Beaut Idea
Secrets in the Fire
Secrets in the Fire – a celebration of the human spirit!
Students investigate the issue of landmines in this deeply moving story from
Mozambique.
Secrets in the Fire – a celebration of the human spirit!
Secrets in the Fire is a translated novel which tells the deeply moving story
of Sofia Alface and her indomitable will to survive a horrific landmine accident
in Mozambique. Steven Figg designed these activities for a Grade 9 English
class at Ogilvie High School but they could be easily adapted for both younger
and older students.
Reading Journal Activities:
As students read the novel, they should reflect on the following ideas and
issues:
Do you agree with Muazena’s view early in the novel that: “Happiness
is what we realise we have had, after we’ve lost it”?
To what extent do you agree with the view early in the novel that you
don’t need to see happiness, sorrow or pain to understand it?
How did Sofia react to her sister’s death and the loss of her legs? How
would you cope in such a situation?
At one stage Sofia wonders whether it would be worse to have artificial
legs or to be blind. What do you think?
How did you react to Muazena’s view late in the novel that: “Without
your family you are nothing”?
How are you positioned to respond to Sofia’s accident? Are you
expected to feel sorry for her? How does Henning Mankell achieve
this?
Why could Secrets in the Fire be described as a celebration of the
human spirit?
Responding to the Novel:
Students should complete a number of the following writing tasks. Teachers
should model the structures and features of diaries, magazine interviews,
personal reflective writing, formal letters, novel reviews, newspaper reports
and argumentative essays.
Write a newspaper report about Sofia and Maria Alface’s accident with
the landmine.
Imagine that it’s one year after Sofia’s return to her home village. What
do you think has happened to her during this time? Tell part of her
story of the year through a series of diary entries.
Write an interview with one of the following characters:
Dr Raul
Jose-Maria
Totio
Hermengarda
Fatima
What would they have to say about Sofia and her family? You should
present the interview as a spoken or performance text.
Write a letter to the Prime Minister of Australia or the Premier of
Tasmania where you argue for the banning of landmines.
Write a review of Secrets in the Fire to be published in a magazine
designed for an adolescent audience.
Write an argumentative essay on the following topic:
“Landmines have no place in the twenty-first century.” Do you agree?
What have you learned about personal strength and courage from
reading Secrets in the Fire? Do you admire Sofia Alface for her
strength and courage? Can you imagine what it would be like to be in
her situation?
Investigating the Problem of Landmines:
Students should visit the International Campaign to Ban Landmines Website
(LINK TO http://www.icbl.org ) to gather information to present a Power Point
presentation on the worldwide problem of landmines: