This document contains detailed summaries of the book Mother to Mother. It includes a reading journal, the character constellation, and more. The document is suitable for studying for Abitur (Germany)
Mother to Mother
Chapter(s) Plot Setting Characters
Preface (p. Preface: not mentioned - Mandisa (mother)
V – VI) - tells about Amy Elizabeth Biehls murder —> mentioned son, the killed girl and her
& - went to South Africa to help black people mother
1 (p. 1 – 4) - was killed by black people because of her skin colour
- the novel talks about the mother of the murderer
Chapter 1:
- mother (Mandisa) addresses mother of the killed girl
- people blame her for her son’s behavior
- she says that she has never been able to control her
son
- she isn’t shocked about her son killing the girl ->
nothing about him shocks her anymore
- she knew that he was able to kill someone —> was
surprised that his victim wasn’t one of his friends or
siblings
- thinks that the girl was naive -> it is unsafe for white
people in Guguletu and she must have known that/
felt a warning
- the „daughter has paid for the sins of the fathers and
mothers who did not do their share of seeing that my
son had a life worth living“(p.3)
-> the government now (while he is in jail) pays for his
food etc. but did not help him or his family in hard
times (no food, no money)
- asks god to forgive his sons sins
1
,Reading Journal
2 (p. 5 – 19) - Description of Amy being in her room in the morning, - where: Amy --> room in Mowbray, later - Mandisa (Narrator)
talking on the phone, having breakfast, showering, in the university cafeteria; Mxolisi --> - Room mates of Amy: Lisa, Tess
gets in the car streets of Guguletu - Mxolisi (son of Mandisa)
- Description of the morning of Mandisa’s family with - when: Wednesday 25. August 1993 - Lunga (son of Mandisa)
her children, goes to work and the children on the - Siziwe (daughter of Mandisa)
- what: Amy meets with her friends at the
streets - Lumka -> friend of Amy, from Guguletu
university, who decides later to drive her
- imagination of Amy being in the cafeteria of her - Mrs. Nelson (white woman Mandisa
university with her friends around her and the act of friends back home; Mxolisi is in the works for)
saying goodbye streets for a campaign to support - Lwanzi (one of Mxolisi’s staunch
- situation in the streets, gets out of control; car on fire teachers, wild and rioting followers)
etc. - mood and atmosphere: at the - Sazi (lieutnant in the group of Mxolisi)
- car of Amy and her friends entering Guguletu and university it is a sad and happy - friends of Amy and Mxolisi
confronted and surrounded by the students on the atmosphere, as Amy needs to leave
streets tomorrow; the atmosphere in the streets
is frightening with riots, damaging and
killing
3 (p. 20 – - Description of the morning at work of Mandisa; talks -where: Mrs. Nelsons house, Guguletu - Mandisa ( Narrator)
39) about the difference between her life and the life of -who: Mandisa as the main character, - Mrs Nelson ( white woman Mandisa
Mrs. Nelson Mrs. Nelson is the driver, people in the works for)
- Special Wednesday today -> Mandisa had to leave bus, Siziwe is at home - Miss Joans ( Best Friend of Mrs Nelson)
work earlier, Mrs. Nelson wants to take her home with - Mxosili, Siziwe, Lunga( children of
-mood and atmosphere: tense, fearful
the words: “Trouble in Guguletu, my girl! I think you Mandisa)
-what: talks about her morning of the day
would better go.” -> Mandisa was in fear what - Mama
happened in Guguletu of the murder, Mandisas bus trip and - Dwadwa (Siziwe’s father)
- Mrs. Nelson drives her to train station, the station walk home, Mandisas childhood where
itself is busy, bigger trouble in the bus than usual, her family was forced to move to
wants to know what happened in Guguletu, finds out Guguletu
2
, Guguletu is completely surrounded by the police -when: 25 August 1993 ( Wednesday),
- Mandisa remembers being dumped in Guguletu with Day of murder
her family as a child; Description of her current
township, Guguletu (small houses, crime etc. -> feels
like surviving) and her childhood in Blouvlei (good life)
- Mandisa hears about a car next to her house which
was stoned, overturned and set alight
- Mandisa hopes her children are safe at home ->
favoring Mxolisi
- Bus stops close to her house and she walks home
and worried about Siziwe, when she tries to push
through the crowd on the street
- Finally gets to her house, Siziwe stands in the door,
Madisa asks about her sons
4 (p. 40 – - At the moment Mandisa now’s that der daughter is - Where: Mandisas house, Guguletu - Mandisa (Narrator)
47) safe she asks Siziwe where Mxolisi and Lunga are - Who: Mandisa is the main character, - Mxosili, Siziwe, Lunga (children of
- Mandisa realizes the stronger bond between her talks with skonana Mandisa)
and Mxolisi because she worries most about him - Mood and atmosphere: Shocked, - Skonana (next door neighbour)
- Lunga came home but Mxolisi is still missing —> Concerned
Mandisa is upset that Siziwe is not more concerned - When: 25 August 1993; 7:30pm,
by her brother‘s absence (Lunga and Siziwe accuse 7:45pm
her of favoring Mxolisi)
- Skonana (neighbour) wants to know why Mandisa
is limping —> Mandisa lies
- Skonana‘s Cousin Mzonke, who is a policeman, told
her that a white woman was killed in the riots on
Guguletu
- Mandisa knows that „Guguletu is a violet place“ but
violence against a white woman will have
dangerous repercussions for the black community.
The police „are not our friend“, and their
involvement will only lead to more trouble and
3
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