Cat Among the Pigeons - 2021

CAT

AMONG THE PIGEONS 2 021

ISS U E

Annual publication of the A R T S & H U M A N I T I E S featuring the winner of the P I D G E O N P R I Z E F O R L I T E R AT U R E

Editorial Commentary Welcome to this year’s edition of the ‘Cat Among the Pigeons’, inspired by the themes of ‘hope’ and ‘power’. In the midst of a challenging and uncertain year, the publication of this magazine serves as a testament to the sheer dedication demonstrated by the individuals who contributed to it. The unparalleled figure of 70 submissions is telling of the pupils’ high-level enthusiasm; resulting in an array of timely, thought-provoking pieces - representative of the arts and humanities at Caterham School.

This magazine proudly features a diverse range of First Year to Upper Sixth pieces, with subject interests spanning from creative writing to analysis of architecture, language translations to engagement with the theatrical sphere, all connected by the central themes of POWER and HOPE - which have been invaluable tools in our perseverance during the pandemic. While the tides of restrictions resulted in Covid-19 bubbles, we in turn, successfully established an interactive mentoring scheme, which allowed for personal connections with individuals across year groups.

Such an achievement totalises the essence of our vision - one that would migrate beyond a paper publication to connect with many.

Visual Commentary Ananya Saraf Chief Text Editor

Elena Andrews Chief Visual Editor

Millie Thomas Deputy Text Editor (Arts)

Amelie Doll Deputy Visual Editor

In light of our current climate, this magazine acts as a platform for topical pieces which encapsulate the conversations pervading our community Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ and sexual assault.

At the centre, we have introduced an ‘iconic middle page spread’, the focal point being an interview with the late Geoffrey Pidgeon, OC. Geoffrey, to whom we would like to dedicate this edition, sadly passed away during the compilation of the magazine. He will be remembered for the enduring contribution he has made to the creative field at Caterham. We are also grateful to the Junior Coordinator, Ria Manvatkar, who led this and the successful Junior Creative Writing Competition, commendably won by Lana Carter. In particular, congratulations must go to Elias Daryani, this year’s deserved winner of the Pidgeon Prize for Literature, with his poem ‘Hope > Optimism’. Finally, our appreciation and thanks must be extended to Ms Wildsmith and Ms Stedman, who facilitated this unforgettable and hugely rewarding experience.

We hope you enjoy the fourth edition of ‘Cat Among the Pigeons 2021’ 2

Lilli Michaels Deputy Text Editor (Humanities and Language)

Aathman Ravindran Social Media Promoter

Ria Manvatkar Junior Co-ordinator

This year’s edition of ‘Cat Among the Pigeons’ was based on the themes HOPE and POWER, which are representative of the positive outlook our students have undertaken during the unnatural situation of this pandemic. The effects of Covid-19 on artistic pupils at Caterham have attracted many powerful and emotionally driven pieces of artwork, expressive of their hopeful view towards the situation at hand.

As a school, we were fortunate to continue the high-level of art virtually, where students were able to co-ordinate a greater use of multimedia materials within their artwork and then throughout the transition from virtual to in-person school. This enabled us the privilege to use more digital artwork in assembling the magazine.

I would like to take the time here to thank all the contributing artists who, despite the limited resources, had remarkable persistence in producing such outstanding artwork for this year’s magazine. We must also give special thanks to the dedicated Head of Art, Mrs Veldtman, and our incredible designer Mark Nightingale, without whom, the magazine could not exist.

Lastly, we would like to thank, our new role of Social Media Marketing Co-ordinator, Aathman Ravindran, who has been such an ease and pleasure to work with throughout the entirety of this memorable process.

Hope&Power Hope>Optimism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Elias Daryani

Max Wellman

Izzy Oliver

A Trail of Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lana Carter

Paramita Shen

Jasmin Sin

Rosie Home

Hope & the Romantics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Lauren Bacchus

Fates Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Nicole James

Quarantine Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Jasmin Sin

Nicole James

The Effect of the Pandemic on Theatre . 16 Millie Thomas

Isabel Pond

The Strength in weakness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Vivienne Christofides

Danielle Yu

Girlmeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Caius Ramsden-Board

Ellie Wood

The Power & the Glory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Casey Mear

Lauren Bacchus

The Silent Fire Abigail Chauhan

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Izzy Hassan

Wistful Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Megan Denton

Phoebe Sparrow

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Why do I Write? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

GCSE Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Translation of ‘La Última Batalla’ Jacob Henderson

Ronnie Thomas

Two Lovers Meet Once More . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Ria Manvatkar

Danielle Yu

Blood Thirst & Power Hunger . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Paige Griffiths

Harry Evans

A level Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Digital Art - 3rd Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Mathilda O’Malley

Juliette Van Slingelandt

Trail of Broken Bones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Zosia Harris

Sienna Alderidge

Power Dressing Elena Andrews

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Hannah Wells

The Big Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Vivienne Christofides

Danielle Yu

How does Alice Walker present the imprisoning force of marriage in The Color Purple? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Alice Caiger

Lauren Bacchus

A Level Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 . . . 24

Elias Daryani

Sophie Hobbs

Mars: Our Future Home? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Narayan Minhas Ray

GCSE Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Jasmin Sin

AN INTERVIEW WITH GEOFFREY PIDGEON . . . . . . . . 30 Skyler Bennett

The Fabrication of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Lilly Michaels

. . . . . 29

Isabel Singleton

Ria Manvatkar

The Whales of the Sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Isla Carman

Translation of ‘Orillas Del Duero’

. . . . . . 28

Casey Mear

Lauren Bacchus

Woman vs Superwoman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Ananya Saraf

Erica Templeton

Photography Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Megan Denton

Phoebe Sparrow

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Elias Daryani

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HOPE > OPTIMISM

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2021 The Pidgeon Prize for Literature, celebrating excellence in creative writing at Caterham School, has been awarded to Elias Daryani for his poem ‘Hope>Optimism’.

Elias’ poem was chosen from all the poetry submitted to this year’s Cat Among the Pigeons.

He is also deserving of this prize in wider recognition of the inspiring poetry he has created beyond the covers of this magazine.

Elias’ poetry combines the tightly wrought metre and rhyming patterns of the slam poet with simple, direct themes that unite us all. His compassion and curiosity for the world in which he writes is manifest in the humanity of his poetic voice. The energy and positivity created while reading and listening to him voicing his poetry, is a true tonic in a year turned inside out by the global pandemic.

His exploration of ‘hope’ and ‘optimism’ is presented via an oscillating journey, which epitomises our experience of ‘hope’ - our necessary companion - during the challenging climate of Covid-19. Notably, the quick tempo in the opening stanza is apt considering the fleeting role ‘optimism’ plays here, perhaps even as a betrayer. The rhetorical questions further hurtle us into uncertainty, which offers a new lens on what is optimal - that being the more constant ally, HOPE. The isolated volta restores a sense of faithfulness, which is furthered by the cadence and beat-like style, creating an uplifting tone, reflective of the poem’s preference to ‘hope’.

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Elias Daryani Max Wellman

Optimism?

Where do you run to when I need you most?

Mutate to pessimism And leave me all alone Demons in my mind intoxicate my thoughts Trials and tribulations have me feeling out-fought.

You promise me happiness But never come through Fill me with emptiness Dreams and false realities Don’t believe in my fantasies And leave me feeling blue.

But, Then a light shines through Her name is hope She makes my dreams feel true, She helps me see light despite the darkness And gives me heart when the world is heartless.

In return, She requires trust and faith But that’s easy to give when she sees me as deserving of praise And so, When life is steep, I ride the slope When life is callous, I climb the rope When life is hard, I still cope Where there is life, there is hope

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EA

WINNER

Every beauty, becoming dead…

Lana Carter

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A trail of destruction is left behind,

MP

Every footstep that you walk

A TRAIL OF

2021

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DISTRUCTION

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Where everywhere you tread, O

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Innocence can be deceit,

WRITIN G VE

An imprint, left on the ground, Each footstep leaving its mark, Yet never to be found…

By humans and their lying hearts,

Lana Carter Paramita Shen

Made of ice cold rock, They turn a blind eye to their horrible work, Time still ticking on the clock…

Smiling their smiles, laughing their laughs, Living their ‘ignorant’ lives, But everything a human touches, Inevitably, eventually dies…

Our oceans, polluted with plastic, Animals dying here and there, We stand, in the middle of it all, One hundred percent aware…

Yet we turn our heads still knowing, All the problems that we’ve caused, We focus on the things we haven’t yet killed, All the wonders and awe…

Of everything that will soon be gone, Unless we change our ways, And force ourselves to open our eyes, To things that will do less than amaze…

Turn away from the beautiful things, The world that we want to see, And look at the problems we know are there, Animals dying in the sea…

Innocence can be deceit, Where everywhere you tread, A trail of destruction is left behind, Our planet soon to be dead.

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The Whales of the Sky Isla Carman Jasmin Sin The golden rays left her skin glowing as the sun descended slowly over the horizon. Her once chocolate brown eyes were now an autumnal forest with shades of orange, amber and hazel. Her hair, a mess of auburn curls, blew vigorously in the dusk winds; yet her white silk dress gently caressed her knees.

As the billowing air continued to advance, she knew they were swiftly approaching – so stopped to listen. Mysterious, tranquil sounds of the gentle giants reached her ears.

The whales of the sky.

In awe, the world fell silent as they floated gracefully forward; the silence gloriously broken by their song. The harmonious resonation was soon joined by the birds’ melodies and strung together by the rest of nature to form a blissful orchestra.

Each whale’s serenade was completely unique and impassioned.

Her smile grew as she listened and observed the six whales glide benevolently across the evening sky. She gazed as their strong tails proceeded to change the sunset from the colours

of fire to the dark blue of the water. It reminded her of the ocean during a quiet cloudy night – no colour other than that of velvet blue, no rippling of waves, not even the reflection of the moon – just the stillness of the water and of the dark.

Despite the world being draped in darkness the silhouettes of the whales could be seen as they passed the lights from the harbour houses, dotted around the base of the hills.

They continued across the sky, their hums filling the once silent night with a tender repose.

She felt a sense of sorrow as she realised the whales were beginning their departure. Her eyes followed them as they drifted across the sky before they faded into the night.

Leaving just as peacefully as they had arrived.

And the girl, now left with sombre skin and umber coloured eyes, still curls and a motionless dress, reflected on the whale bones lying in front of her and wondered. “What if?”

