Talk:
Work with a partner and answer the following questions.
- The title of the short story – 'She Shall not be Moved- – can be understood in many different ways, since the pronoun 'she' can refer to different people in the short story (the Somali woman, the narrator, Mariam, and the white women). Discuss the double meaning of the title. In which way will she not be moved?
- Study the beginning and the end of the short story. What kind of emotions are presented in the first paragraph, and how are these developed in the last two paragraphs?
- Mariam is a very important character in the short story. What does she represent, and how is she different from her mother?
- The action of the story and the inner conflict of the narrator are triggered by the Somali woman. How would you describe her and her actions? What does she and Mariam have in common?
- Explain the actions of the black bus driver. Why does he not defend the Somali woman? Why does the Somali woman describe him as a "slave"? A ‘slave’ to whom?
- What would you have done if you found yourself in the same situation as the mother in the short story?
Is it morally wrong to remain silent when somebody else is being harassed or bullied if we fear for our own safety?
Analyse:
Study the short story and answer each question fully.
Describe the setting of the short story. What role does the setting play? Is it an important part of the plot or theme?
The short story has several important characters: the mother, the daughter, the Somali woman, and the two white women. How does the author describe the characters? Through dialogue or through physical description? Is direct or indirect characterisation used in the short story?
Who would you say is the main character of the story? Is the narrator and the main character the same?
From which point of view is the story told? What does the author achieve by using this point of view?
What is the main conflict in this short story? Is it an external conflict between people? Or an internal conflict within a character? Or both?
What is the theme of the text? Is there more than one theme?
Write:
Pick one of the tasks and write a longer text.
Make a character analysis and comparison of the narrator, Mariam, and the Somali woman. What do they have in common and how are they different? Use passages from the text to support your argument.
- Write a text where you discuss how the theme of cowardice versus determination is expressed through the short story. Use passages from the text to support your argument.
- Use the theme cowardice versus determination as a starting point for a short story or a personal text (letter, journal, autobiographical text).
- Write a text where you discuss how the two quotes below are relevant for this story. Use passages from the text to support your argument.
"Silence is Complicity."
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
Pastor Martin Niemöller
Present:
Pick a person who has had the courage to stand up for what they believed in. Make a presentation where you explain what they fought for and what consequences their actions had.
You can pick one of the people suggested in the box below or choose another person you know of.
Suggestions:
Sophie Scholl
Emmeline Pankhurst
Wangari Maathai
Susan B. Anthony
Tawakkol Karman
Rigoberta Menchú
Shirin Ebadi