HYDE PARK CRITIQUE PAPER

Santiago, Christine Janel D. January 1, 2023

12 STEM – A9

Petina Gappah is the author of the creative nonfiction piece Hyde Park. She was born in Harare,
Zimbabwe, in 1971. Petina was the first black student to attend her school, which at the time had
a predominance of white students. The main impact of this circumstance was on Gappah's
writing process. She did, however, spend the majority of her time as a practising attorney living
in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to Zimbabwe in 2011. Petina declared that rather than
being anti-government or despising those in positions of authority, she would prefer to write
about the things that make our society unkind. H Her writing style, which is both humorous and
moving, exposes the crudeness and naivety of the society in which she was raised. Because of
this, her 2009 book An Elegy for Emily examined Zimbabwe's hyperinflation, bureaucracy, and
misogyny. As a well-known author, Petina took advantage of the chance to tell the tale of the
people of Zimbabwe, who yearned for recognition on a global scale. Petina claimed in an
interview with The Guardian that Zimbabweans are driven by a desire for success and
recognition on a global scale. As a result, she is in a strong position as a writer whose books are
sold abroad, and if she were a news journalist, she might be viewed as a serious threat. Petina
made it clear that she objects to being called "the voice of Zimbabwe" and that writing "about"
Zimbabwe is different from writing "for" Zimbabwe. She tells the stories of modern-day life in
Zimbabwe that have been shaped by decades of submission to British imperialism, rather than
writing for Zimbabweans. As a result, she is able to offer a distinctive viewpoint of her native
country that speaks to both the difficulties and the beauty of life in Zimbabwe. She recognises
the threats posed by those in positions of authority and decides to express her viewpoint rather
than support the system she criticises.

She began her story, Hyde Park, by briefly introducing herself and mentioning that, in 1997, the
year of her visit, she was a student on the verge of going hungry because of a tight budget, but
she still managed to fulfil her dream of visiting London. From the moment she arrived, she was
open to discussing her feelings regarding the crucial moments of her journey. In this tale,
Gappah skillfully combines autobiographical, historical, and cultural details to deliver a potent
message about the nature of justice.

The first person Gappah mentioned was the bus driver, a "skinhead" with tattoos on his arms and
a thick Cockney accent. What was the cause of this fear? She went on to say that it reminded her
of the harm that those skinheads had inflicted on black people in Europe. People who were
known for having shaved heads and who were motivated by social exclusion, apathy toward
politics, and shared musical tastes made up what was known as "skinhead culture" in the 1960s.
These cultural snobberies developed over time. A once diverse and pervasive group of people
became divided in the 1970s as a result of political ideologies on the right and left. Petina feared
the driver because of the widespread racism against black people that resulted, with some
offenders even being called "Neo-Nazis." Her fear diminished when he handed her the fare, but
take note of the word she used: "disarmed," as if she were trying to make the case that the issue
with skinheads had left black people with such a traumatic memory that they automatically
defend themselves when they come across what they believe to be skinheads. She got off the bus
and started wandering; her destination was Hyde Park, the largest park in London. Because the
followers of the Hare Krishna movement, in her opinion, have combined the religious customs
and attire of two different continents, she was initially drawn to it.

The Europeans in Hyde Park were influenced by the religion of Hare Krishna, which has Hindu
roots. Locals ignored the unconventional group and carried on with their own ways because this
movement was at the time frequently regarded as "weird," but tourists are more likely to find it
amusing because of this unusual blending of cultures. Gappah stopped at Speaker's Corner
before continuing her journey. It was used by people of all ages, including suffragists, during the
Bubonic Plague. Gappah found the scene that day to be almost comical: a group of students
protesting the use of women as test subjects for infant formula, an international socialist
organisation, and a Christian evangelist preaching about hell. Speaker's Corner is and probably
will continue to be a hub of activity. There were many different things going on. In a previous
interview, Gappah lashed out at the hypocrisy of Zimbabwean society, claiming that, unlike
Speaker's Corner, Zimbabwe lacks the guts to publicly state its position on a given issue. Despite
the fact that her writings contain a great deal of emotion and reality about that country, she
rejects the label "the voice of Zimbabwe." Gappah visited Rotten Row in London before being
transported back to her home city of Harare, Zimbabwe. It was formerly known as the Route de
Roi (the King's Old Road), and it is popular among the aristocracy. These days, anyone can visit
it and ride horses there. The lavish lifestyle that the British have enjoyed since the 1700s is
portrayed in Rotten Row. In contrast to its neighbouring cities, Harare was a significant
commercial centre and quite modern at the time. The British Empire no longer considered Harare
to be a colony until 1982, when it attained independence. At the same time, we cannot deny that
many of its societal ideals are directly derived from the imperialists' policies. This made Gappah
think of her hometown. Then Gappah gave us a thorough account of her feelings regarding why
Hyde Park won her heart and motivated her to return there after her initial visit. She was struck
by the park's tolerance of eccentricity the moment she arrived. She was impressed by how
different cultures could coexist in public areas without being affected by their identities.

Another eye-opening realisation was that, in addition to Hyde Park, her hometown also has the
largest park in the city, the Harare Gardens. If her country grows, Petina believes Harare Gardens
will surpass Hyde Park in grandeur. That demonstrates the stark difference between the status of
a first-world country and a third-world country, where those at the bottom work so hard to
emulate those at the top in order to claim that their country has also advanced. Petina has faith in
the notion that Harare might one day compete with London on an equal footing. This work by
Gappah may have come off as boring to some readers because it lacks the magic of a fiction
story, but if you look closely and dig deeper, you'll discover that she addresses societal issues by
making comparisons between great London and her humble hometown of Harare.