Contents: Man Of Steel Contradicts Feminism
Page 6-7
Gender Representation In Popular Media
Page 8
Socially Constructed Stereotypes
Page 9
Double Standards Of Sexual Harassement
Page 10 Page 11
Poster 1 Page 12 Poster 2 Page 13 Authentic Alex Page 14-15 Is The Media Affecting Your Relationships?
Page 16-17
Portrayal Of Black Women In Media
Page 18-19
Brushing Away Reality
Page 20-21
Novel Reviews: Purple Hibiscus
Page 22-25
What Does Sweden Think?
Page 26-27
Editor-In-Chief's Welcome! The Pendulum was created to allow people to see both sides to a story. Here at Pendulum, we believe there is not just only one side to a story or one opinion. Therefore in our magazine, we cover it all. We are here to give everyone the chance to read and see what is going on in the world. Some of the most debatable topics ever are not known to some people. We believe everyone has the right to know. We combine content from many different media platforms to create the perfect piece for our readers. This months topic is about gender equality in the media. This topic hit my thoughts after finishing the well-known TV series The Good Wife. I then realised that across most TV series, there is a whole lot of gender inequality. The stereotypes and accusations that are followed in these series can really change a persons mind about men and women. If there is a constant reminder about a stereotype in a series that many people watch every day, it makes it seem somewhat normal — this is not okay. So my team and I set out to research the topic of gender equality in the media and we started to realise what a massive issue it is. This months issue will discuss the media’s effect on gender inequality where problems you probably would never have realised are discussed. Enjoy this months issue!
This magazine is not intended for profit and distributed it for free. All relevant sources have been credited. The articles produced are personal opinions and facts relating to other sources. The Pendulum will not be held accountable for any plagiarism as this is not intended to make a profit and the intellectual products produced are merely a representation of others.
MEET THE TEAM! Editor-in-Chief Luke Cillie Featured Articles: Gender Representation In Popular media, Socially Constructed Stereotypes, Purple Hibiscus Review.
Copy Editor Ursulla Munyange Featured Articles: The Double Standards Of Sexual Harassment, Portrayal Of Black Women In The Media, Purple Hibiscus Review.
MEET THE TEAM! Designer Lolita De Abreu Featured Articles: Man Of Steel Contradicts Feminism, Is The Media Affecting Your Relationship?, Purple Hibiscus Review.
Art Director Alexander Kuglemann Featured Articles: Why Girls Should Start Making The First Move, Authentic Alex, Purple Hibiscus Review.
'Man of Steel' Contradicts
FEMINISIM? By Lolita De Abreu
Every feminist loves a good action movie with a powerful female acting in the frontline right? With regards to the popular film Man of Steel, one of the many Superman movies, your answer should be an unquestionable no! Here is why: F For a lengthy duration, men have dominated almost every field of work. Many years have passed before women earned respect as well as the right to be working alongside men. Therefore it is true that a film that is accompanied by a female main character who conveys authority and respect is always widely appreciated by women all around the world. Be this as it may, it seems that the feminists that are supposed to be representing us women in the film industry are actually contradicting the direction and intentions of what the term “feminism” represents. Which is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and be treated equally and that no gender is superior over the other. The film Man of Steel and it’s beloved leading lady, Lois Lane, is an example of the contradiction that these feminists present against themselves. Lois is very clearly (and rightly so) placed as a beacon of hope and
encouragement to all women; as her character’s role is a woman who is known as the best in the Journalism field. However, there are some faults in her “profeminist' character that slip through the cracks in some of her scenes. When Lois arrives on site of a story she is researching; she is welcomed and surrounded by men throughout the duration of her visit. Miss Lane is very clearly the only female figure at the station setup. In this scene Lois is meeting the man in charge of the station’s operations and masculinize herself once he attempts to intimidate her when she says, “So if we’re done measuring dicks, can you have your people show me around?”. Lois’s role should focus on empowering women and showcasing pride in their femininity instead of allowing the already male dominated film to strip her powerful figure of her femininity.
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“We are excited to announce the casting of Amy Adams, one of the most versatile and respected actresses in films today. Amy has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful."