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The Fabrication of Power Yin Xiuzhen’s visual ‘Weapon’ against the Chinese Communist Party Rosie Home

IC

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Rosie Home T H E FA B R I C AT I O N OF POWER

ETITI O MP N

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ONAL GI A

Regional ARTicultion Competitor.

2021

When you walk into the room in the Tate Modern displaying Yin Xiuzhen’s ‘Weapon’, you find yourself immersed among a fleet of 30 colourful fabric-covered sculptures suspended from the ceiling at varying heights and positions. This large installation piece is inspired by the cultural and political issues that Yin experienced during her impoverished childhood in Beijing, China, specifically during the time of the Cultural Revolution. This was a traumatic and chaotic time for the Chinese population that left a permanent mark on both the people and Chinese culture as a whole. Through this piece of art, along with a whole host of others, Yin aims to bring awareness to this widely forgotten - yet crucially important – piece of history.

shape of the objects also very closely resembles that of the Beijing Central Radio and Television Tower.

This is a 405 metre tall telecommunications tower found in Beijing’s Haidian District, and one of China’s most well known broadcasting towers. Yin’s choice to use its shape in this artwork represents China’s broadcast media as a whole, and the dual interpretation of the sculptures is meant to interlink the concept of the missiles and the TV tower, suggesting that both are equally dangerous weapons – both supposedly providing a means to defeat a hypothetical enemy, and massive tools in conflict.

Yin is presenting the idea of the Chinese governments control, over their own population and other nations – both with the physical threat of harm and violence, and the less noticeable, implicit control the government has through technology and the media. This introduces the concept of ‘Hard Power vs. Soft Power’.

‘There is an immediately threatening atmosphere to the work’

The objects are made from second-hand garments of clothing, stretched over a frame of extendable curtain rods and metal hoops, with a small kitchen knife visibly protruding out of the front. The viewer’s first instinct would be perhaps to liken the objects to missiles, based on both the piece’s title, and the way in which the objects are assembled.

This is one intended interpretation, but one can notice that the 8

Joseph Nye, the political scientist who coined these terms, defined ‘power’ as the ability to influence and control the

behaviour of others to get the outcomes you want. Soft power is the exertion of this control through economic and cultural means, rather than physically through military power, described as ‘Hard Power’. In this artwork, Yin is suggesting that this soft power, although on the surface seeming less threatening, can be equally as dangerous.

But what so-called ‘power’ is Yin actually referring to here?

This particular piece is touching on the soft power of the Chinese government seen during the cultural revolution, inspired by her experiences growing up in that time. This was when the Chinese communist party, lead by Mao Zedong, tried to preserve Chinese communism by purging remnants of capitalism and traditional elements from Chinese society. Mao encouraged young people to revolt by claiming the communist party had been infiltrated by counterrevolutionary “revisionists”. Young people across the country set up so called “Red Guard” divisions, and were urged to destroy the “four olds” – old ideas, old customs, old habits and old culture. Overall, the revolution devastated the country, damaging China’s economy and traditional culture massively, and causing almost 2 million deaths. This is a very strong example of how soft power can be extremely dangerous and can still cause mass devastation, and is a large part of what inspired Yin to create ‘Weapon’.

industry, she believes, is taking this value away, as clothes are being bought and sold more and more often as consumerism continues to rise, and people are getting rid of clothes just so they can keep up with ‘current trends’. The exploration of the theme of clothing as a symbol for culture, and therefore the death of this culture, again links to the Cultural Revolution, where, as mentioned, massive amounts of Chinese traditional culture was lost.

The initial perception of this artwork is entirely thwarted the more one understands about Yin’s motivations behind the artistic decisions, and I think this is one of the most interesting parts about this piece.

Overall, it serves as a tool for education about the impacts of the Cultural Revolution, and presents insight into some of Yin’s experiences of growing up during this time.

However, the overarching message I feel Yin is attempting to communicate with this piece is the concept of standing against manipulation and striving for autonomy. The lack of control the Chinese public had was the key driving force behind the Cultural Revolution, and the reason why the communist party was able to remain in power for so long. This concept of government control – through both ‘soft power’ and broadcast media, but also culture and clothing – is one of the key themes of ‘Weapon’ and the piece is both a commentary on this issue, and a rebellion against it.

‘Soft power can be extremely dangerous’

The presentation of Weapon, as with all installation pieces, is also very significant to both the interpretation of the piece, and the viewing experience. The way the objects are assembled in the formation of a fleet of missiles, surrounding you as soon as you enter the room, means there is an immediately threatening atmosphere to the work, which adds to the themes of power and control, suggesting the way the Chinese people must have felt during the Cultural Revolution. Obviously, the experiences are not comparable, but Yin, in this way, perhaps invites the viewer to reflect on their own experiences with these themes in their own life, and to consider how they would feel and react themselves if they were put in the situation that so many of the Chinese population were in the 1970s.

The aforementioned textiles used in this piece are a variety of knitted second hand materials Yin sourced for this project. She often works in fabric, an interest that was instilled in her by her mother, who worked as a seamstress when Yin was growing up. Yin has a large variety of other artworks featuring textiles as a key theme, but in ‘Weapon’, it is the second hand nature of these textiles that is key.

Yin holds strong belief that clothes should not be seen as disposable commodities, and this piece is, amongst other things, a commentary on the fast fashion industry, and how it is destroying culture. She believes that clothes can hold significant sentimental value, and has said that they can be a repository for ‘experiences, memory and traces of time’. The fast fashion 9

GCSE Art

Isabella Burns

Paramita Shen

Sonya Starodubtseva 10

Isabella Burns

Nicole James

Ronnie Thomas 11

HOPE & THE ROMANTICS HOW DO THE POETS EMILY BRONTË & LORD BYRON CONVEY THE

HOPE & OPTIMISM INSPIRED BY THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES?

Lilly Michaels Lauren Bacchus

Writers use their freedom of expression and ingenuity to communicate an overall message to their readers. Beyond this, one can often discover parallels to the author’s life in their writing - especially if their objective is to encourage and motivate others.

It could be argued that it is, indeed, unavoidable to include personal experiences.

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Brontë takes the opportunity to glorify the beauty of nature’ This can be seen in To A Wreath of Snow by A. G Almeda by Emily Brontë. It was written in 1837, from the perspective of the Queen of Gondal, a fictitious character from a land created

by Emily and her sisters when they were young. Another fanciful kingdom, named Angora, replicates the idyllic landscape of Yorkshire where she grew up. Despite this imagined element, Brontë takes the opportunity to glorify the beauty of nature through sensory imagery and emotive language, ending with a sense of hope and optimism.

Her character is looking out of her prison cell whilst it is snowing, and the initial line containing celestial imagery “O transient voyager of heaven!” is a joyous exclamation revealing her belief that the snow is some sort of divine message of reassurance “that comforts me while thou art here/ And will sustain me when thou art gone.” Moreover, the asyndeton of “voiceless, soulless messenger” highlights her isolation regarding a lack of human interaction in prison; this links back to Brontë, as they lived in quite a remote location throughout her childhood. The semantic field of ethereal strength and hope is maintained with “all the suns that ever shone,” “angel like” and “silvery form” creating a positive atmosphere that triumphs over when her “heart was weighed with sinking gloom.”

tone amidst the struggles of the writer. Byron, a romantic era poet, came from a privileged background and spent a lot of time travelling (from writing autobiographically in Greece in 1809, to The Grand Tour - a traditional trip through Europe made by members of the aristocracy). He was known for having a lavish lifestyle, resulting in over-drinking. So We’ll Go No More a Roving provides a sense of closure to his escapades; this in revealed when he states “the sword outweighs the sheath” and “love itself have rest.” His regular pattern of rhyming and alternating couplets is changed by the half-rhyme of “sheath” and “breathe,” allowing for a natural pause which is slightly longer and emphasizes his point.

Although there are bittersweet implications in the poem, hope is conveyed in the line “though the heart be still as loving” and “still is” repeated in the next line to show they remain capable of this level of happiness, as the narrative voice is taking on a calm and reassuring stance. The present participle “loving” reiterates the importance of the current moment for Byron, who is striving to improve his life and view it with optimism. Similarly, in “On this day I complete my Thirty Sixth year,” he acknowledges the trials he has experienced when he says “The hope, the fear, the jealous care, / The exalted portion of the pain/ And power of Love I cannot share.”

There is a relentless juxtaposition of emotions, and in associating exaltation with pain, Byron reveals the dejected and hopeless mental state he had previously experienced. However, an immediate tone shift shows his desire to discount the fear and negativity by exclaiming “But ‘tis not thus – and ‘tis not here/ such thoughts should shake my Soul, nor now,” with the italicised words expressing the conviction with which he delivers this message. The repetition of the negative adverbs is quite hyperbolic and almost structures the line as effectively as his choice of punctuation.

‘Brontë’s writing may have been a refuge and source of comfort’

It was also around the time this poem was written that Emily’s sister Anne fell ill, in late 1837. Brontë’s writing may have been a refuge and source of comfort, as well as an ode to the magnificent nature surrounding her. Anne survived this bout of gastritis and later died in 1849 from tuberculosis, after a final trip to Scarborough’s coast in order to observe the sea before her death; she evidently had a similar appreciation for nature.

To A Wreath of Snow relays Brontë’s creative process, in establishing a whole kingdom for her stories to take place but also in achieving a sense of escapism in her work that has a motivational effect. Although her primary objective is most likely to express an appreciation for the natural world and to be grateful for it, instead of having a didactic aim, the poem holds an element of timelessness. It is that “living in-thepresent-moment” mentality that is perhaps communicated more unmistakably in poetry than in any other literary form - only rivalled by that of theatrical works such as plays, which depict live, poignant renditions of these stories defined in the moment.

The reader can become engaged in the material by relating to the genuine human tone and sincerity of the writer.

A connection on this level is key to get a response from the reader, as shown in the preceding example of Byron.

Commenting on Lord Byron’s poems So We’ll Go No More a Roving and On this day I Complete my Thirty Sixth Year in conjunction, will highlight his discussion on legacy and the acceptance of one’s true self, which again provides an optimistic

In comparison, prescience is adopted in his 1816 poem When We Two Parted, in which Byron anticipates the future when he meets his ex-partner again. The closing lines of the poem “How should I greet thee? With silence and tears” use hypophora to emphasize his emotional state and give positional priority to a phrase from the beginning of the poem (“silence and tears.”)

