this hearts and brings everyone together as one community. amazing ride.”

A couple of her greatest achievements is her campaign of #GirlLove which influences woman to love and support each other while also writing her recent book called ‘How to be a Bawse’ that inspires people to be the best person they can be and to help you conquer life. “A ‘Bawse’ is someone who exudes confidence and reaches goals,” Singh says. Through these motivational statements she confirms that it‘s important to work for your dreams and not just to hope for them. “If you want something in life like to be happy or to achieve a goal, whatever it is, you have to hustle and work on it and no one is going to give it to you on a seafood platter,” Lilly says.

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What really gets her is all the comments of gratitude for the videos she makes. People thank her for motivating them and that her clips change their lives for the better.

“That’s why I do what I do. That’s why I continue to work as hard because it actually makes a difference.”

Sabrina Da Mata

(PHOTO)

INTERVIEW

Interviews with Swedish students:

COMING SOON

We recently had the opportunity to ask an individual from Sweden a few questions relating to that of gender in the media.

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What are the gender stereotypes in How does the media portray men Sweden? in the media?

It depends a lot at what you look at.

Men are often portrayed as It also depends if you look at a certain powerful, successful and independent thing and its stereotypes in bigger people, generally as businessmen. cities or if you look at the same thing in more sparsely populated areas.

It has also happened that these people have done some really bad If you take a look at stereotypes in things, an example being harassing Sweden there are some things you can women, and the media does not bring generally say are true. that up. This is due to the fact that these people want a good reputation For instance, mums are home and that they have the money and longer than dads with their newborn power to do so. children before the children starts some kind of daycare. However, it has What is your opinion of feminism begun to make a clear change towards in the media? the genders sharing it more equally in the last twenty years.

Media has neither a good or bad perspective of feminism. I think they How does the media portray could and should bring it up a lot more women in the media? though. They should also explain the intricacies about it.

The media often, but far away from in all cases, sexiualize women and Although men and women are their bodies. Women are also often not portrayed as equals as of yet in portrayed in a concending matter.

Sweden, it certainly seems a lot more progressive than here in South Africa.

This is, as I said, far away from always. Often women are also portrayed as powerful and successful people. I think media has gotten a lot better at highlighting these fantastic people (women) and what they’ve accomplished.

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(PHOTO)

“so many girls out there say, ‘I’m not a feminist,’ because they think it means something angry, or disgruntled, or complaining, or they picture rioting or picketing. It is not that at all. It simply means women and men should have equal rights and opportunities.”

PROUD SISTERS PRIDE “Feminism is not about making women stronger. women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world peerceives that strength.”

G.D. Anderson

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“We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”

Malala Yousafzai

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INTERVIEW

RU PAUL

THE KING OF THE QUEENS

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Interviewer: Gigue Magazine has the honor of interviewing a Drag Queen legend, TV and movie star, producer and Pop star. Born in San Diego California 1960 this King of the Queens has built his empire from the ground up, starting in clubs and now dominating the TV scene, RuPaul. We are diving right into the questions we are all burning to ask!

So Ru, how did this all begin?

RuPaul: Well, as you said, I was born in San Diego and from the age of five I knew that I was a superstar trapped in the body of a five-year-old.

I studied theatre at Northside School of Performing Arts but dropped out. However, I am an ambitious person and I always have been. The thing that gets me out of bed in the morning is laughter, music, love, colours and beauty. All of it.

RuPaul: No, I do not think so. I have not been accepted by mainstream outlets such as Ellen or the Tonight Show, because the only way they could have a conversation with me is to mock me or somehow make a joke about what I am doing.

Interviewer: Some of your most memorable catchphrase are: “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love somebody else,” “Gentlemen, start your engines and may the best woman win” and “Shantay, you stay!” Do you find it vital to come up with catchphrases often?

RuPaul: Gay culture has always told the mainstream what is and what is not cool. So if you want to be memorable, you must be marketable.

Interviewer: On your show there are times where you look like you are about to break down, but stop yourself. Why?