There is no doubt that the intention of Lois Lane's role was to showcase feminist beliefs in which women too, are intelligent and can be the best in their career fields, but the message was not carried out accurately. In these scenes, the director’s attempt to magnify feminism and prove that women are equal to men actually comes across as somewhat contradictory to the beliefs that feminists hold. If feminists believe that women and men are equal and have equal capabilities, then Lois’s character should not have made any reference to having a penis in order to be respected in the presence of working the men. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to start seeing a shift in gender domination within the media and change finally taking place.
-Movie director, Zack Snyder.
YOUR OPINIONS: "I have nothing against the empowerment of women, however, it does get frustrating when Feminists can have such strong opinions about how men and women are equal and then have them go and masulinize women during films when they are trying to showcase how they are just as good as men." - comment from Paulo Telo
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Gender Representation In Popular Media By Luke Cillie Focusing on how gender is represented in the media, it seems to be doing well. The Good Wife is an American legal drama series. Now normally one would associate men with lawyers and power roles similar to a lawyer. But not in this case. In The Good Wife, the lead character of this series, played by Julianne Margulies, is a woman. Alicia Florrick dominates the show whether she is in court, at home, at the firm or just in general. She is the perfect example of a woman with power that stands for everything a person deserves. Throughout the series there is an abundance of gender equity. Firstly, we see that the firm she works at is co-led by a man and a woman. They are both managing partners at the firm which means they both have equal say in the decisions made. It is clear to see that men and women are treated with equity in “power positions” in The Good Wife. Secondly, towards the middle season, Alicia leaves the firm to start her own along side a male colleague. Clearly these lawyers believe that both males and females deserve the same opportunity and that because men and women are different and bring different opinions and views to the table.
The Good Wife has made it clear that they do not conform to socially constructed traditions in regards to gender roles in the workplace and that they believe that both genders should rule the corporate world. However, in music these days, the way women are represented is horrific. Especially in rap music. The lyrics to most songs are so downgrading and distressing towards women. Not to even mention current day rap music videos. Kanye West’s and Jamie Foxx’s song Gold Digger might be catchy, but all it does it mock women and insinuates that all they search for in men is money and luxury. Now the video, majority of the time, is displaying barely-clothed women while Kanye and Jamie are fully clothed and staring at the women. With so many people watching TV series and listening to rap music it influences their daily thoughts, actions, feelings and views on gender. The words used in rap makes it seem acceptable to speak about women in such horrific ways where as if you have watched The Good Wife you would have such different views on gender. People need to head in the direction The Good Wife is heading.
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As men, we are used to the burden, that is making the first move. It is not always entirely comfortable for them, but they do get better at it over time. My question is, have women ever contemplated on making the first move?
Why Girls Should Start Making The First Move! By Alexander Kuglemann
There are of course, a handful of women that have done this, but the majority have only hoped that a man that they had noticed would come up to them, but the man failed to do so. There could be many reasons why women lack the desire to approach men. They may stick to the old-fashioned way, but this can lead them to being afraid of rejection or maybe simply not knowing how to handle the situation. For men, it is exactly the same. They too, hate the feeling of rejection and most of the time they have no clue as to how they should approach women. As a man myself, I would not mind, if a woman were to approach me first. It reveals a lot about the person and their confidence, and in my opinion, I find the person more attractive.
A woman should never forfeit her chances by thinking that the male should be the one fulfilling the role; if she is attracted to him and she knows that he will not make the first move or that he simply does not catch the hint, then she should take the leap and approach him. Although this is not the norm, times are changing and men and women roles are being shared.
If you are shy, just go for it; the worst that can happen is that he will say no. In the end, you will learn to become more confident and less timid about approaching men and people in general.
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Socially Constructed Stereotypes By Luke Cillie
Lately, one can see how women are represented in the media. On TV, in music videos, on magazine covers to models on the catwalk. But is this how they should be displayed? Men are always portrayed as powerful men in suits or full clothing looking respectful and intelligent whereas women are shown as dainty, soft and beautiful in, if they are lucky, a bikini. Is this right? Has the world seriously come to the point where it is okay to flaunt one’s body off publicly when it should be a more private and respectful matter. People want to be able to do their own things. Become who they want to be; do what they want to do. Although, they will often refrain from doing so in light of being judged or frowned upon by others around them or online. There are immense amounts of socially constructed rules and traditions that have taken over peoples lives completely. Why is it that women are expected to have hairless legs and armpits? Men will say they hate fake women and things like lip implants because it's so “unnatural”, but one of the most natural things on earth is hair growth? Why do people do the things they do and say the things they say? All because of social constructs.