This poem maintains a saddened tone to accurately reflect how he was feeling at the time.

Byron died in Greece at the age of 36 from a fever, but his poem On this day I Complete my Thirty Sixth Year remains a testament to his unfaltering attitude and resolve to move on, showing that when difficulties occur in life and there seems to be no way around them, that this is in fact not the case. For both Brontë and Byron, their legacy is enhanced by the suggestion of hope and - whether consciously or subconsciously- the inclusion of this hope, with potent links to human relatability, strengthens a narrative beyond the confinement of the time it was written in.

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I. Fate’s Tune Jasmin Sin

Nicole James

oh, oh, searching souls my beloved fate,

why must you be so cruel? beloved dealer, could you not tell that since you’ve arrived has fate arrived? no longer do people stand in long lines? “just now.” no, instead they pray to get past the signs.

yet you still continue to play your little game. woeful weather

nervously, naively, naturally, oh, i wish to peek at fate’s new harmony how fun it must be, to have your good — the blue lyrics swinging; name. listen to her killing verse; but the hermit has fallen, her chaotic improv and the lands grow barren. and i wish to hum knowingly so for everybody’s sake, to her sick and bitter tune. i hope you let up our fate.

she sings as if oh, she enjoys all her off notes... wandering wise, “can’t you tell me what comes next?” i say to you now, fate turns to me “bravo, my fellow kind!” with victory in her eyes for you have lasted this long without demise, and mischief on her mind

“haven’t you heard?” so please hold on till the end of time she grins, “it’s a surprise.”

tenacious tragedy: as fate deals her hand and curses plague the land; three cards stand, and your time has spoken: “you have definitely overstayed your welcome...” so the hermit crawls back into its shell to wait out this undying living hell, but the tower has toppled and the hermit is crippled as it screams: “no more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that;” inside thinking: lord, how much i’d like to hit you with a bat.

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II.Quarantine Blues Jasmin Sin

ah, lovesick loneliness dearest sandman, when will time come? “soon.”

sheathed screams finally, fortunately, frivolously, i can hear the tik of his fingertips — the tok of his palms gaze at his face; his twisted frown and i can relish my glimpse of a troubled time

he looked as though he himself had been rushed in, “why so blue?” time glanced back at me with wearied eyes and hefty sighs, “the time’s wrong.”

ah, dearest time, why won’t you pass faster? sour singularity: tears of loved ones and memories of social cues reveal, revel, rekindle, thoughts of past lies and searches for cries, if i could i’d like to give up on all the why’s... but, i suppose, the hermit has their own reasons to eye.

ah, sweet silence of solitude “shall i count the ways i longed for thee?” it seems that for however long you have been a friend so

why have you stabbed me?

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Challenge & Hope Millie Thomas Isabel Pond

On March 16th, 2020, a week before lockdown in the UK began, theatres shut.

The impact of this over the last year has been massive due to the size of the industry in the UK, employing 290,000 people and worth £1.28 billion. My aim for this article was to find out the impact of Covid-19 on people working in the performing arts, their experience of lockdown and how they think it will affect the industry in the future.

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To help me with my investigation I interviewed:

and stuff…I did lots of online stuff, I got involved with readings and audio things, I did a…project making a film with Amy Marston: an actor who has had roles in ‘The Hello Girls’ a college to teach people editing...And I’ve had to learn how to and ‘EastEnders’ (television), ‘The Christmas Prince’ (film), coach on Teams and Zoom which has saved my bacon really”.

‘Broken Glass’ and ‘Eurydice’ (stage).

Meanwhile Iwuji and Elufowoju both spent lockdown working Liam Daly: a freelance Video and Lighting technician who on new and pre-existing projects. Iwuji reflected: has been working professionally for 3 years alongside doing a “What happened…is that people who had a backlog of things degree in Creative Lighting Control at Rose Bruford College. they were developing or writing…could do that because they Chukwudi Iwuji: an Old Caterhamian who is now an actor, weren’t filming…so development of plays and screenplays with leading roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company and really came to the foreground”. In contrast, as Daly was still National Theatre and on-screen roles in ‘The Split’, ‘King Lear’ completing his degree, he said that: “Lots of my time was taken and ‘Madam Secretary’. up finishing my dissertation [at the beginning of lockdown]”.

Femi Elufowoju Jr: an actor and award-winning director, He then worked at the Cervantes Theatre from September to recently directing ‘The Glass Menagerie’ and ‘The Secret Lives December on some short films which were “filmed in a day, of Baba Segi’s Wives’. He also played the role of ‘Pastor Joshua’ edited over a week and then broadcast on a livestream the in the Netflix series ‘Sex Education’. following week”. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing and Marston shared that: “at the moment it’s quite hard doing self-tape The theatre industry could be viewed as a microcosm of the auditions [where] you send them off…and you often don’t hear rest of the country throughout the pandemic, as people working at all unless you get the job, so it’s very hard to keep motivated”. in it experienced similar issues to everyone else, adapting to Elufowoju explained some more downsides of lockdown to me working online, being furloughed and struggling with adjusting saying: “Insecurity kicked in, selfto the new normal. However, these esteem took a dent, and everything problems were perhaps magnified for came to a complete standstill…Being them due to people’s passion for their “What happened…is that unable to function and fulfil your work in the theatre industry which was people who had a backlog of purpose as a creative artist has been something apparent in almost all of my frustrating in every conceivable way”. interviews, with the sentiment “you don’t things they were developing do it if you don’t love it” being echoed or writing…could do that However, I was amazed by the throughout. One of the first questions because they weren’t filming… tiny proportion of negatives in my I asked in all my interviews was interviews compared with the massive so development of plays and “What were you doing before the first amount of positivity, adaptability screenplays really came to the lockdown?” in order to find out exactly and hope. Whether it was spending what it was my interviewees ended up time with family, not always worrying foreground” Femi Elufowoju Jr missing out on. there’d be a last-minute audition or Amy Marston described the rapid escalation of attitudes towards Covid in the UK saying: “We were all vaguely aware of this disease in China and I remember I’d done quite a few [castings] and…suddenly, they were starting to go ‘we’re not going to invest in any kind of production”. Meanwhile Liam Daly had to leave a production mid-way through technical rehearsals and Chukwudi Iwuji had a completely different experience altogether which he reflected on: “I was one of the lucky ones, I wasn’t doing a play.

I know some people whose plays shut on their opening night on Broadway.” Femi Elufowoju Jr had just come to the end of a first leg of a tour and was entering a research phase for his new play ’54-60’, so was forced to fly home from central Africa at short notice. I was immediately struck by the variety of all these answers and how completely different each person’s experience was, which was something that I continued to notice throughout my interviews.

Whilst uncertainty was one of the things I, and many other people, really struggled with during lockdown, it’s something that my interviewees were prepared for as they have experienced it throughout their careers. Marston told me that: “The industry quickly adjusted to this new normal which is zooming

experiencing a shift in focus “on being ok with the things that really matter”, it became clear to me that people in the theatre industry had created positives out of the many negatives of the pandemic. Perhaps one of the biggest positives to come out of lockdown for the theatre industry is the change it has inspired. Daly told me that: “There’s a big push at the moment…to discuss things like working hours. And I wonder when we go back if there’ll be a kind of attitude of let’s do this right”. Daly and Iwuji also agreed that recordings of performances and online performances would continue to grow, with Iwuji pointing out the many benefits of this as it means “You can watch a play on Broadway in Iowa now”, making theatre much more accessible to everyone.

After conducting my interviews, I feel I have found the answers to my questions. The immediate impact of the pandemic was felt very rapidly and throughout the industry. However, solutions have been found and the industry has adapted to these new and unforeseen challenges. There is every reason to hope theatre will be able to return to something close to ‘normal’ whilst incorporating these new lessons to strengthen it further. I know for me, this pandemic has only made my love for theatre stronger and I can’t wait to watch some amazing performances when theatres reopen.

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THE STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS Vivienne Christofides Danielle Yu I am pale with bags under my eyes, Like how joy is swept away in the sky.

I am strongly weak.

My weakness is my strength, But it’s also my foe.

It’s a deficiency, they say, That makes a hole in my system.

However it hasn’t yet stolen my brain, nor my soul.

The illusion lied to me, I thought I needed fixing, But I did not.

I lonely wept to myself, As only myself I could console.

I spent my time imagining my fate, Deep in the dungeon I had built.

The thoughts closed me in, Imprisoned me.

They imagined I was a fool.

But I was not.

There was still power within me, I could take control.

I had hope for my future, What I could do, who I could be.

I began looking for hope, Utilising my lessons learnt.

The treasures laid locked beneath, And only I could free them.

Strength spoke up.

Fear dissipated.

I saw my own truth, Hiding like an imposter.

What others thought didn’t matter, I needed to look for this old friend.

The one that brought tears to my eyes, The one that fixed my wounds.

I found it, held on to it.

It was there to say, I do not need someone, To find my own true roots.

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Caius Ramsden-Board Ellie Wood {Foreword, by the poet} I wrote this poem following the tragic death of Sarah Everard on the 3rd of March 2021. She was walking home alone on a well-lit city street and was taken by an off-duty Metropolitan Police officer.

After a few days missing, she was found dead and brutalised in a forest 30 miles south of London. As a man, it is uncommon for me to experience the anxiety and precautionary measures that most women feel forced to take, due in part to events like this.

I felt helpless; it seemed too inordinate a problem to tackle, but as a believer in the impact that poetry can have. I decided writing a poem in her memory, that could display the magnitude of the issue at hand and the disturbing experiences shared by too many women worldwide, would at least provide some solace and illuminate the topic, at a time where it was most needed.

Builder’s bag full of female, rotting in Ashford Forest.

Her face is staring at me; She’s still alive, smiling.

She looks just like me.

Minced. Identified dentally, Ingrained mentally, feels like hell to me.

Flowers crushed underfoot, piled to the clouds on Clapham Common.

She acts just like me.

When I crush a moth, for no good reason, her name will always flood my mind.

We are all just meat, after all, if a man decides it so.

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Casey Mear Lauren Bacchus

Augustus & his iconography In this piece I dive into the detail of how Augustus used imagery and architecture to support himself and his new regime.

I also show how it shaped his reign as the first Roman Emperor… and possibly one of the greatest as well.

