Prime Time 6, Coursebook mit Audio-CD und DVD

6 “Do they treat you well?” Granny wants to know from Rebecca. “Very good, Madam. And the little one is so cute. She reminds me a lot of Noekie when she was a baby. Also has such round, curious eyes. She will probably ask just as many questions when she begins to talk.” I laugh, a breathy rattle, and my mother’s hand ies to her mouth. “Anouk has stopped talking.” Her dark red lipstick is slightly smudged, her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses. “She has stopped laughing. I thought …” “She spoke to me,” Becca says proudly, teasingly, as if my mother has just made a joke. “She screamed like a mad one when she saw me.” “Anouk?” “My name is Noekie,” I say in my strange new voice. A bit less hoarse with each word. For the „rst time in four years it is my mother who is speechless. She stares at me, the tears dripping from under her sunglasses. “You know I don’t like to be called Anouk .” And with every word that comes out of my mouth I sound more like my mother. (Marita van der Vyver) Your reaction Orally summarise the story with your partner. What do you think of Anouk’s behaviour? How did the story make you feel? About Anouk a) Briefly describe the events that lead to Anouk becoming mute. b) Briefly describe the events that lead to Anouk starting to speak again. Characterisation Anouk and her mother deal with their trauma very differently. Give a characterisation of Anouk and her mother. Narrative techniques a) Anouk is the narrator of the story. The narrative point of view is that of a first-person narrator. Why is it important that she narrates the story? b) Think about what would happen if the mother narrated the story. c) There are some references to walls in the story that are used as symbols . Find the sentences and explain what the walls stand for. d) The author often creates a certain atmosphere or mood by using special words or descriptions. Describe the atmosphere in “She doesn’t speak”. Writing: An e-mail At the end of the day, Anouk’s mother is writing an e-mail to her best friend back in London and tells her that Anouk has started speaking again. Write her e-mail. Consider the following points: • Make sure you know what happened that day. It might help to draw a timeline. • What kind of language does she use? South Africa versus Britain a) Take a look at the text again and underline words and phrases that portray South Africa and Britain. Make a list and write down phrases/sentences from the story, e.g. South Africa: “wall around the house” (line 175). b) What are the main differences between these two countries? Create a table and write one column about Britain and one about South Africa. 3 Word bank to be traumatised • to force oneself to do sth. • to work through sth. • to miss sth. • to be worked up about sth. • to experience sth. • to bear sth. W 4 5 6 Tip Point of view: The person telling the story, e.g. first-person or third-person. Symbol: Something that represents something other than itself, e.g. our flag is the symbol of our country. T 7 8 365 370 375 380 385 86 South Africa Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum es Verlags öbv