Not to prevent people from doing what they really want to do or are passionate about. People tend to think extremely heavily about fitting in and not embarrassing themselves. But if someone goes their whole life without doing what they really want to do, is it even living? It should all come down to personal preference. A person should be able to live their life by doing the things they want without being judged. What is normal? Is it normal for women to wear makeup? Is it normal for men to play contact sports? What is this ‘normal’ that people are living by? Should ‘normal’ dictate somebody’s actions and thoughts? Everyone should be able to do what they want to do. People should not have to think about what gender they are and what rules and regulations to follow because of it. Society has been dictating human actions and setting the standards which mean that society can change it all, all over again. People are the society. People are setting their own standards and stereotypes without even knowing it.
The sayings ‘think before you speak’ or ‘think before you do’ have been ridiculously blown out of proportion. Those sayings were created to remind people that words and actions cannot be taken back.
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The Double Standards Of Sexual Harassment By Ursulla Munyange
In today’s world, sexual harassment towards women is outspoken and something most of us proudly stand against. Nevertheless, somehow, most have neglected that this kind of harassment does not only apply to women now, nor has it ever. The difference between men and women being harassed is that although women are already not too inclined to go public about their harassment, it is even less common for men to speak out. While women will typically get support in such situations, men will get mocked and judged for even complaining, as it is seen as less consequential than sexual harassment against women.
A YouTube star, Joey Salads, did a social experiment in which he and his female (Lexi) companion took turns in front of different crowds harassing one another. When Lexi touched his butt and made advances toward him saying, “Lets do it, let’s have sex tonight,” Salads refused and stated, “Stop harassing me.” No one batted an eye. Those who did comment judged him for not enjoying the attention. A young female walking by took the time to say, “Yeah get some” and another young man said “Bro, you’re crazy,” while watching Salads decline the advances. However, when the roles were reversed, things were very different. The moment he showed the same behavior as Lexi, he was immediately stopped by people walking passed them. A group of young girls stopped the situation and pushed Salads away from Lexi and one said, “You don’t ever touch a lady like that”.
As seen above the difference between the two is obvious. With the image that the media has created over time with men having to be strong, protective, brave and other such words, we have neglected to remember that they also have the right to personal space, safety and the right to decline advances from anyone and not be shamed for reporting harassment. Now, this article is not meant to downplay sexual harassment of other genders but to highlight what is possibly the least spoken kind of harassment. The aim of this article is to encourage all readers to raise awareness and speak out about sexual harassment against men in order to shut down double standards build by the media.
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"Men are TRASH"
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Dear Authentic Alex...
Hi there, I am a male who has recently become apart of the I am a male who has recently become apart of the feminist movement. Even though I know there is a feminist movement. Even though I know there is a strong tendency for woman to not be portrayed as strong tendency for woman to not be portrayed as individuals, I find that people see it as a touchy individuals, I find that people see it as a touchy subject to have a conversation about. This makes me subject to have a conversation about. This makes me fear bringing up the issue as I feel it can even fear bringing up the issue as I feel it can even get get people heated. It feels somehow rude even to people heated. It feels somehow rude even to mention mention the topic. I often feel ashamed to call the topic. I often feel ashamed to call myself a myself a feminist, so I try walk around the label, feminist, so I try walk around the label, as if to as if to remove myself from the subject completely. remove myself from the subject completely. What What advice could you give me to try combat this advice could you give me to try combat this issue and issue and actually contribute to the feminist actually contribute to the feminist movement? movement?
From a confused feminist.
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AU A TH L E AD EN X ' S V TI IC C E
Dear confused feminist,
This is a huge issue we see often in the feminist movement. Do not be ashamed that you are a male and interested in feminism! Dictionary.com defines that feminism is “advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.” It never state that women are superior to the male race, or that women should have more rights than men. There is a stigma around feminism that makes people think it is completely against males - this leads to people thinking males in feminism are completely ridiculous and out of place in the situation. However this is far from the truth. One thing you can do to contribute to the feminism movement is read. Reading a lot of blog posts, websites and gaining knowledge on the topic can really assist you when it gets brought up in conversations. People often talk about books they have recently read which also allows the topic to be brought up if you have read about feminism. If you don’t feel like bringing up the topic in conversation and talking about it, listening is also a huge contribution. Listening to lectures or attending talks can educate you and you can follow the way of feminists. The more people who gain the mindset the larger the awareness of feminism can become. Everyone can benefit from it. Lastly, If one of your male friends do make a sexist remark, speak up. You may potentially lose that friend, but you also might get him thinking about the topic. Speaking up about the issue is crucial to the beginning of combatting the issue.
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Is The Media Affecting R elationship? YOURÂ
Have you ever been on a date or out with a group of friends where all parties are so consumed by their social media that the level of actual human interaction taking place is almost nonexistent? If your answer is yes, then this is the article for you!
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The world has begun to revolve around technology, and with technology comes social media. It is no secret that the media has become part of our everyday lives. Relationships, just like media, are part of our everyday lives too. This is why the content that is shared through the media cannot help but showcase various examples of what it portrays to be “every day” relationships. This includes exposure to unhealthy and abusive relationships. The important question to ask here is, whether this level of exposure to media opposes a threat and affects our real-life relationships? Many women in today’s society are passionately pro-feminism and seek to bring about equal rights for women to those of men. Nonetheless, it is common to see women physically abusing their male partners in movies during an argument and this is overlooked as nothing serious, in fact it is often seen as comedic. The slightest trace of the abuse of women by men in media is seen as blasphemous and it is only ever used to exhibit just how wrong it is, and rightly so. It is only sensible for physical abuse to be reacted upon the same way if the woman is abusing the man. Sadly, this is not the case.
There are plenty examples of this overlooked abuse by women in current day media. People watching these films are lead to believe that slapping one’s partner during an argument does not count as physical abuse, and then presume that it is okay to do the same. The media portrays this to be acceptable due to the fact that it is not the man abusing the woman. Because men are the stronger or most violent sex right? Wrong. This pro-feminism society should be outraged by the fact that the abuse of men by women is represented as less blasphemic possibly due to the fact that women are seen as weaker. This is clearly not the case as nothing is being done about this false representation of abuse in what could possibly be the movie you watch tonight your family. Aside from influencing our morals, the media also robs us of our social skills as well as our time. How many of you have connected and “clicked” with people online, only to discover they are not the same face-to-face? Social media makes it easier to communicate with people. Relationships, friendly or romantic, have become more about showcasing themselves on social media instead of enjoying time together without spending most of it taking pictures and deciding on what the best caption for it is going to be. The most important aspect of any form of relationship is being there in the moment and interacting with each other, this is an aspect that our generation is forgetting. The media can enhance relationships but it can also demote them. It is up to us to use the media to our advantage instead of letting it corrupt our minds and our relationships. We control the time we spend scrolling and we decide who we want to be, so be someone who is too busy interacting with the people around them to be influenced negatively by the media or to hear that notification go off.
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Portrayal OfÂ
BLACK WOMENÂ In The Media
For quite some time now the media, Movies and TV zshows specifically, has painted a stereotypical image of black women. It tell us that black women are all of three things: Angry, loud and sassy. This article will be focusing on a list of movies/TV shows that demonstrate such stereotypes but more importantly on how it has neglected the mere concept that black women are more than these stereotypes that have been derived from fictional characters.
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1. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Real Housewives of Atlanta, like all other reality shows, have gained popularity by orchestrating scandal after scandal to keep viewers interested. On this show though, producers have kept viewers interested by making the women, who are mostly black, on this show as stereotypical as possible. The show exhibits the women constantly behaving in an outrageous and loud manner as well as the women being sassy and vindictive towards each other and other people which is another black woman stereotype. This would not be a problem if it had not influenced the way viewers saw all black women. Series like this have increased the amount of prejudice and judgement layed on black women.
2. Cookie Lyon on Empire The character of Cookie Lyon on Empire has been one of the best examples to portray the idea of the stereotypical black woman. Cookie is an ex-convict woman who was arrested for selling drugs. After 20 years in jail, she is finally out of jail and is sassier and angrier than ever. Her character is captured coming up with sassy remarks and comebacks. She is also a very loud and violent character. Out of anger, she is once seen demolishing her ex-husbands entire record label bulding.
The issue with these examples is not the characters themselves. The issue is that the producers of these series have tapped into vicious stereotypes regarding back women in order to popularise their shows as well as to make a profit. This comes at the cost of the perception of black women as a whole. TV/movie characters are meant to serve as entertainment and not to form opinions on real life people.
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What you see in the media is an illusion. What you see on the glossy pages of Vogue or on your luminescent screen is just a façade. When will we see the truth? As women, society dictates that we must always be perfect and attractive in order to achieve anything in life. Society focuses too much on the appearance of women and less on their intellectual capabilities. The unrealistic body image of women is completely run by a parasite called Photoshop.
Brushing Away Reality
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Photoshop has gone too far! It is encased behind the glass screen of your phone, it lurks in the pages of magazines. Every time you log into Instagram or pick up a magazine, you are bombarded with advertisements on how to be the better or more attractive version of yourself. No wonder women are so hard on themselves. As they scroll or flip through, they are faced with countless images –airbrushed and warped– of unattainable beauty standards. We are constantly being sold a fake image of perfection; many celebrities such as the Kardashians use Photoshop to enhance their photos and are continuously regarded as sex symbols and #bodygoals. Whilst some celebrities like Kim embrace the modifications, others such as actress Zendaya Coleman are rightfully against any touch ups. Coleman recently shared two photos on her Instagram page. One of them was photoshopped while the other one was untouched. She wrote: Had a new shoot come out today and was shocked when I found out my 19 year old hips and torso quite manipulated. These are the things that make women self conscious, that create the unrealistic ideals of beauty that we have. Anyone who knows who I am knows I stand for honest and pure self love. So I took it upon myself to release the real pic (right side) and I love it. Thank you @modelistemagazine for pulling down the images and fixing this retouch issue.
Despite Zendaya’s efforts, the virus still looms in the media. The effect which Photoshop has is sickening. Millions seek the fictitious images presented by Photoshop which has opened the floodgates to business ventures for those who prey on their vulnerability. The idea that corporations are benefiting from the insecurities of women is ludicrous. Photoshop has led to see, waist trainers, slimming teas and other remedies, dominate the pages of magazines. Although waist trainers or corsets existed in the past they have made a comeback and, with the amount of celebrities endorsing such products, it comes as no surprise that more and more women blindly buy into these contraptions and concoctions, enduring so much pain to achieve the desired look which everyone seems to goggle over. Who are they trying to impress? Do these young women know what they are doing to their bodies? Or do they seek comfort in contorting their figures and having their livers in their chests? This idea of woman being “perfect” seems to be as old as time and have no expiration date. But who really defines “perfect”, is it women themselves, men or was the image sent down from some god of perfection? The truth is that this concept was formulated by men and is as old as time, back then women were told what to do by their fathers, brothers and husbands, they were basically objects of great value which were paraded by their men. The times have changed but this body conscious trait is instilled into women from such a young age. Yes, the root of this problem is those plastic dolls; their picture perfect faces and slender figures lure in the next young victim. But it exceeds the goal of being a Barbie doll. Eternal youth is what many women seek. Age is an inevitable result of nature, yet it is taboo according to the society’s beauty standards and sees some women as young as thirty already on the quest for this elixir. If it’s not losing weight it’s staying young, women cannot seem to catch a break. Why do women need validation from the mirror on the wall? Adverts for anti-aging crèmes and serums dominate the TV. Women are constantly trying to win a race with Time’s compass.
The whole concept of owning millions of serums and crèmes and rushing to iron out any crinkle that emerges on their faces is unfathomable. Whatever happened to ageing with dignity or has societal expectations erased that out of the world too? Society conveys it's beauty standards through fictitious images which have been airbrushed and warped or by using models/celebrities that have gone under the knife. The whole concept is repulsive. Why do we let this thing drive us and lead us to do absurd and unnatural this to ourselves? The idea that women are not “allowed” to age is ridiculous, how can other mortals forbid a natural process to take place. I would say that the media is to blame for all of this, but this stems from centuries ago and the media simply built on this. Next time you scroll through Instagram or flip through a magazine, and gawk over an image of a beautiful women, just think about the vile processes she has undergone to look like that. This has gone on for too long, society can no longer dictate what women can do, we the youth have to take a stand and end this, or this tedious cycle will never end.
Article Sent From A School In Botswana By Suraya Dereige
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“Because Nsukka could free something deep inside your belly that could rise up to your throat and come out as a freedom song. As laughter.�
- Extract from Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus
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The novel Purple Hibiscus written by, Nigerian and Enugu born, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an extraordinary proudly African piece of literature. Adichie’s close ties to the soil in which the story is set is sublimely conveyed through her writing. The novel gives us thorough sight into a world where cultures and religions vary and collide with each other.