Interviewer: Now tell me Ru, as seen by millions of people around the world, you are proud to be seen in and out of drag, but surely this causes RuPaul: I act with compassion but I some confusion when people want to cannot break down. I want to break call you “he” or “she”. down but I have to stay strong because they [the drag queen contestants] see RuPaul: I will happily answers to me as Mother Ru. both pronouns. I have spent my life with the two different personas. I Interviewer: Finally, Ru, do you think hold no offense when someone calls that people are missing out if they me “he” or “she”. You can call me never do drag? anything, as long as it is positive.

Interviewer: Your hit TV show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, deals with issues such as homosexuality, transgenderism and family approval.

You also have a liking from big names in the business, such as Khloe Kardashian and Lady Gaga, but do you think you will ever become, in a word, mainstream?

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RuPaul: There are aspects of your personality that you do not know about until you get into drag.

Personally, drag has changed my life.

One evident example was me being the very first Drag Queen to be the Viva Glam Model. I have also seen straight men get into drag and it is interesting to see what they turn into.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time Ru. You are an inspiration to the LGBT community and anyone who wishes to be accepted for who they truly are.

Murray Fogg

Finally, social media also has a negative effect on each person as an individual.

It also isolates individuals. This seems like a contradictory point, social media is a communication platform. It has become some people’s main form of communication.

How could it be isolating us? Even though the frequency of people’s daily communications have increased, social media has stripped Firstly, you should know that once you post away the meaning of these interactions. People something on social media it is impossible do not speak face to face. People are losing the to take it off. There is no “undo button.” You skills they were meant to develop as humans. should think twice before posting something Social media is a great tool to share your that you might regret later. opinion, interact with others and to gain Secondly, there are people on the internet inspiration, but you only see one side of the who will try to obtain as much personal coin. The other side of the coin is a world where information about your life as they possibly you are exploited and abused. You should be can. They do this to try to put you in physical more careful of what you do on the platform danger and to take advantage of you. Try to lest you make a fool of yourself. Be safe. reduce the amount of personal information you share publicly on social media to reduce Retha Jordaan the risk of this happening to you.

Social media has taken the world by storm.

For many teenagers and adults social media has become one of their main methods of communication. It is an easy way for people to share and discuss their opinions, but there is a catch. Social media is hub of dangers and you need to be conscious about what you do on the platform.

Additionally, cyberbullying is a huge problem on social media. With the easy access and anonymity that social media offers it has become much easier for people to harass and mock others. This behavior can result in problems with a person’s well-being, scarring them for life.

Furthermore, due to the nature of humans, when we see things on social media that interests us, we share it. The problem arises when people exploit this fact to spread misinformation. When online, you should always do extra research about news you have seen on social media in order to ensure the correctness of the information.

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DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

INTERNATIONAL 1

GENDER IDENTITIES VS MEDIA

SOCIETY’S GOT NINETY NINE PROBLEMS AND THE MEDIA IS ONE

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Media: [noun] The main means of mass communication (television, radio and newspaper) regarded collectively.

This is the Oxford dictionary definition of the word. What is the true definition of media? The media is a sphere of influence that holds the power to manipulate and change our cultures and societies. To put it simply...the media has brainwashed our society. The ascendancy of the media is one that has created countless stereotypes.

These stereotypes have suffocated us and forced us to adhere to the “social norms” that are far beyond normal, or even natural. I guess one could say the media is the sheep herder and we, society, are the sheep that follow blindly, falling senselessly into large pits of gender stereotypes.

Normal vs Stereotype For years now the media has presented gender stereotypes as the social norm.

According to any newly released perfume advert, women wear perfume in order to attract all the men on the block. You know, because females live solely for mens attention. Oh, and don’t forget that the big, strong, financially stable man is far more superior to the beautiful stay-at-home mum. This is what we have been forced to believe. These tight restraints have created wounds in our society that have left scars as permanent as tattoos on our identities. We have been moulded into stereotypes, by stereotypes, for stereotypes. Somehow,over the course of the years, the media has constructed what it has deemed to be “socially acceptable” gender identities. This construction has given the media the power to normalise gender based stereotypes GIGUE 17

How gender identities are constructed by the media It’s possible that the construction of gender identities starts way before we are born. For years now the colour pink has been associated with girls. Advertisements will often use the colour pink to appeal to girls. So if you’re a girl and you’re favourite colour is blue...that’s great and all but, according to the media you are sociably unacceptable therefore we, as society, cannot and will not accept you. And obviously we just have to listen to the media. Considering the fact that it groomed and shaped you into the person you are today, it’s fair to say that the media is practically your mother. That’s right, Mother Media. She wrapped you tight in your hot pink blanket and cradled you. She infested your five year old mind with the severe need to play with the pale pink princesses like all the other girls in your kindergarten class. As you grew older, she morphed and multiplied into the music, movies and magazines that consumed your life. She made sure that you learnt to wear make up that would attract the most handsome men. She made sure that you learnt how to cook and clean just to please your husband. Most importantly, she made sure that you didn’t have the strength to break free from the restraints that held you in a position that is inferior to that of men. This is how the media has contracted gender identities.

