Summary The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu Grade 12 study notes
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Module
Business Studies
Institution
12th Grade
Book
The Theory of Flight
Character summaries, ideas, themes, many quotes and very good insight into this fantastic novel, everything you need to understand the story 100% and ace your literature essay and tests.
How to write a 'Theory of Flight' essay for the IEB English Paper II exam
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Ashleigh Steenhuisen
The Theory of Flight
By Simphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Notes:
® Author is more interested in layers of truth and how to truth is interwoven by the
different characters - crea;ng meaningful intersec;ons.
® Story told by different perspec;ves through different characters – show a diversity of
race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orienta;on, physical abili;es and age.
® Book is giving voice to people whose voices are not oCen heard – infringed on
society, marginalized.
® Book is about finding truth for ourselves – as Genie does for herself (HIV posi;ve,
rape and genocide).
® Truth is dependent on the witnesses to events, and who does or who doesn’t, record
these events.
® Issues that the book raises: race, xenophobia, poli;cs, torture, faith, land ownership,
rape, gender, HIV, genocide, homosexuality, bisexual Vida, albinism, ugly hunchback
Valen;ne.
Balanced out with redemp;on, freedom, sunflowers and hope, interconnec;on of
stories and lives.
® Themes: interconnec;vity, selPood (iden;ty), love, loss, family, community,
belonging, freedom, crea;vity imagina;on.
® Book 1 looks at the past – personal and poli;cal histories (past tense), 1 sec;on in
present tense.
Book 2 explores legacy of those histories – present history (what is currently
happening) of characters previously met (present tense)
® Genre: Magical realism: elements that are fantas;cal (supernatural phenomena) but
set in realis;c seQng (real characters) suggests idea of possibili;es.
® Allegorical: story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (usually moral
or poli;cal)
® Theory: belief in something (can be hypothe;cal) – theory doesn’t always have proof
® Novel works through symbols
Introduc8on video to Theory of Flight
® Title: freedom we have in trajectory (path) through life and flight in terms of the
imagina;on – being able to imagine things that don’t seem possible. Title comes
from name of an artwork created by Vida.
Cover art:
® Airplane - Golide Gumede shot down the Vickers Viscount on 3 September 1978
® Two hands – reference to race but also to Golide Gumede’s albinism
® Golden egg – represents Genie (she is like a magical creature/ ‘’genie”), depicts value.
® Sunflowers – hope, remain firmly rooted.
® Suitcase – belongs to Genie, puts all her precious items in it, migrate like birds and
pack possessions in.
® Trolley – Vida uses trolley to save Genie but also to pack his possessions in.
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Characters:
Imogen ‘Genie’ Zulu Nyoni:
® Born during civil war, survivor of genocide
® HIV posi;ve (pg. 143) “Absolutely unfazed by the devasta;ng news of being HIV
posi;ve.”
® Born out of a golden egg (represents innocence, value etc.)
® Golide and Elizabeth are her birthparents – later goes to live with the Masuku’s
® Never called the Masuku’s mom or dad
® On her 18th birthday, she leC the Masuku’s to go to Jesus, with only the belongings in
which she entered the house with. (Pg. 147)
® Started being in;mate with Vida (Pg. 176)
® Genie’s sickness: “It ate away at her body. It stole the light from her eyes. It made
murky the luminescence of her skin” (Pg. 181)
® Later diagnosed with cervical cancer
® Had Vida’s suit dry cleaned, and shoes shined for her funeral
® Goes to the Intensive Care Unit at Mater Dei hospital (pg. 197)
® Genie to Esme (about her parents), “My parents did not die. They flew away.” (pg.
225)
® Thought to have been stealing accessories from a store when she was a teenager
however, she was innocent.
® Reported to have died in 1987 (age 9) and kidnapped in 1988 in The Organiza;ons
records.
® A body was found on Beauford farm and estate that was thought to be Genie’s
Baines Tikiti
® Genie’s grandfather
® Changed his name from “Bafana Ndlelaphi”
® Tiki; – ;cket, his love for travel and admira;on from explorers.
® Travelling salesman, wanderlust
® Loved airplanes.
® Died in the Indian Ocean
Prudence Ngoma
® Genie’s grandmother
® Clever “shrewd” – did not give into Baines’s sales tac;cs, she is not needy and is
independent pg. 17.
Golide Gumede
® Genie’s father
® Albino
® Also had an interest in airplanes and travels – went to Soviet Union to study
aeronau;cal engineering.
® Natural born leader, confident
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