Literature Essay:
Assessing The
Capacity of
Flight of The
Characters in
The Novel
In the novel, ‘The Theory of Flight’ by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, flight can be seen as a
symbol of freedom, liberation, self individuation and self-realization. Throughout the novel,
it is seen that each character’s capacity for flight is impacted by the legacy that their
relationship with the past has on their sense of self, sense of belonging and ability to freely
express themselves. In this essay, the identity of Vida de Villiers, the dynamic between
Vida and Imogen ‘Genie’ Zula Nyoni, the upbringing of Genie and the development of
Marcus Masuku will be discussed.
Vida supersedes the challenges that his identity imposes on him. Vida’s identity
characterizes him as outcast (who should be alienated) as he is “…too white…” to belong
in an “…autochthonous…” society and he “…like[s] both boys and girls…” in “…an oh-so-
cruel world…” that labels him as a “…moffie.” In spite of the threat that society holds
against him, Vida “…[knows] that he is not alone…” as he “…feels content and fulfilled and
complete…” as a result of “…feeling justified [in] the pleasure of [Everleigh’s and
Rosamond’s] company…” as he finds a sense of belonging in them and their likeliness. It
is established that he has a belonging in his family as his father, Ezekiel de Villiers,
emphasizes that Vida’s queer identity “will [not] change [his] love for [Vida].” Hence, Vida’s
Assessing The
Capacity of
Flight of The
Characters in
The Novel
In the novel, ‘The Theory of Flight’ by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, flight can be seen as a
symbol of freedom, liberation, self individuation and self-realization. Throughout the novel,
it is seen that each character’s capacity for flight is impacted by the legacy that their
relationship with the past has on their sense of self, sense of belonging and ability to freely
express themselves. In this essay, the identity of Vida de Villiers, the dynamic between
Vida and Imogen ‘Genie’ Zula Nyoni, the upbringing of Genie and the development of
Marcus Masuku will be discussed.
Vida supersedes the challenges that his identity imposes on him. Vida’s identity
characterizes him as outcast (who should be alienated) as he is “…too white…” to belong
in an “…autochthonous…” society and he “…like[s] both boys and girls…” in “…an oh-so-
cruel world…” that labels him as a “…moffie.” In spite of the threat that society holds
against him, Vida “…[knows] that he is not alone…” as he “…feels content and fulfilled and
complete…” as a result of “…feeling justified [in] the pleasure of [Everleigh’s and
Rosamond’s] company…” as he finds a sense of belonging in them and their likeliness. It
is established that he has a belonging in his family as his father, Ezekiel de Villiers,
emphasizes that Vida’s queer identity “will [not] change [his] love for [Vida].” Hence, Vida’s