“The media has so much influence in not only determining what we see but also how we think and how we see ourselves.” portrayed as the strong, independent and intelligent women that we really are. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the media has managed to maintain these gender identities. By presenting women this way, over and over and over again, the media has created a single story for women, and it’s time that we fight against it.

“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

It is time for us as females, and males, to come together and rise above the gender stereotypes that the media has restrained us to. We are more than just a single story, more than just a stereotype. We are more than the media.

The media has told one story...it’s time to tell the rest.

Tumisang Bojosi

Now, the real question is why. Why has the media constructed these ideals? Why is it okay for women to be presented as beneath men? Why are there so many gender boundaries, constricting human beings from acting in certain ways? Why is this fair? So many questions, yet so little answers.

How the media maintain gender identities It’s easy. We’ve been brainwashed! The media has infested our brains, eaten us up from the inside and replaced what’s left with its nonsensical ideas ad beliefs. It has created what the Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, calls a “single story”, for women in society. In her 2013 TedTalk, Chimamanda mentioned that in order to create a single story one must “show people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.” This is exactly what the media has done. For years it has presented women as inferior to men. Repeatedly, women have been shown in adverts washing their husbands shirts, or looking after the kids, or cooking. We are never GIGUE 18

BOTSWANA 2

How are gender identities constructed, maintained or challenged Challenge the media Over the last generation, women have been included in advertisements, however only to be portrayed as sexual objects, accessories to men or as being limited to their homes and housework. Women are rarely given positions of power in adverts but are instead there to complement one man or another. It is time to start producing adverts that show females to be strong, independent women. It is crucial that we, the i-generation, start thinking critically about how gender identities are portrayed in the media so we can be the ones to change this.

Staying at home is only a woman’s job?

In domestic adverts it is solely women who are shown to use these products.

Why? Are men incapable of being the ones to do the washing up? Is that only a woman’s job?

Cleaning detergent adverts always have a woman – who is usually a mother – telling us why we should buy that cleaning product. These adverts indirectly insinuate that 1) women are the only ones who clean the house 2) men cannot stay at home and take care of their children.

These adverts not only characterise women to be housewives but also imply that men have to be the breadwinner of the family. Just think of what these adverts are doing. They are teaching young girls that it is their duty to cook, clean and care for children and also putting pressure on young boys by suggesting that they have to be the ones to bring money home for the family.

Sweet or sour?

A man is dressed in a suit while a seminaked woman claws at him as his smell enthralls her. That’s how most men’s cologne adverts go. Yes, because women

Out with the old in with the new

will throw off all their clothes at the whiff draping a woman over a car it suddenly of his overly priced scent. makes it desirable. We are not sexual objects! This objectifies women as they are In these adverts only a portion of the seen as something to “own” as well as the woman is ever shown. Sometimes it will car. It is our duty to change this! just be her hands clasping at his chest.

Another time it will be only her legs or The media has so much influence in maybe even her breasts! Do women matter not only determining what we see but also so little that we can’t even be shown in full? how we think and how we see ourselves.

Only selected parts of our bodies? Females This is why it is important to teach not only suddenly become accessories to men, our generation but also other generations like watches or a briefcase. These adverts to think critically and to not simply accept make women look like unintellectual everything we are taught or in this case, beings who have no self-respect and lack shown. Often the older generation accept opinion. They make women look like they gender stereotypes. They were not given are at the mercy of men and that women the opportunity to think critically and so immediately forget themselves and all have come to not notice sexist adverts their dignity because he smells “oh so good”.

