Stompie Moeketsi

Question 2: Njabulo Ndebele’s The Cry of Winnie Mandela “In the novel, the historical Winnie Mandela is imaginatively re-inscribed. She is removed from the public arena to a woman who is just one among many, a descendent of Penelope.” The road to self-realisation is a lonely road. Caught between self-exploration and social expectance, one cannot determine their highest height until they have experienced their underground low. Set in an era of apartheid regime, societal roles and government laws contributed greatly to the opinions surrounding gender and masculinity, as well as equality among individuals and inevitable change, in the novel, The Cry of Winnie Mandela by Njabulo Ndebele. The foregoing statement proves valid when one considers firstly the myth of Penelope and Odysseus in comparison to the life proceedings of four South African women. Upon Odysseus’ disappearance led by the persuasive Calypso, Penelope finds herself home alone, questioning the loss of her husband and without sufficient control of their estate due to gender bias and unruly suitors. It was only after 18 years of longing that Odysseus was returned home to Penelope, by the hands of his own son Telemachus. In his time of captivity, Penelope abided by her ‘duty to society’ and remained faithful to her husband all the while uncertain of his eventual return. As a female figure, lonesome in her husband’s estate, Penelope relied greatly on the ability of her son to command order, but even this did not stop…