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Augustus was born on 23rd September, 63 BC. He reigned as the first ever Roman Emperor from 27 BC until 19th August 14 AD when he died. Although his adoptive father Julius Caesar was assassinated, Augustus died of natural causes and his adopted son Tiberius took over from him peacefully after a 45-year reign. It is recorded that Augustus’ last words were “I found Rome of clay; I leave it to you as marble”, but I want to look at how he used the ‘marble’ to lay deep metaphorical foundations for a new system of government in Rome.

The Forum of Augustus was a forum surrounding a temple that especially honoured Mars, the God of War. It was first dedicated during the battle of Philippi in 42 BC, when Augustus (or Octavian as he was known then) vowed to build a temple to celebrate his vengeance on the killers of his father, Julius Caesar. However, the forum of Augustus had not properly finished construction until around 2 BC. Augustus included many statues in the temple including Mars, Venus (goddess of love), Julius Caesar (his deified adopted father), Aeneas (son of Venus) and Anchises, as well as many more.

rule. As well as paradise in Augustus’ new Rome, he offered more equality which is portrayed on the Ara Pacis. There, he has not shown himself to be an over-bearing king or emperor.

In fact, on the frieze, Augustus fits in with a crowd of togawearing men indistinguishable from an ordinary Roman.

Despite Augustus’ self-effacement, he had another side to him which fits readily with his presenting himself as godlike.

Although he was not quite egotistical enough to openly exclaim that he was a god (something the Romans would have found appalling), there were many subtle hints to suggest he may be slightly more than human. He claimed many times to be the descendant of Venus, a statue of whom was stationed in the forum – specifically in the Temple of Mars which is intriguing considering she was the Goddess of Love.

In addition, he promoted himself as being related to Cupid. We are shown this on the Prima Porta where a small statue of Cupid is present beside Augustus’ bare feet which further invigorates his divine status. Possibly a better justification to back up his point was that his adoptive father was Julius Caesar, who later ‘became’ a god. Even though they did not share blood, Augustus was in effect the son of a god. As with Venus, a statue of Caesar was placed in the Temple of Mars.

Arguably, the most powerful clue of all we’re the engravings on many coins which had the letters D.F. - standing for ‘divi filius’ (translating as ‘son of the divine’).

‘I found Rome of clay; I leave it to you as marble’

Augustus was anxious to be seen as a tremendous military leader himself and someone who the Romans could rely on.

However, after so many wars, he longed to bring both peace and prosperity to the people of Rome. To present his reign in this way, he desired to help the poor greatly and to restore the captivation of Rome. Therefore, Augustus himself paid for many buildings such as baths and theatres to be built, as well as improving Rome’s roads to increase and enhance trading.

One of the main themes of Augustus’ rule and legacy was peace. We can see this in the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) where the bottom of the monument is filled with abundant crops, beautiful wildlife, fruits and much more. Due to Augustus’ constant promises of bringing peace to Rome, the Ara Pacis was dedicated to the goddess of peace, Pax. The idea of peace can also be seen on the Prima Porta breastplate where there is no violence but, instead, a tranquil image of the Parthians handing over a standard to Augustus to symbolise his victory over them. For many, war and peace juxtapose each other heavily; however, Augustus thought they were closely related.

He believed the only way to achieve peace was to win war.

Therefore inside the Forum of Augustus he built a temple honouring Mars. This notion, that peace and war are two sides of the same coin, is nicely encapsulated in an inscription Augustus himself had made, in which he talks of pax victoriis parta (peace won by victories).

Another key topic of Augustus’ reign was the concept of a new golden age for Rome. Very similar to his idea of peace, this too is conveyed in the Ara Pacis. I referred earlier to the abundant peaceful imagery engraved into the statue and that is the picture Augustus wanted Rome to look like after his

One subject of Augustus’ rule that is linked to all his other themes is the idea that he is the destiny of Rome.

This is indicated in the layout of the Forum where a statue of Augustus is stationed in the centre. Surrounding him are statues of many great heroes and gods but they all face him.

This is Augustus suggesting that the culmination of Rome’s history, and every god and hero in Roman myth, has been leading up to him. Positioned at the sides of the forum were statues of Aeneas (the founder of the Roman race and son of Venus) and Romulus (founder of Rome who later became a god). Not only does this support Augustus’ point about being the destiny of Rome but also about him being godlike.

By doing this, he presents himself as the third founder of Rome but unlike the others who founded the city of Rome and the Roman race, Augustus portrays himself as the founder of a golden age.

In conclusion, we can see that the Forum of Augustus - and other physical expressions of power - used myth to support the new emperor by enhancing his image, expressing him as godlike without quite being a god. He presents himself both as a conqueror and as a peace-maker, and showing him to be a man the people truly loved. These images have played a significant role in the picture of Augustus held not just by his contemporaries but right down to the present day.

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Abigail Chauhan Izzy Hassan The silent killer slowly destroying the world, word by word, Inequality rapidly takes over the heart of those we loved, A wish of everything will go quiet, It’s my house that’s on fire, It’s me who can’t see over the fence, Blue, red, black, white.

I’m the person that needs help travelling along this never ending road of pain, Take my fist and voice across the world, Save my brothers and sisters before it’s too late, Blue, red, black, white.

The colours of the rainbow set apart, The suffering my people go through, I lie there defenceless, Blue, red, black, white.

There’s Violence in the streets, In hope you’ll understand the pain, We will take a knee, Silence our voices, Blue, red, black, white.

We hope for a bright future, A peaceful future, Where we walk around with pride in ourselves, Colour won’t separate friends and family, I’ll be proud to be who I am, But there’s fear that takes over us, I want it to end, Blue, red, black, white.

I can’t breathe.

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Megan Denton Phoebe Sparrow I had a dream last night:

To the scared teen

I had a wife

Who wondered how painful

And two children,

Death would be;

Not a care in the world

I give the generic response:

And it was beautiful.

Life gets better.

To the young girl Sitting on the stairs

I can promise you that.

Listening

I can promise a light

To her parents argue;

At the end of the tunnel,

Love is real.

An end to the pain.

Trust me.

And to the girl To the thirteen-year-old

Who mourns the loss

Who was scared to show her true self

Of this fictional life;

Because of what the world told her;

Dreams become reality,

You made the right choice,

For those who wait.

To be proud of yourself.

Proud to let the flag fly.

One day you could have A wife And two kids.

And it would be beautiful.

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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Kanye West) – George Condo Elias Daryani Internal runner-up of National ARTiculation competition Twisted Fantasy’ perfectly.

Before the late 1930s, record covers had no visual appeal – they only included the name of the record company.

Nevertheless, by the 1970s, album covers began to use concept art and symbolism to exhibit greater emotion, in the hopes of generating a more profound attachment to the album. An early example of this is Led Zeppelin’s 1973 album ‘Houses Of The Holy’, designed by the firm Hipgnosis. The cover was able to mix sex, abstract expression and a vibrant colour palette to garner attention for the album and to represent the band’s music to wondrous and rattling effect.

This medley of sex and surrealism is similar to Condo’s main cover art for ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’.

The vibrant oil painting of an armless sphinx with wings and a polka-dotted tail straddling West is as fantastical as it is disturbing.

After Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMA awards, the public were outraged and it was seen as career suicide for West. Mentally struggling, he went on a self-imposed exile to Oahu, Hawaii, in what seemed to be his decline. However, he had other plans in mind and instead dedicated his time in Hawaii to creating his magnum opus – ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’.

In West’s mind, this album was make or break and everything had to go into it: all insecurities, all emotions, all bravado.

We can link this idea of having no filter to the design of the album cover.

George Condo is an American artist 24

known for his unique and figurative paintings, often featuring fragmented portraits and belligerent imagery. He blends aesthetics that reflect Pablo Picasso with contemporary American culture, with him claiming: “I describe what I do as psychological cubism”.

The idea of aggression and maximalist production mixed with American pop culture, mirrors ‘My Beautiful Dark

‘One of West and Condo’s major artistic influences is Pablo Picasso’

One of West and Condo’s major artistic influences is Pablo Picasso, whose “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” is considered momentous because of how it disrupted the contemporary art scene during the early 20th century. It too is an oil painting, which features five female prostitutes in a brothel lying in a bed looking out towards an observer. Picasso forces us to stare at these prostitutes who seem to look deeply disturbed, directly engaging us and making it almost impossible to look away from the naked, entangled women. Similarities can be drawn with ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’, as Condo paints both West and the armless woman as looking directly at the viewer whilst they are having sex; disconcerting the onlooker and involving them with the piece and all its elements. Per contra, Condo is less interested in the way we look at a

‘he wanted the artwork to be provocative’ painting but more so in the psyche of who he is painting and who is looking at the painting – hence why he calls his work “psychological cubism”.

Although, some have questioned why West would go to this extent. What was the reason to have such an outlandish album cover? Well, after the VMA debacle, West wanted to, and arguably needed, to come back with a statement.

Thus, he told Condo he wanted the artwork to be provocative, and that he was looking for “something that will be banned”. West achieved this, as the cover art was banned in Walmart, and Apple Music pixelated the image. Albeit, this was much to West and Condo’s disgust, with the latter saying in an interview with New York Magazine: “The superimposition of people’s perceptions on a cartoon is shocking… What’s happening in their minds should be banned. Not the painting.”

As I have listened to the album frequently throughout the years, the potential symbolism of the art became clearer to me. The beer in West’s hand, I associated as an escape from celebrity. The screwed up face, I linked to the challenges of fame.

The fact West and the phoenix looked so menacing while having sex illustrated that despite committing an act of love, they seem to be disconnected. ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ evokes emotions of both passion and perturbation. From it I gain a real sense of dichotomy between ego versus self-esteem. Making me question what insecurities I may be hiding from the world and how I might present myself to hide these vulnerabilities.

West is having an internal conflict over whether he should compromise his creativity to fit in with reality, or allow his artistic expression to roam free.

Picasso seems to have gone through this very struggle when he said: “Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up”. Linking this all back to the album’s artwork, we can see how the cover presents adult images such as sex and drinking but does so in

‘Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up’ a cartoonish manner. Condo’s previous artworks seem to reflect Picasso’s aesthetic, and so we are led to believe that this childlike imagery juxtaposed with reality was done purposefully.

We can contrast ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ to David Bowie’s cover

art for his 1983 single ‘Without you’.

The cover art is designed by American artist Keith Haring, who was known for his simplistic and recognisable art, very different to Condo’s artistic style.