Novel Review:
Purple Hibiscus By Lolita De Abreu
This mind altering story is narrated by the fifteen-year-old Kambili who, along with her brother Jaja and her parents Eugene and Beatrice, lives a privileged life in her house in Enugu. Her luxurious life may be credited to her wealthy father who owns factories and publishes a politically based newspaper. Eugene is consistently charitable and generous throughout the novel especially within his Catholic and African community, so much that he is known as the “Omelora” which means “The One Who Does for the Community”. Kambili takes the reader along with her behind the closed doors of what seems to be the perfect Catholic family as well as on her unanticipated trip to Nsukka; where she is exposed to the kind of love and freedom a real family has, and discovers a lot more about herself as a young woman.
Although their father runs a newspaper that aims to expose and speak up about the truth surrounding the government, Kambili, Jaja and Beatrice are not encouraged to speak or be inquisitive. The close siblings are given strict rules and schedules to follow and are severely punished if they are not followed precisely. Eugene’s character brings out a lot of the novel’s conflict and suspense. The narrator very clearly fears him and his unpredictable nature, and in result, the reader often experiences the anxious feelings that Kambili portrays through her thoughts.
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We get a sense that Jaja is a far more angry character than Kambili which is why he loses his fear for their father and begins to defy him a lot sooner too. The power that Eugene has over many characters in the novel allows him to get away with domestic violence and the controlling of lives that do not belong to him. There is a major contrast between Eugene and his sister, Ifeoma, who allows her children to experience freedom, laughter, and culture. The novel brings light to extremely relevant and important themes such as religion. As mentioned before, Eugene is catholic and has brought his children up to be the same. However, in truth, he is very much an extremist when it comes to his religion. This can often be the result of taking action that actually goes against what the religion teaches, to which Eugene is a perfect example. In addition to religion, the role that domestic violence plays within the novel is immeasurably significant. Throughout the story the only obstacle in the way of the growth and prosperity of both Kambili and Jaja is their father and the violent punishments he inflicts on them that ultimately scares them away of truly living a fulfilled and vigorous life. We are shown that once Kambili and Jaja overcome this fear that consumes them, their characters begin to flourish like the vibrant purple hibiscuses Jaja comes across in the novel and falls in love with. The message that is conveyed in this inspiring novel is simply beautiful. Purple Hibiscus has the perfect balance between heavy and light reading as well as the occasional comedic statement which gets you laughing at situations you never thought you would. Adichie did a meticulous job with creating characters that you easily connect with, therefore the recommendation that I give to men and women of all ages to read this astounding piece of literature is unquestionable.
“A brilliant novel: epic in scope, personal in resonance and with lots to say’ Elizabeth Day, Observer�
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Novel Review: Purple Hibiscus The novel, Purple Hibiscus was written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shines a lustrous light on gender inequality in people’s daily lives. The book is partially set in Enugu, Nigeria where the Achike family lives. Due to Eugene being a devout Catholic, the rest of his family strictly follows the same faith. Therefore, the family has very specific morals and rules that they follow. Throughout the course of the novel, there are many cases where Beatrice (wife) & Jaja and Kambili (children) are abused or looked down upon. In the novel, Kambili (the main character and narrator) has an unimaginable life. An unfair life. No one deserves to go through what she has been through. She has grown up with her father on an incomparable pedestal, therefore, believing that all of his abuse, especially towards her mother, was ordinary. In addition to Kambili, the whole city of Enugu and of Aba practically worship this man. His abusive nature is kept hidden to most throughout the whole novel. His persona as the disdainful leader of the Achike family is a complete converse of his persona within his work life. We see this as the novel is set in post colonial Nigeria which is led by corrupt politicians. Eugene seemingly becomes an entirely different person as he speaks the truth of the people in his controversial magazine, The Standard. Another important part of the novel is Kambili and Jaja's time spent in Nsukka with their Aunt Ifeoma. They begin to grow into their own people and not as minions of their father. They begin to explore African religions (Igbo) and form a relationship with their ‘heathen’ grandfather, Papa Nnukwu. They form this relationship regardless of instructions not to by Eugene. I particularly enjoy the self-growth of the characters and the insight of what it is to live in an African country. Something I would have never known had I not read this novel.