The media, with all the power it has, should be persistently trying to challenge Why can’t cologne adverts just be about the way we think. The world needs more a man smelling good instead of implying adverts where men and women are equal. that women will be falling at his feet? Why only show a man driving a car Shouldn’t we be concerned that the media when you can instead show both a male thinks sex sells? It seems the media does and female driving cars? Why only show not tend to take any other advertisement women to be housewives when there are paths when it comes to cologne adverts. men out there who do stay at home and This is not how it should be. What about take care of children? Instead of confining men who don’t want women falling at gender to a role, why not teach children their feet? They tend to feel alienated that whether you are a man or a woman because cologne adverts are therefore not should not determine what you will do or aimed at them. who you will be.

Who’s in control?

Vehicle adverts always depict men as the driver, alluding to the idea of men being dominant. Again, women are accessories seen to be incapable of being in positions of power. Why are these adverts aimed at men? It is our duty to question this. By directing these adverts at men it makes women seem incapable of buying cars and being independent. They illustrate females to be reliant on men and this is not the way it should be.

Furthermore, some think that by GIGUE 19

It is our job to try and start changing things now. It is our job to motivate children to be open-minded and teach them to question things instead of confining them to a single story. It is our job to challenge the media and the way it presents gender identities.

Adverts should never mislead, harm or offend anyone. They should reflect society accurately.

Clara Sentongo

PURPLE

HIBISCUS

COLLECTION OF BOOKREVIEWS DONE BY STUDENTS

Purple Hibiscus is a piece which is no stranger to the idea of tackling taboo yet relevant topics such as the idea of strong female characters, abuse within patriarchal households and the nature of abuse behind closed doors. The story focuses on a young woman named Kambili, who is the protagonist of the story. She is raised by a timid, and severely abused mother, and a fanatically religious and abusive father named Eugene.

In the beginning of the book we see Eugene as he is seen by his daughter, as well as how he paints himself within the public eye. This is as a charitable, charismatic, empathetic leader of men. This is reflected within his charitable actions in public such as his participation within the church and his fervent strive for democracy and freedom within Nigeria.

However as the story progresses we begin to notice the inconsistent nature of Eugene.

At home he is abusive, tyrannical and ruthless towards his wife and children. There are several scenes wherein his capacity for violence and abuse is demonstrated through the horrendous acts performed upon his family by him. However, one can argue that, due to the fact that Eugene was raised within an environment wherein he himself was also abused and dictated as such, he is simply treating his family the way he deems just.

The issues addressed within the book are universal, specifically with regards to the approach and demonstration of abuse towards women, and how it is received by the victims within the family. Unfortunately abuse towards women is still an extremely real issue within society. Purple Hibiscus demonstrates how it is almost seen as acceptable due to the fact that Eugene keeps up such a consistent wholesome appearance to the public eye. So much so that he gets away with his abuse within the home without anyone suspecting anything.

Purple Hibiscus is a classical example of African Literature. The novel holds promise with its persistent mood shifts, intensity variations and rich African setting, but unfortunately the novel falls flat due to a few glaring faults and shortcomings.

The novel is devoid of a unique plot and it often falls into the trap of using common symbolisms. Due to this the novel is easily predictable.

While the novel is diligent in capturing the characters’ emotions, I often find myself to be disengaged with the plot. This is due to the novel focusing too much on the psychological perspective.

While focusing on emotions is very useful to immerse a reader into a novel, in this specific literary work it is often redundant and finds itself lacking of physical occurrences throughout the play to ground these emotions.

The book reflects a range of real-world problems, all of which relates to gender inequality and male supremacy. While I admit that the book could be eye-opener for people who think that gender inequality is an extinct problem the world left behind centuries ago, it can also be quite glaring for those who keep up to date with these problems everyday.

All in all this novel is another entry into an oversaturated genre. Even though the book is well written and flows in an excellent fashion, the twists and turns in the story are too predictable. This makes it a monotonous and disappointing read. I would not recommend this book.

Filippo Cortese

It was a good book. I would read it again and urge anyone to join me.

Emile Tredoux

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Purple Hibiscus is a novel set in Nigeria and written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who also wrote books such as “Americanah” and “We Should All Be Feminists”. The book was published in October 2003 and follows the lives of a wealthy family and told through the eyes of the daughter, Kambili Achike.