At the time of the song’s release, the two stick-men like figures were suggestive of a homosexual couple, which was still seen as taboo to many. Therefore, we can link ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ to ‘Without You’ in the sense that they were both covers for two artists that were seen as rebels in the music industry.

Both covers symbolise America’s views on relationships that, in many people’s opinion, should not be allowed. The only difference is the way they choose to convey this message – Condo decided to use maximalist art that could make the spectator feel offended from first look, and Haring chose to be more minimalistic in his approach, forcing the viewer to look deeper into the artwork and question who the two stick-men are meant to embody.

Overall, with ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’, West and Condo are attempting to preach the message that fame takes serious sacrifices. Ultimately, this is the life Kanye West desired and while it is unquestionably beautiful, it is just as dark and twisted.

On track three from the album, ‘POWER’, West’s creativity seems to have been left exposed due to recent events. He raps: “My childlike creativity, purity, and honesty Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts Reality is catching up with me Taking my inner child, I’m fighting for custody”.

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A level Photography

Brian Leung

Lizzie Hammer

Brian Leung

Erica Templeton

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Erica Templeton

Hannah Wells

Lizzie Hammer 27

Translation of

‘La Última Batalla’ Y S PA N I S

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WINNER

Sophie Hobbs

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2021

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L A Ú LT I M A B ATA L L A

ASH FICT

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D UNIV ER

by Sophie Hobbs

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Jacob Henderson

La Última Batalla’

The Last Battle

Sólo podía oír el sonido intermitente del reloj que rompía el silencio ensordecedor. Quería esconderme en la oscuridad; el miedo me estaba matando. Sentía las miradas congeladas del enemigo, tan feroces e implacables como la tormenta afuera.

“Let us begin.”

Avancé. De repente, todos se callaron, y la luz siniestra creó una sombra retorcida sobre el campo de batalla.

Ojalá el caballo caiga en mi trampa...

Agarrado por la preocupación, pensaba que sería capturado por el caballo: él estaba a punto de atacarme. Sacrificios. Amenazas.

Peligros inexplicables.

La reina del contrincante había muerto. — Respiré.

He sobrevivido.

— El rey estaba indefenso... «Jaque mate».

I could only hear the intermittent sound of the clock that was breaking the deafening silence.

I wanted to hide myself in the darkness; fear was killing me.

I felt the frozen gazes of the enemy, as fierce and relentless as the storm outside.

I advanced. Suddenly, everyone fell silent, and the sinister light created a distorted shadow on the battlefield.

I hope that the knight falls into my trap...

Gripped by worry, I thought that I would be captured by the knight: he was about to attack me. Sacrifices. Threats.

Inexplicable dangers.

The opponent’s queen had died. — I breathed.

I have survived.

— The king was defenceless... “Checkmate.”

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Translation of

‘Orillas Del Duero’

by Antonio Machado Izzy Oliver Isabel Singleton

Orillas Del Duero

The Banks Of The Duero

Se ha asomado una cigüeña a lo alto del campanario.

A stork has leant out at the top of the bell tower.

Girando en torno a la torre y al caserón solitario,

Revolving around the tower and the deserted decrepit shelter,

ya las golondrinas chillan. Pasaron del blanco invierno,

already the swallows screech. They passed the white winter,

de nevascas y ventiscas los crudos soplos de infierno.

the snowstorms and gales, those breezes of hell are bitter.

Es una tibia mañana.

It is a warm morning.

El sol calienta un poquito la pobre tierra soriana.

The sun on the poor land of Soria is slightly warming.

Pasados los verdes pinos,

The green pine trees of the past are,

casi azules, primavera

nearly blue, springtide

se ve brotar en los finos

is seen emerging in the slender

chopos de la carretera

black poplars on the roadside

y del río. El Duero corre, terso y mudo, mansamente.

and by the river. The Duero flows gently, smooth and silent.

El campo parece, más que joven, adolescente.

The countryside seems, more than young, adolescent.

Entre las hierbas alguna humilde flor ha nacido,

Amongst the grass some humble flower is birthed,

azul o blanca. ¡Belleza del campo apenas florido,

blue or white. The beauty of the field scarcely flowered,

y mística primavera!

and mystical springtime!

¡Chopos del camino blanco, álamos de la ribera,

The black poplars of the white path, poplars of the riverbank,

espuma de la montaña

the foam of the mountain

ante la azul lejanía,

facing the blue distance,

sol del día, claro día!

sun of the day, clear day!

¡Hermosa tierra de España!

Beautiful land of Spain!

The Difficulties of Translating Poetry The difficulty I encountered throughout translation was trying to transcribe the exact meaning of the poem whilst maintaining the flow of it.

There is inevitably change in rhyme and metre between the languages, which I attempted to reinstall, mainly by mirroring rhyming patterns.

However, in some cases it is not possible to match the structure. Therefore, I find it difficult to prefer my English translation. The original has beautiful flow and rhythm, which has been sacrificed to some extent as I mainly prioritised the literal translation. For example, in the final stanza the regular rhyme was impossible to reflect whilst mirroring the meaning. Although meaning and structure have been portrayed to the best of my ability, some has been, sadly, lost in translation.

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Ria Manvatkar

GEOFFREY PIDGEON

AN INTERVIEW WITH 30

Last May, I had the pleasure of interviewing Geoffrey Pidgeon, an Old Cat who was a student at Caterham from 1936 to 1940 and went on to work for MI6 during WW2. We could not know at the time that this would be Geoffrey’s last interview for the magazine as he very sadly passed away in August. This makes the interview extremely valuable and poignant for the whole ‘Cat Among the Pigeons’ team, as well as the wider school community. Geoffrey’s legacy at Caterham is indelible in the form of the Geoffrey Pidgeon Prize for Literature and this magazine, which takes both its title and its inspiration from him.

In our interview we discussed the subject of creativity and its relevance to young people today. He also reflected on his career, in particular his role in MI6, and later the experience of working in his family’s business. Finally, he fondly expressed what he was most proud of in his life – or what is wrong with the word proud!

This was a wonderful experience and I feel incredibly grateful that I was able to meet Geoffrey, a man who lived an extraordinary life.

WHY DID YOU WANT CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS AND THE GEOFFREY PIDGEON PRIZE FOR LITERATURE TO BE CREATED? I hoped that ‘Cat Among the Pigeons’ would spark one into allowing the ‘creativity’ that is in all of us – however latent – to come to the fore. Increasingly, I see people using various aids like one’s mobile phone or laptop, for playing games, social networking etc. and that’s fine but it is not a creative. I also fear that books – per se – now so widely available on these aids are not being routinely read. These ‘tools’ could also be used to record cultural, or political events; the ‘pool’ is vast. Do not even rule out writing a more fulsome diary that might be useful one day - but perhaps check on the security of your password first!

Taking it one step further, there is nothing to stop you writing, for instance, your family’s history and when you start, you will find you will want to dig even further back. Once you embark on that road you will soon find other subjects to write about. Although by then you may be studying or working - you will find that an hour on ‘your book’ will be far more relaxing than watching the News!

My prize is actually for Literature and Art. I believe art is an important part of the creative ability that is in all of us.

You just have to let it surface - even if only for your own amusement.

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE BEING CREATIVE THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE?

quickly moved into many parts of its communication field.

Well, it’s very important to keep your brain active and I have tried doing that since I can remember. Obviously, one had to keep very alert during the war especially perhaps being in MI6!

However, after the war I wanted to return to Caterham with my young family hoping that they would follow my brother and me into Caterham School.

We lived in Chelsea, and I purchased a plot of land on the corner of Harestone Hill and Grange Road and there I designed and built a bungalow.

Every single detail was planned and drawn to scale – and that for a novice was perhaps being creative?

WHAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN SKILLS YOU GOT OUT OF BEING IN MI6?

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MI6?

Around the time of Dunkirk, my father was recruited into MI6 (Section VIII) at Whaddon Hall some five miles west of Bletchley Park. Whaddon Village was where all the ULTRA traffic was disseminated to our Military Commanders in the Field. In August 1940 our house in Caterham was damaged during the raid on Kenley airfield so my mother took us to join Father.

I had a year or so at school locally and one of my hobbies was model-making long before ‘kits’ appeared. My father took my model of HMS Nelson to show his pals at Whaddon Hall. One of them was Lieut. Cmdr. Percy Cooper, Head of the department, making agent sets.

Father was told ‘your son has just the sort of skills we are looking for, would he like to join the team?’ So, I did and became the youngest ever in MI6 and

The same thing I learned at Caterham self-confidence. You’re so often on your own. There are many times when you have to make an important/vital decision and you can fall back on the strength of character that I believe Caterham gives you. I said the same thing to the ‘Old Cat’s’ Magazine, Omnia recently. I was asked what does Caterham give you?

I replied I don’t like ‘Je ne sais quoi’ but it does give you self-confidence that should last you through life’s roller coaster!

Pupils should leave Caterham very selfassured. No matter what the challenge they will rise to it. Even now that I am 95, when problem arise – and they do – I still manage. Thank you Caterham!

WHAT’S YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT, & WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM IT? Well, my family I suppose. I have three very good sons. Also, although I am not ‘proud,’ I am pleased I have written several books. ‘The Secret Wireless War’ is regarded in some quarters as the definitive book on the subject.

I don’t often use the word ‘proud’ usually ‘pleased’ is better. So perhaps, I can say looking back, I am pleased with my life, but I am truly proud of my sons.

So I don’t mind applying it to them.

However, I must add a sixty-eight-year marriage to my late lovely wife Jane so on reflection, perhaps the list of things I am ‘proud of ’ might get a little longer?

CAT

AMONG THE PIGEONS 2 02 0

Annual Publication of the Humanities & Arts featuring the winner of the Pidgeon Prize for Literature 2019 ISSUE

COVER IMAGE:

Iris Ma ‘Relaxation’

I SS U E

H U M A N I T I E S & A R T S featuring the P I D G E O N P R I Z E F O R L I T E R AT U R E

Annual publication of the winner of the

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OUR FUTURE HOME? Skyler Bennett

I have always been fascinated by space and what is beyond our reach. I find the concept of interstellar travel and living amongst the stars both baffling and spectacular. At the same time, I’ve witnessed others express a simple, human response to outer space: a fear to what is unknown to us.

