Comprehension Quiz

Opinion: Why Black Panther is necessary

Refilwe Pitjeng 2018-02-21

Listen up. I've been excited about watching the movie Black Panther ever since I saw T'Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) in the movie Captain America: Civil War when his father was killed.

Name the writer of this article.

• Opinion

• Chadwick Boseman

• Refilwe Pitjeng

• T'Challa

Listen up. I've been excited about watching the movie Black Panther ever since I saw T'Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) in the movie Captain America: Civil War when his father was killed.

How does the writer grab the reader’s attention?

• By writing about Captain America.

• By speaking directly to the reader and writing, "Listen up."

• By using lots of long sentences.

• By writing in the first person.

I thought to myself “Hello! Who is this fine looking black man?”

The response to Black Panther has so far been enthusiastic and was evident in the effort people took with their outfits when attending screenings of the movie.

How does the author describe T'Challa?

• Good-looking

• Very well-built

• Average

• Okay

The response to Black Panther has so far been enthusiastic and was evident in the effort people took with their outfits when attending screenings of the movie.

How does the writer show that audiences were

enthusiastic about the release of Black Panther?

• They attended the screenings

• People dressed up for the screenings

• Lots of people responded

• Their enthusiasm was evident

Black Panther is so much more than just another Marvel blockbuster. Not only because it’s the first that’s based on a black African superhero, but because the film builds on this concept in a deep and authentic way.

They say behind every strong black man is a strong black woman, and I liked the fact that women were advisors and part of the army in the movie.

"They say behind every strong black man..." Who is ‘they’?

• A group of unknown people

• People in general

• Strong black women

• The film's producers

They say behind every strong black man is a strong black woman, and I liked the fact that women were advisors and part of the army in the movie.

The scene where Okoye (played by Danai Gurira), wearing a deep red dress (a colour associated with power, strength, and energy) throws her wig at the man she’s about to give a beating is my favourite because it represented the versatility of black women's hair and how they need no permission from anyone on their hairstyle choices.

Why is the writer most likely female? Choose the INCORRECT answer.

• She liked that women were advisors.

• She mentions the versatility of black women's hair.

• She calls T'Challa "fine".

• She doesn't need permission on her haistyle choice.

Black Panther is so much more than just another Marvel blockbuster. Not only because it’s the first that’s based on a black African superhero, but because the film builds on this concept in a deep and authentic way.

They say behind every strong black man is a strong black woman, and I liked the fact that women were advisors and part of the army in the movie.

What two reasons does the writer give that make Black Panther stand out from other Marvel films?

• It has a black African superhero

• It is a blockbuster

• Women are central figures

• Women are part of the army

The implicit statement in both the film’s theme and its casting is that there is a connection, however weak and complicated, among the continent’s scattered descendants.

From start to finish, the movie strives to represent Africa as the culturally rich place it is, adopting its history, folklore, showcasing not only its raw minerals but other attributes and heroic elements in a way that’s both empowering and entertaining.

In what two ways is Africa represented as a culturally rich place?

• Its scattered descendants

• Its history

• Its heroic elements

• Its raw minerals

For instance, the scene where T'Challa has to fight for the throne shows how Africans respect and follow their cultural rituals and beliefs.

Black Panther is necessary. It’s necessary for representation especially in a world where diversity is so often treated as an act of charity instead of a reality. This film challenges the universal idea that heroes can only be white and male.

Why does the writer feel this film is important?

• It shows that heroes can be female and black

• It shows that heroes are only white and male

• It shows that diversity is an act of charity

• It indicates that Africans have rituals

It felt good to see people who looked like me, brown people, being portrayed as heroines and heroes, wise people and scientists, and not slaves and being oppressed somehow, as is normally the narrative surrounding black people.

It was liberating to watch. But if you are looking for an aggressively deep storyline then The Birth of a Nation and 12 Years a Slave are better options.

Why did the film make the writer feel good?

• It was much better than 12 Years a Slave.

• It had a deeper storyline than The Birth of a Nation.

• Black people were depicted as heroes, not helpless.

• It was the usual narrative surrounding black people.