,ENG3704 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE August 2025
The study material notes that Karoo Moose makes use of
various metatheatrical devices. In which ways do these devices
influence the play’s depiction of Gender-Based Violence? Write
an essay of approximately 1 200 words in which you discuss this
question with reference to Kruger’s (2022) and Mohoto’s (2015)
articles. Please cite these sources as well as any other
secondary sources that you may have used according to the
Harvard method of referencing.
The study material considers the symbolic significance of the
moose in Karoo Moose. What is your interpretation of the
symbolic meaning of the moose? Write an essay of
approximately 1 200 words in which you discuss this question. If
you use any secondary sources, please cite them according to
the Harvard method of referencing.
Essay 1: Metatheatrical Devices and Gender-Based Violence in
Karoo Moose
Introduction
Lara Foot’s Karoo Moose is a compelling South African play
that confronts deeply entrenched societal issues, most notably
gender-based violence (GBV). Set in a rural Karoo village, the
narrative centers on a young girl named Thozama who
becomes a victim of brutal sexual abuse. What sets the play
, apart is not only its subject matter but the innovative
theatrical techniques employed to tell the story. One of the
most striking aspects of the play is its use of metatheatre, a
self-referential theatrical strategy that foregrounds the
constructed nature of performance. As Kruger (2022) and
Mohoto (2015) argue, these devices are not mere stylistic
embellishments but serve as powerful tools for engaging the
audience critically, emotionally, and ethically with the themes
of violence, trauma, and resistance. This essay explores how
Karoo Moose uses metatheatrical techniques such as direct
address, multi-role playing, symbolic staging, and nonlinear
narrative to depict GBV and provoke societal introspection.
Metatheatre and Its Function in the Play
Metatheatre refers to moments when a play draws attention
to its own theatricality, breaking the illusion of reality to make
the audience aware that they are watching a performance. In
Karoo Moose, this technique serves several purposes. Firstly, it
disrupts realism in order to create space for reflection. Kruger
(2022:83) explains that metatheatre in Foot’s play “functions
not only to alienate but also to implicate,” meaning it
unsettles the audience’s passive reception and forces active
moral engagement. For instance, the use of direct address
allows the characters—especially Thozama—to step out of the
diegetic world of the play and speak directly to the audience.
This is especially poignant when recounting scenes of
ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE August 2025
The study material notes that Karoo Moose makes use of
various metatheatrical devices. In which ways do these devices
influence the play’s depiction of Gender-Based Violence? Write
an essay of approximately 1 200 words in which you discuss this
question with reference to Kruger’s (2022) and Mohoto’s (2015)
articles. Please cite these sources as well as any other
secondary sources that you may have used according to the
Harvard method of referencing.
The study material considers the symbolic significance of the
moose in Karoo Moose. What is your interpretation of the
symbolic meaning of the moose? Write an essay of
approximately 1 200 words in which you discuss this question. If
you use any secondary sources, please cite them according to
the Harvard method of referencing.
Essay 1: Metatheatrical Devices and Gender-Based Violence in
Karoo Moose
Introduction
Lara Foot’s Karoo Moose is a compelling South African play
that confronts deeply entrenched societal issues, most notably
gender-based violence (GBV). Set in a rural Karoo village, the
narrative centers on a young girl named Thozama who
becomes a victim of brutal sexual abuse. What sets the play
, apart is not only its subject matter but the innovative
theatrical techniques employed to tell the story. One of the
most striking aspects of the play is its use of metatheatre, a
self-referential theatrical strategy that foregrounds the
constructed nature of performance. As Kruger (2022) and
Mohoto (2015) argue, these devices are not mere stylistic
embellishments but serve as powerful tools for engaging the
audience critically, emotionally, and ethically with the themes
of violence, trauma, and resistance. This essay explores how
Karoo Moose uses metatheatrical techniques such as direct
address, multi-role playing, symbolic staging, and nonlinear
narrative to depict GBV and provoke societal introspection.
Metatheatre and Its Function in the Play
Metatheatre refers to moments when a play draws attention
to its own theatricality, breaking the illusion of reality to make
the audience aware that they are watching a performance. In
Karoo Moose, this technique serves several purposes. Firstly, it
disrupts realism in order to create space for reflection. Kruger
(2022:83) explains that metatheatre in Foot’s play “functions
not only to alienate but also to implicate,” meaning it
unsettles the audience’s passive reception and forces active
moral engagement. For instance, the use of direct address
allows the characters—especially Thozama—to step out of the
diegetic world of the play and speak directly to the audience.
This is especially poignant when recounting scenes of