By Luke Cillie
Situations like this or not one fictional thought; nor only based in African countries. Chimamanda is a brave woman who wrote a novel which let the world know about how lives are of families living in abuse. Not only is the novel a great read, but it also raises awareness to a pressing societal issue. I would recommend this novel to readers searching for a diverse and different story.
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Purple Hibiscus Review: By Ursulla Munyange Adichie. The novel follows the story of the Achike family and their silent struggle under the leadership of Papa Eugene whilst putting on an act as Enugu's best family. The novel, set in post-colonial Nigeria, gives readers an insight on the realities of living in an African household as well as in an African country. At the same time, it focuses on topics and themes such as abuse, wealth, religion, etc., which pretty much any reader from any background can relate to in one way or another. The novel is narrated by Kambili. She is a fifteen year old girl who, for her whole life, has only known what her devout Christian father Eugene has taught her. The story in a nutshell, toches on the abuse Eugene put his wife (Beatrice) and two children (Jaja and Kambili) through as well growth of Kambili and Jaja as people, away from their father. An important part of the story is Kambili and Jaja's time spent in Nsukka with their Aunt Ifeoma and three cousins, Amaka, Obiora and Chima. They experience a lifestyle that is the complete opposite of their usual home life. They get to explore their freedom of speech and form their own opinions about things they normally couldn't with their father. They also also get to experience African traditions and religions.
This motivates the children to see life from a point of view other than their father's and to eventually break free from him. They also experience a different kind of love than what their father has shown to them with Kambili even experiencing romantic love for the first time for Father Amadi. The story also reveals what life at the time was like living in a post-colonism country with a corrupt government. This allows to see another side of Eugene’s character as an outspoken justice-seeker and ‘voice of the people’ which juxtaposes his behaviour within his home with his family. The story also uses an ample amount of symbolism using nature. The main example woul be the title, Purple Hibiscus, itself. The purple hibiscus is a hibrid flower grown in Nsukka that is usually red like the ones the Achike family grows in their home in Enugu. This is used to symbolise diversity, freedom and individuality. These are things that Jaja and Kambili gain when spending time with Aunt Ifeoma and their cousins in Nsukka, where the Purple hibiscuses grow. This is a very captivating novel which I personally believe is suitable to anyone from age fifteen and up. For readers in search of a contraversial and thought provoking novel, Purple Hibiscus, in my opinion, is highly recommendable.
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What Does Sweden Think?
DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD NOT BE DIFFERENT CLOTHES, MAKE-UP SHOES, ETC FOR MEN AND WOMEN? I think everyone should wear the clothes and mnakeup if they want, regardless of their gender. COMPANIES ADVERTISE FOR CERTAIN GENDERS. THERE WAS AN ADD SAYING WOMEN GET R27 000 OFF THIS CERTAIN CAR THEY BUY BECAUSE WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA GET PAID 27% LESS THAN MEN. DO YOU THINK THIS IS APPROPRIATE? I think everyone should get equally paid. WHEN IT COMES TO MANNERS, WHAT ARE THE TYPE OF GREETINGS AND TRADITIONS PEOPLE DO TO DIFFERENT GENDERS IN SWEDEN? IE. OPEN THE DOOR FOR A LADY.
One type of greeting and tradition is that the man is paying for the food if he ate with a women outside in a restaurant.
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THERE ARE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED TRADITIONS OF GENDER. IE. MEN WORK AND WOMEN STAY AT HOME. DO YOU THINK THAT CERTAIN TRADITIONS NEED TO BE CHANGED OR REMOVED? PLEASE ELABORATE WITH EXAMPLES. In my opinion both genders should have the same oppurtunites to get an education and work. I also think that the socially constructed traditions like men work and women stay at home should be removed because both genders are equal. An advantage with both men and women working is that you get more money to feed your family forn instance. DO THE DIFFERENT GENDERS RECEIVE DIFFERENT PUNISHMENTS IN SWEDEN? It depends on who is punishing you.
IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT, ARE GENDER AND SEXUAL JOKES MADE? AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE JUST JOKES, DO YOU THINK THEY ARE APPROPRIATE? GIVE EXAMPLES.
Yes there is much gender and sexual jokes made. According to the environment it is just jokes and they don't mean to actually hurt someone with the words. In my opinion it is not appropriate because it can hurt peoples feelings.
WE ASKED THEY ANSWERED. 28
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Is The Media Affecting Your Relationship:
Authentic Alex:
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