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It is time to consider what sort of human structures would need to be built to survive and thrive on the desolate planet itself In the past twenty years Mars has proven to be more and more perfect for humans to travel to; I believe we now need to address our fears and consider how we might actually live there.

Research and feedback from NASA’s Endeavour Programme has already started to show us what the red planet looks like - it is time to consider what sort of human structures would need to be built to survive and thrive on the desolate planet itself. The form of architecture being considered for space both futuristic in its technology, but rustic in its appearance - can provide a true example of pushing technology and human limits to their maximum capabilities.

The inflatable torus could be created by by pumping underground frozen water, already found on the planet, to form an igloo-type structure around the torus. A benefit of this type of building is that it could be put onto Mars long before the astronauts even arrived. In addition, the ice design would protect them from the radiation of cosmic rays while allowing natural light into their living quarters. This light could help sustain their mental health and remind the astronauts of their homes on Earth.

However, the form of architecture I believe should be used in this project is the design which utilises 3D printing. In this design, the architects use 3D printing to create smooth curves and continuous rows of rounded ridges which encircle the home — reminiscent of the marks created on the side of great canyons formed by water. Even though it is ironic that such a prominent component of the design implies images of water on a planet which lacks just that, the structure has a more relaxed and homely feel than the ice option. Such a design could remind the astronauts of memorable moments they had near water back on Earth: and thus provide them with much-needed relaxation on their expedition.

The astronauts have drifted onto this planet like an ocean pebble drifts onto a beach

At first glance, the best home for a Mars astronaut would be built underground as it would give protection from the harsh environment on the surface. However, the robotic engineering required for creating such a structure would be difficult to transfer to Mars from Earth. Thus, this construction option is not the way forward, so architects and scientists alike have had to consider another type of architecture — one not even used on Earth.

Currently, there are two types of inventive forms of architecture being considered by NASA for living on Mars in the 2030s. Firstly, an inflatable torus, featuring ice walls and a 3D printed building.

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Furthermore, this design’s sleek curves mimic those of a pebble being washed ashore by a wave of ocean water. This concept

represents how the astronauts, and this home, have drifted onto this planet like an ocean pebble drifts onto a beach. At the same time, it symbolises humanity’s ability to go above and beyond, to undertake this seemingly impossible task, and mark the coronation of this planet as the product of our intelligence and technological excellence. This structure, bursting out of the rugged Martian landscape, invokes strength, stability, and safety.

This design is not only aesthetically pleasing, but can be made using a rover and materials already found on Mars. The home would be constructed over four levels with the top level having a water-filled skylight to let natural, mentalhealth-fulfilling light flood into the home.

different rooms and floors. This shows how this is a living home, as it is the crew’s lifeline and sanctuary.

After viewing this home, and analysing all of its features, I appreciate its oxymoronic design. It challenges the harsh, cruel and uninhabitable environment around it. It invokes images of flowing water on a dry world of nothingness, and yet it holds life, in a place lacking it. It could be the first manmade building on Mars, challenging Nature’s wishes for that planet.

With that in mind, my last point of analysis would be its design of a raindrop.

Water brings life: a single drop can cause a seed to develop, or an animal to quench its thirst. It is life-giving and sustaining.

We all depend on it as the greatest necessity that life needs to survive, therefore, it is striking that the designers of this home would base their entire build around the very element which this planet desperately lacks. I believe that the designers incorporated water into the design to emphasis our goal for the whole mission.

This design’s sleek curves mimic those of a pebble being washed ashore by a wave

Another key area of design, which is both practical but also has deeper meaning, is the home’s bare, skeletal-like construction. The simplistic design means the machinery required for the project can be as minimal as possible. The cylindrical style of the design has a single staircase wrapped around the interior of the structure which adds to the building’s efficiency for getting the astronauts everywhere they need to go in a compact way. The skeletal design, built with resources from Mars, signifies the bone-dry, dead environment which surrounds the home and pays homage to the construction’s origins. It also represents a backbone which forms from the central spine and spreads to the main structure to create the

Through scientific and technological breakthroughs, we can build these interstellar homes, which go against all logical thinking. We can drop that water droplet elsewhere; we can spread our life elsewhere. That is the power of the water-theme and this design, it says: “Life can continue”.

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“Mr Orwell, why do you write?” I asked, peering over his shoulder as he sketched out a farm with a pencil.

“To give my readers an alternative report on political system, and make them think, discuss and debate!!”

“Mrs Beeton, why do you write?” I asked while she noted down her recipes as she made them on the kitchen table.

“To share my love of cooking and baking with the other households in this country.”

“Mr C.S Lewis, why do you write?” I asked as he sat down inside a dusty old wardrobe with the doors wide open, writing frantically.

“To give all children an adventure that will last a lifetime, and in more than one world.”

“J.K Rowling, why do you write?” I asked as she sat surrounded by her magical works and thoughts, scribbling away.

Narayan Minhas Ray Ronnie Thomas

“So I can persuade my readers that magic truly does exist.”

“Malorie Blackman, why do you write?”

“To give my readers the inspiration to make change for good in the world they live in. ”

“Mister Dickens, why do you write?” I asked, looking over at his desk as he scribbled on a tattered piece of paper, bringing his characters to life.

“To present a new perspective of the world that my readers live in, and give them characters that are truly extraordinary.”

And why do I write?

I write so that I can give the power of hope, and so that my memories, characters and ideas thrive in every sentence and word that I write.

I write so that I can spread and inspire the great power of imagination, the great power that every person has inside them.

“Miss Austen, why do you write?” I asked, sitting down on an armchair beside the fire in her ornately decorated drawing room.

I write to spread the extraordinary aspect of life, the inspiration to take a pencil and lose yourself in your own creation.

“To weave different stories of love and adventure out of every character I introduce.”

I write to inspire others to do so too.

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Two Lovers Meet Once More Ria Manvatkar Danielle Yu

A change of place, time, coincidence, I could weep over some futile ignorance anew, Feel my innocence slowly shedding, not stripped away; You could weep over magical fantasies unable to pursue Our love, now synonymous with praying to decay, I’d meet you where the trees start to whisper, Whisper of forgotten façades in the name of love, Whisper of eternal eulogies ending, Whisper of tentative plans lost to above, My love, softly, scornfully shattering…

I could still grow wings and fly, You wouldn’t have to watch, Watch ivy growing over our dreams.

Once for you, and once for me: to dislodge Your love, ephemeral as a teenager’s schemes, I’d meet you wherever it is the water flows, Wherever I can dream and feel your starlight kisses; Wherever you can escape corrupt endeavours; Wherever we can give each other unnecessary caresses, Our love, forever.

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Blood Thirst & Power Hunger: How does Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ show the triumph of hope in the face of a tyrannical power?

Paige Griffiths Harry Evans In ‘Dracula’, Stoker uncovers the battle between divine power – Dracula – and the perseverance of hope and ambition. Written through the multiple perspectives of different characters’ letters and diary entries, the novel progressively topples the historical gender stereotypes and how they are conveyed within literature.

diegesis finds itself constrained by the religious restraints of the time. Prayers and religious beliefs form the driving force of the hopes of those oppressed both physically and mentally by Count Dracula – the motifs of the cross, as well as the purity of the holy water (used to ward off evils) perhaps represent the power held over them by a divine figure. Despite this, increasing divergence from orthodox religious beliefs towards more Methodist morals, could have influenced Stoker’s underlying cynical tone surrounding a deity’s supremacy shown through his words, ‘You should not put your faith in such objects of deceit.’ Dracula personifies the evil within the ‘Inconsistent Triad’ – the argument against the concept of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent god, whilst malevolence persists. As such, Dracula’s power and aptitude for evil would have caused readers of the day to question the existence of God.

‘There is darkness in life & there are lights, & you are one of the lights.’

Dracula’s developing persona throughout the novel challenges the supremacy of God and the supposed boundaries and societal norms surrounding religion in the late 1800s. First published in 1897, ‘Dracula’s’

Stoker’s depiction of power is also seen through the character of Lucy, whose innocence is exposed throughout her gradual demise. Moreover, this imbalance of power is exhibited through the structural layout of the novel, where Lucy, being resigned to her fate in her final hours, juxtaposes her previous youth and vitality.

Through the eyes of Mina and Lucy, differing gender perspectives are exposed. Dr Van Helsing says of Mina towards the end of the novel: “There is darkness in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights”. Here, female figures are used as vehicles 38

for hope; their purity garnering protection from their male counterparts. In contrast, we never see Dracula’s perspective, which separates him from the action of the plot as well as fabricating his more austere and untouchable exterior. The first glimpse of the Count is seen by Lucy – excluding Mr Harker, whose sanity deteriorates rapidly after doing so.

His decline emphasises the sheer power held by Dracula, whilst also creating space for Mr Harker’s claims to be questioned.

Comparatively, Harker’s bildungsroman progresses through his wife, Mina’s, hope and grave sincerity. When nursing her husband back to health upon the revelation that he has escaped Dracula’s abode, she learns of the Count’s true nature and is determined to return her husband to the man he once was. This inspires Dr Seward – the first character able to give credibility to Mina and Mr Harker’s initially fanatical claims – to lead a group to butcher Dracula and overthrow the invisible tyrant through the power of a shared moral conscience. Thus, their collective hope spurs the story on.

were portrayed in literature. The typical power dynamic seen in Victorian patriarchal society is subverted, providing a sense of hope for those escaping a similar repression. The fortification of Lucy and the three anonymous immortals’ power, through the drinking of a man’s blood, threatens masculine power.