Throughout the book we are introduced to the themes of religion, domestic abuse, post colonial Africa and self discovery. The timeline of the book begins at a time called Palm Sunday, then jumps back before Palm Sunday, back to Palm Sunday then to the present day.

This style of writing at first is confusing, but tells the story in such a way that it pulls you into the book more.

In the book Eugene, Kambilis father, constantly abuses her mother Beatrice.

Kambili and her brother Jaja go to visit their aunt, Ifeoma and her children Amaka, Obiora and Chima, and they learn to have an opinion, which their father has never let them have before. As the story progresses and Kambili and Jaja come back from their aunts, the abuse becomes worse and then spreads to Kambili and Jaja, no longer just Beatrice.

With a lot patriarchal dominance, love interests and murder this book is sure to leave you flabbergasted. Winning the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2005 for best first book overall, you will not be let down with this book’s captivating story.

Murray Fogg

Purple Hibiscus is a fictional novel that is Purple Hibiscus is a novel written by set in Nigeria and deals with serious issues Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the first I have such as feminism, abuse, religion and identity. read from her. This, I would say, is the most to life novel I have read to date as my go to genres The novel allows us to see the world are fantasy, magic and sci-fi. So when I started through the perspective of Kambili, a teenage this I had the mindset of not enjoying it, but Nigerian girl living with her parents, Eugene I was sorely mistaken as Purple Hibiscus took and Beatrice, and her brother, Jaja. Kambili hold of me and pulled me into this immersive and her brother were indoctrinated into the and realistic story under the viewpoint of Catholic religion by their father. Her father is Kambili. a wealthy CEO of “The Standard,” a newspaper which speaks the truth against the government.

Kambili is a young girl who lives in Nigeria He is seen as a charitable person and is highly with her parents and her older brother Jaja. regarded by the community.

Her father is a wealthy man and a helper to the larger community by giving money back to the Although he does all of these good deeds, community and offering food to others while when he is behind closed doors he is an highly the family lives a well-off life with a luxurious abusive father. He imposes strict rules for house whilst the children go to private schools. everyone in his household and anyone who However, this so-called ‘normal’ family has its disobeys him is severely punished. differences.

The theme of feminism combined with the African setting caught my attention from the start. It made some of the characters very relatable and explained some of the reasons behind their motives. Some parts of the story left me unsure as to what had happened leading up to the event or even just what some of the other characters were thinking.

We soon realise that the father is a very controlling and strict person which make Kambili, Jaja and even the mother fears him immensely. He restricts them to specific tasks and timetables they must follow according to his view and only his.

We then meet Aunty Ifeoma, who gets Kambili and Jaja to visit her and her family in The novel is very well written and the order to get to know each other. Through this amount of detail makes the characters experience without the iron fist of their father, relatable and realistic. The symbolism gets Kambili and Jaja open their eyes to a new world quite intricate at times, but other than that and are allowed to change their perspectives. it was an interesting novel and nothing like I have ever read before.

This novel really invoked emotion within me. The reader is given enough information to I give this book a rating of 8/10. not be confused while still leaving enough out to ponder. The characters in Purple Hibiscus are also so complex and the novel explores Retha Jordaan multiple sides to many of the characters which allow you to appreciate or hate them even more.

I would rate this novel a “must read” as it is a universal story that people could relate to and be shown a different perspective of the world. This novel would also be a very educational tool for many students living in Africa to expand their knowledge of the world we all live in.

Sabrina Da Mata GIGUE 21

FEATURE

Wondering about Wonder Woman?

Wonder Woman has finally done it for DC Comics. Having a more prominent breakthrough in the film industry than any of its predecessors.

The movie itself was badass while still being kind hearted with awesome cinematics and CGI effects that were mind blowing.

The film starts us off in the hidden mystical island of Themyscira where the Amazons, a race of strong females, live in isolation. The Amazons are sworn to protect the world from threats. The queen of the island, Hippolyta, desired a child and was granted this wish from the Greek Gods. This child was Diana, soon to be Wonder Woman.

Títle: Wonder Woman Director: Patty Jenkins Year: 2017

While growing up on the island she was taught the art of fighting. She also has an insatiable curiosity for many things, especially the outside world.

One day the unusual happened, a man named Steve Trevor crashed into the island bringing with him a war that will forever change Diana’s life.

Throughout this movie it takes us on the journey of Diana’s becoming the formidable Wonder Woman who protects the world from its advisories.

It also shows the journey of how she finally sees how the world really is. A place filled with both the evil who try to exploit the weak and the good who empower the weak to fight back.

The movie as a whole inspires many people - especially women - to be headstrong individuals that have a good influence around others. It is a much watch for anyone, movieenthusiast or not.

Retha Jordaan

Obituary Chester was born on March 20th 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He grew up with his mother who was a nurse and father who was a police officer. He displayed a passion for music early in his life and dreamed of one day being a member of the Stone Temple Pilots, which he managed to achieve later in life.

first wife declined during his early years with Linkin Park, resulting in their divorce in 2005. In 2006, he married Talinda Ann Bentley, a former Playboy model with whom he had three children: Tyler Lee Bennington (born March 2006) and twins Lilly and Lila (born March 2011).

Bennington had a child, Jaime (born May 12, 1996), from his relationship with Elka Brand. In 2006, he also adopted Brand’s other son, Isaiah.

He married his first wife, Samantha Marie Olit, on October 31, 1996.

They had one child together, Draven Sebastian (born April 19, 2002).

Bennington’s relationship with his

Chester Bennington joined Linkin Park in March 1999, wherein he replaced the previous vocalist and catapulted Linkin Park into the mainstream with his emotional lyricism and voice to match the angst ridden nature of his lyrics. He was with the band from then until his untimely death, which occurred two GIGUE 22

weeks prior to their world tour to celebrate the release of their latest album.

Bennington committed suicide by hanging at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California; his housekeeper discovered his body around 9:00 a.m. PDT on July 20, 2017. Mike Shinoda confirmed his death on Twitter. Chesters influence on music is undeniable and he will be sorely missed by all.

Chester Charles Bennington, 41, California USA Emile Tredoux

Does it

SUIT you?

Choosing the right suit and the right colour is not something anyone can do. Clothing is an art, an art called fashion, and should be treated as such.

Like in all arts, colour and texture mean different things and portray different feelings or emotions.

If applied with skill, fashion can paint society’s perception towards a person in a positive light, but, if applied incorrectly, fashion will reveal and accentuate your flaws.

Like art, fashion also has some rules and general guidelines that need to be followed, and today I will be going over the most important of these rules with you.

Firstly, some colours should never be mixed.

You may not mix Blue with either Red, Yellow or Black, but exceptionally dark shades of Blue can be worn with Black.

Red cannot be mixed with Blue, Green or Yellow.

Green cannot be mixed with Purple or Orange unless the shades of green are extremely light or extremely dark.

Secondly, Colours also portray different feelings, ages and emotions.

If you are young, you should wear Blue or Brown shadings, like, for example, Azure, Dark Navy Blue, Medium Brown, White, or Yellow.

Colours like Black and Grey should generally only be worn by older or middle-age men.

Many classic combinations like the “Black suit and Red tie” tend to be more appropriate for middleaged men, while other classic combinations like the “Dark Brown suit and Yellow bowtie” tend to be more appropriate for young men to wear. We also suggest wearing thin ties at a young age and normal-width ties after the age of thirty.

You should wear heavier fabric suits like velvet suits or warm-cotton suits during winter, but never to highclass events like galas and operas. To high-class events, such as the ones mentioned, it is highly suggested to wear a light cotton suit. We also believe that it is best to wear suits with a different shade than that of the lapel.

Furthermore, different fits should be mixed, while different styles should not. The worst thing one could possibly do is to mix casual trousers with formal suits. However, this does not imply that one may not mix different-fit garments. As an example, wearing an extra-slim fit jacket with slim or normal-fit trousers is acceptable.

We hope that we have taught you the basics of the delicate art we call fashion, but now it is time for you to apply what you learnt.

Go out there and show the great wide world who you truly are: not through words, but through they way you dress.

Filippo Cortese GIGUE 23

KNOW YOUR TERMS KEEP YOUR WORD asexual awareness bias bisexual bullying careers discrimination drag education empowerment equality equity expression facebook feminine feminism gender Gender roles hair heterosexual homophobia homosexual housework identity instagram intersex lesbian makeup masculine Maternity leave neutral opportunities perspective rights salary sexism sexuality socialmedia stereotypes transgender twitter

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