In conclusion, ‘Dracula’ utilises religious themes in order to convey Stoker’s underlying criticism of the ‘prison’ that was the Victorian era; “This castle is a veritable prison, and I am the prisoner”. The constraints of the castle itself mirror how Mr Harker is trapped by his own fear of Dracula and, in turn, is set free by the divulgence of his own hope evident through the presence of his wife Mina. The shadow of despair cast over much of London and Transylvania by Dracula’s presence – both places being physically darker and drearier than before his arrival – is juxtaposed by the almost cinematic rising of the sun in the final chapter. This emulates both the rising hope of the band of ‘vampire slayers’ as well

‘The typical power dynamic seen in Victorian patriarchal society is subverted’

Victorian sexuality is another key way that power is manifested in the novel. “I felt in my heart a wicked burning desire, there was both a deliberate voluptuousness that was both thrilling and repulsive… I closed my eyes… and waited with a beating heart.” Mr Harker, having just witnessed the ethereal, yet minacious, beauty of the three immortal women residing in Castle Dracula, battles with his super-ego’s objections – readily submitting to their sensuality and immodesty. These contrasting depictions of women personify the evident struggle for female power and the threat it poses to traditional masculinity. Lucy in her most powerful position – once transformed into a vampire – is demonised and rendered immoral and corrupt, a far cry from her previously demure persona. The constraints of Victorian sexuality and social hierarchy are seen through this. Lucy shares her thoughts with Mina – ‘Because I did that last night… in my dreams’ - the antithesis of the words of Dr William Acton, published in the late 1800s. ‘The majority of them (women) are not very much troubled by sexual feelings at all’. Despite these deep constraints, the Victorian era did lay the foundations for relationships as we know them today, with the terms ‘heterosexuality’ and ‘homosexuality’ being first created. Therefore, the evolution of Lucy’s position within society – being initially the wallflower and later publicly persecuted – would have marked a conceptual shift in the way that women

as marking the end of a period of metaphorical and physical darkness, making way for tranquillity. Stoker closes his novel with clarity and optimism; “seven years ago we went through the flames, and the happiness of some of us since then is… well worth the pain”. Parallels could be drawn with tyrannical powers in today’s society, whether they be political or medical. For instance, the anticipated conquest by the human race over the Coronavirus Pandemic, or the tenacious perseverance of like-minded individuals preaching equality among all races, ages and genders. They forge our path into the future.

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A level Photography

Hannah Wells

Izzy O’Geary 40

Izzy O’Geary

Niamh Ryan

Niamh Ryan 41

Digital Art Third Year Inspired by the work of David Pollott

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Elle Davidson

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Ava Floyd

Eloise Ashmore

Juliette Van Slingelandt

Katrina Davis

Anna Howgego

Phoebe Parker-Swift

Leanna Beukes

Sienna Algar 43

Mathilda O’Malley Juliette Van Slingelandt

The girl stood looking forlornly at the hollow faces and spines of her friends which lay scattered at her feet, glistening in the sun. Shock and sadness ghosted over her features till they came together in an unsettling harmony on her face. Looking upon her once again, I see her chest rise up and down in an attempt to withhold the tears that seemed almost inevitable. I see the tears beginning to collect at the bottom of her deep blue eyes; that seem to have the sea captured in their irises. The tears saturated with the salt of the sea begin to overflow, creating their first path down her face, making the way for more to follow. The tears create a river but rather than falling to the ground, they rise to me in the aquamarine sky. In her sorrow she seems to be oblivious to her rising tears.

Her eyes. Her eyes become frantic as she spins gracefully on her foot so gracefully in fact that – if you had not seen her eyes – you may have thought she was dancing. Deep red hair sticks to her glass face where her tears created their rivers, making her seem as though she were a china doll that had been shattered and then hastily glued back together. Silently sobbing to herself, she grieved and mourned the death of her friends and family. Anxiety rolled off her in waves, I could see the flaming sun emerge from the bleak cloud and the flames licking dry her damp cheeks and face. Craning her neck, eyelids flickering to protect her sapphire eyes from the flames. She sees me. Hope flits across her eyes. Her eyes, her cerulean eyes, fading just as fast as it came. Her lips curve up into a sad smile. But it doesn’t

reach her aquamarine eyes. I have to get to her. So I begin to swim. I glide through the water; my tail moves up and down steadily and with each movement I am thrust further forward bringing myself closer to where she stands. The white stallions move up and down with the curve of the wave.

Her smile begins to creep up her face, lifting her cheeks and finally reaching her eyes: the happiness merging with the sadness, creating a whirlpool in her deepening indigo eyes as they change again.

Gradually, the cloudy sea brings me closer to her touch. I move my eyes back to her again wanting to give her comfort. Slender fingers uncurl from her fists, knuckles fading from streched white to dusty pink. Extending her fingers to the ocean sky she pulls her body upwards until her feet ascend off the ground and only the tips of her toes are settled on the dusty floor. I can hear the cries of the sea as I near her, the pads of her fingers settle upon the wave. She pulls away, admiring her fingers as the moisture settles on them, running across her fingers and palms. Refocusing on the sea, on me, she reaches her hand up again, and when she touches the wave she doesn’t stop but pushes through, reaching towards me. Her eyes.

They are electric, an electric blue.

The sea pulls her in, submerging her in the waves.

‘The cloudy sea brings me closer to her touch’

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I utter a sigh in relief - content. I can feel my heart pump what’s left of the adrenaline in my body round once more, before it disappears. I gently reopen my eyes to welcome the red haired angel home. But I look at her, I look at her eyes and they are grey. Just grey.

Zosia Harris Sienna Alderidge

The girl is irresistible, She draws me to her, Like a moth to light, But her bite is Much worse than her bark

She clears the crowds around her Her strength could clear the ocean I want to know more, I want to be more to her, But I see her trail of bones, Clear as day.

Her dance puts me in a trance, She enchants my mind, It felt like a flood And I can’t think of anything else, But her trail of skeletons.

She seems so fair and dainty, Her frail limbs leap gently, She steps gingerly, Her fiery hair almost floats, Like the trail of broken bones that cling to her.

Like a siren of the seas, She draws me to her, Her song is not a spell, however, It’s her aura grace, spirit And her trail of broken bones

She is my night, my day, She is my sleep and my wake, She is the magic that binds me To her And her trail of broken bones.

But her spell is not that at all, She is cursed to be alone.

Her wings, she used to soar, taken And she is so oblivious To the trail behind her,

Made of broken bones.

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POWER DRESSING THE RISE OF THE FEMALE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE WORKPLACE Elena Andrews Hannah Wells

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The empowerment of women through their clothing choices is not only prevalent currently, but also deeply rooted in the past. The emergence of the first significant movement was sparked by the end of the First World War when women – who would have previously taken up the stereotypical housewife role – were now more economically involved, which played a crucial role in maintaining the economy. The former conception that – women were not suited to executive business positions – was eradicated in the minds of female citizens. For ambitious women to gain the mutual respect of male co-workers in the workplace, required them to be perceived differently. Hence, the term ‘Power Dressing’ was incarnated.

Power Dressing refers to the fashion style that was previously typical of the business and political environment.

Although this form of statement dressing was first discovered in the 1920s, it became particularly prevalent in the 1970s and 1980s when it was brought to popularity by John T. Molloy – who wrote the manuals ‘Dress for Success’ (1975) and ‘Women: Dress for Success’ (1980) which overall suggested a gender-specific dress code. These became incredibly popular within the female community as the books addressed a new type of female worker – one who enters a typically masculine work environment; advising them of a ‘uniform’ which would help them acquire authority, respect and power at work.

The main purpose of Power Dressing was to de-sexualise the female body.

This conservative style was achieved by directly mimicking the male wardrobe.

The typical ‘Power Dressing’ outfit would divide the female body into two sections; the upper half of the body was covered by a jacket to de-emphasise breasts, while the lower portion was covered by a skirt, as a reminder of femininity.

The origins of ‘Power Dressing’ can be found in the Chanel suit of the 1920s. This suit, being the very first professional suit specifically designed for women, represented a turning point.

The Chanel suit included traditionally masculine elements, which offered women a very authoritative appearance, while also leaving space for a refined and sophisticated look. The most important innovation of the Chanel suit was that it was deliberately designed to adapt to the changing lifestyle of women who, due to the shift during and after World War One, were slowly entering environments which would formerly have been all male. This suit was the trigger that encouraged women to achieve their professional goals, providing them with comfort and mobility to fit with their now-independent and active lifestyles.

The Chanel suit further allowed women of the time to de-sexualise their femininity, giving themselves a more masculine appearance in order for them to be accepted as equals in the professional sphere.

The renovation of the women’s suit and the introduction of a more feminine spin to Power Dressing could only be achieved when enough women were clearly established as authoritative in the work environment. As women became more established and well respected in executive roles, women wearing a suit no longer required the effort to blend in with men but rather

they wished to stand out and define a clear visual presence. This led to the removal of feminised imitations of men’s professional garments and the addition of romantic ruffle blouses, neck ties and extravagant jewellery, mixed in with bold patterns and bright colours, which we can now link with the modern form of Power Dressing we know today.

Women no longer used the suit as a form of camouflage but instead used it to make a statement.

‘Power Dressing’, as a new fashion phenomenon, has its symbolic public figures. Margaret Thatcher was one of the first to incorporate the spirit of power suits and had the reputation as the ‘original’ female power dresser.

Her personal style, according to Vogue, reinvented John T. Molloy’s suggestions in order to create an appearance appropriate for the role of Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher was able to pave the way for all the careermotivated women who were trying to succeed in a male-dominated world and convinced them that they can, like her, find support in clothing and accessories to communicate authority and power. Similarly, Hillary Clinton is a contemporary icon of power dressing; with her pantsuits, she is a follower of the Thatcher style.

The ‘Power Dressing’ movement was significant in building a new type of working woman appearing in the society at the time. With the help of an empowering self-presentation such as power suits, women were trying to break through the ice and step into society with the intention of reaching highpowered positions, which previously were held by men. The development of power dressing was pivotal in bringing public visibility to women in executive, or business, positions.

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The Big Draw International Drawing Festival Climate of Change

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1st Place: Parameta (Luojia) Shen (5th Year)

3rd Place: Michelle Wong (Lower Sixth)

2nd Place: Catherine Chao (5th Year) 48

1st Place: Ethan Nichols (4th Year)

2nd Place: Yoyo Zhang (4th Year)

3rd Place: Katie Roberts (4th Year) 49

The Big Draw International Drawing Festival Climate of Change

1st Place: Eva Green (2nd Year)

2nd Place: Kiana Rajkumar (1st Year) 50

3rd Place: Estee Norman (2nd Year)

GCSE Fashion Textiles

Annabella Woodruff

Jimi Ogun

Esme Glass

Ryo Baxter 51

An extract from Intermediate IRP Finalist

HOW DOES ALICE WALKER PRESENT THE IMPRISONING FORCE OF MARRIAGE IN THE COLOR PURPLE? Alice Caiger Lauren Bacchus

In history, we see women oppressed by their husbands and having nothing to do except care for their children. I wanted to see how far this is reflected in literature set in the 19th and 20th century.

The Colour Purple shows an abusive marriage set up by the wife’s father and the novel shows us how Celie gains confidence and is able to stand up against her oppressive husband.

The Colour Purple

by Alice Walker Writing in 1982, Walker looks to the past to explore how both race and marriage imprisoned women in the early 20th century.

Marriage is presented as a restrictive force towards women through the abusive nature of the relationship between Celie and her husband. When Harpo asks Albert why he beats Celie, he explains that it is ‘cause she [is] my wife’. This sexist attitude sums up the relationship between Celie and her husband at the beginning of the novel. As a reader in the 21st century, we know that this is an old-fashioned attitude that was common in the early 1900s. However, not all marriages in the early 20th century were like this; in this case, the marriage was abusive because of the leniency in the law. Women were the property of their husbands, and there was not the same social awareness of domestic abuse as today.

When we learn that Albert ‘ beat [Celie] when [Shug is] not here’, we realise that Albert loves Shug and becomes gentler when she is around. This suggests Albert resents Celie for their marriage because he cannot marry Shug. We infer that the imprisoning force on Celie may be due to the lack of a connection and relationship. We do not know whether Albert would have had the same violent attitude if married to Shug but we can deduce that their marriage would have been different due to their love and relationship with each other. This is 52

further demonstrated when Celie and Albert begin to get along better, enjoying each other’s company, and Celie admits that he ‘seems to be the only one who understands [her] feelings’ about Shug’s departure, giving them something to connect over.

Walker presents marriage restrictively as she showed Celie being unable to discover her sexuality. Her character is oppressed by men for most of her life, which left her with no

time to figure out her own identity. The renaming of Celie as ‘a virgin’ is critical to her realisation and empowerment. Shug redefines the meaning of virgin to be about women and their choices; Shug’s sexual confidence encourages Celie to take the same control over her own life. She shows Celie that there are more than just mainstream beliefs, foregrounding Celie’s independence when she leaves Albert. This is a restrictive force because it shows how Celie was trapped without any specific beliefs and in a marriage which does not suit her sexuality or make her happy.

dog’ and says his ‘dead body’ is ‘just the welcome mat [she] needs’. The juxtaposition of ‘dead body’ and ‘welcome mat’ shows Celie’s anger and how little she cares about offending Albert.

Although this phrase is sarcastic, it shows her new-found power and confidence that she is able to joke and speak with conviction instead of cowering away from conflict.

Celie’s confidence escalates in this part of the novel as she discredits her marriage: when Albert says they are ‘still man and wife’, Celie claims they ‘never [were]’. Perhaps the reason they are able to get along is due to Celie’s confidence and her own independence.

When married, Celie never defied or overpowered Albert, which led him to feel like he could do anything to her.

When Celie departs, Albert is left to think about their marriage and he feels powerless. This meant that upon the return of Celie, Albert acts like an equal rather than her superior.

Their marriage includes the literal sense of imprisonment

Their marriage includes the literal sense of imprisonment, when Albert hides Nettie’s letters. Celie is restricted in whom she can talk to for the first part of the novel and believes her sister to be dead or no longer interested in speaking to her. Albert chooses to hurt both sisters because he doesn’t want to admit to Celie that Nettie declined his marriage offer and sexual advances. He chooses the easy option and so the reader see him as not only a horrible character but a coward too. Celie’s anger is shown through Walker’s use of hyperbole as Celie wants to ‘kill him’. This is the first time we are shown Celie’s anger towards her husband. We see that Albert has taken away Celie’s only trusted family member and this causes a lot more upset than his abusive behaviour towards her. We are shown Celie’s selfless nature as she minds a lot more when her husband’s actions are hurting somebody she cares about; making her a lot more likeable. This event is the catalyst for Celie as she calls her husband ‘a lowdown

Overall, the novel supports the conclusion that women are oppressed in their marriages due to their husbands. This is due to many different reasons - especially the time period in which the novel is set. The laws and societal standards were very different from today. For example, married women had no property or assets of their own. This meant they were imprisoned in their marriage by law because they had no way to leave. In The Colour Purple, we infer that the reason for the terrible marriage between Celie and Albert is due to their lack of emotional connection and the arrangement by her ‘father’.

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A Level Art

Katie Spurgin

Hannah Wells 54

Anna Fordyce

Jiwoo Lee

Phoebe Richardson-Cornish

Cindy Wang

Brian Leung 55

WOMAN vs SUPERWOMAN Should we study ‘ordinary’ or ‘extraordinary’ women?

Ananya Saraf Erica Templeton

The female writer, Dorothy Wordsworth, is often affiliated with her sibling – a household name in the sphere of poetry. Although she influenced many works of William Wordsworth, she lacked great ambitions for individual recognition or publication. The exploration of her place amongst the pantheon of females in literature, therefore, serves to illuminate the problem with characterising women into the binary terms of ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’.

She conversely settles in the non-categorising “or”, where female texts can be considered without the presence of gender constructs, more importantly focusing on the literature itself.

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In her work, A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf posits the fictional sister of Shakespeare, which we might directly parallel to Dorothy, the non-fictional ‘sister of Wordsworth’, exhibiting the dichotomy between the ‘extraordinary’ male and the, subsequently, ‘ordinary’ female counterpart. This notion is retained in Dorothy Wordsworth’s prosaic Grasmere Journals, where she admittedly wrote to “give Wm [William] pleasure”. Undeniably, her ode to William expressed a conformity to his traditions, yet the stand-alone publication of Dorothy’s veristic poem, Floating Island, seems to challenge his masculine shadow. This is demonstrated in the oxymoronic line, “But all might see it float, obedient to the wind”, in which a stark juxtaposition of the “dissevered float” (Dorothy), versus its metaphorical tether to “the wind” (William) is noted. Her regularised ballad quatrains, furthermore, serve to enact the attempted alignment with the poetic standards of William, but the utilisation of slant rhyme - “undermined” and “wind” - disrupt this conventionality.

no apparent access to this figuratively “tiny room”, which, beneath the restrictive climate of “the wind”, casts light on her literal disavowal of setting up authorship. As such, Woolf ’s provocative advocation for “a room of one’s own” is requisite in averting male archetypes and forging Dorothy’s autonomy.

We, therefore, notice how Dorothy is conflicted; she tussles with the self, while canonical measures weigh upon her. Woolf, however, through the emancipating lens of the contemporary reader, amends that confrontation in The Voyage Out, with the inversed “freedom…of being the wind”, thereby omitting Dorothy’s problematic “wind” from, and perhaps substituting her own into the female text. I would advance, therefore, that Woolf ’s aid perhaps promotes Dorothy to an ‘extraordinary’ status, as she transcends the futile claim of the male Romantic, Percy Shelley, for the wind “to be thou me”.

Dorothy is conflicted: she tussles with the self

Dorothy, in her earlier Alfoxden Journals, also describes “a union of earth, sky and sea”, which may allude to the opening stanza of Floating Island, “harmonious… sky, earth, …sea”. This motif resolves Dorothy’s initial verse/prose divide, and fuses, via her shared narrative of nature, the too often isolated literary spheres, ultimately devising her own standard.

Still, though the island might be an allegory for Dorothy, a void arises with

So far, I have considered the elevation of Dorothy to the ‘extraordinary’.

However, this is challenged by the perennially ‘extraordinary’ female, Mary Wollstonecraft. Notably, she published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which surfaced eight years prior to Dorothy’s Grasmere journaling and advocated, unaccustomedly, to “let woman share the rights, …for she must grow more perfect when emancipated”.

This acknowledged timeline, where Dorothy’s predecessor, Wollstonecraft, coincides with her refusal of publication, perhaps further dilutes her promotion to the ‘extraordinary’. Wollstonecraft, furthermore, railed against the status quo by establishing her role as the “first of a new genus”, which Dorothy had

no desire to attain. This evident rift was approached by Woolf, who applauded Wollstonecraft and concurrently sidelined Dorothy, who estranges herself from defiance, assigning it to “the trees and the grass”. Yet, Woolf misconstrues Dorothy’s locus - ‘sister of ’. The natural world can be seen as her means of escape from the narrow routes of either being “locked in” or “locked out” of William’s poetic “pound”. The alleged gulf, therefore, is amended with both Dorothy and Wollstonecraft experiencing how “the intellectual world is shut against them”. Moreover, in spite of Dorothy’s conflation with William, she was able to find an intellectual “room of her own” when withholding publication due to “reasons entirely disconnected with [her] self ”, and so, this freedom of choice brings an emergent sense of identity to the fore, evading the male tradition.

Thus, our contemporary treatment

allows us to emancipate Dorothy beyond the standards of ‘extraordinary’, so that she might reside in a more inclusive space.

Aptly, Emily Dickinson, in her poem, They shut me up in Prose, establishes the conundrum between “they” (the literary traditions) and “me” (the defiant persona). This metaphor is extended to the “closet”, where “they” attempt to exile the persona into reticence by entrapping her within “Prose”. Likewise, the paratactic nature of the poem possibly depicts a sense of repression, while the unorthodox deployment of an ‘em’ dash sets a liberating metre. As such, this structural duality and consequent opposition, could relate to the irreconcilable position of Dorothy Wordsworth, a female by our definition - poet, confined to being an extension of her male peer.

Her exploration of verse, as seen in Floating Island, nonetheless, could represent the idyllic “bird” Dickinson refers to, as she contests male definitions and holds, also, the role of ‘writer’.

Hence, the newly found DickinsonWordsworth relationship, bridges the polarised phraseology of ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’, perhaps drawing out an interchangeability, in which both must be appreciated.

Finally, on reflection, Dorothy surpasses the literary expectations of the diverging verse/prose genres and, subsequently, sculpts her own. By contrast, the challenge of Wollstonecraft ostensibly sets back Dorothy into the ‘ordinary’.

However, Dorothy, perhaps not as overtly, marks a relatively unique ‘extraordinary’, and one that need not be considered plausible by a ‘Wollstonecraft scale’, or else a secondary canon might arise, resulting in further estrangement of female scholars. The location of Dorothy, therefore, seeks the answer in the unstated - the liminal space where labels can no longer taint her legacy or work, and our reception as reader. Perhaps, a greater value can be found in this conclusion, as Dorothy and other female writers rejected by the canon can find refuge in her creation and acceptance of this space.

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Photography Competition Hope&Power

Joel Veldtman - Lower Winner 58

Marilie Van Slingelandt - Winner Upper

Mili Warren - Runner up 59

C AT E R H A M SCHOOL Keanu Khazanehdari ‘Same DNA Different Gender Identity’

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