We don’t always have the answers to life’s messy questions. Т Through the PAGES program, English I students had the opportunity to experienceТ Girlhood and consider how one teenage girl attempts to answer these questions. Т With very few resources or reliable people guiding her in the right direction, Marieme makes a chain of “bad” choices.

During our post-visit, the following messy questions were printed and cut into strips:

What is on the other side of this choice?
What if I dare to dream?
What does my voice sound like?
Whose life is this anyway?
How do you know it’s love?
What if I make “the wrong” decision?
Who do I think I am?
Who is in control of this situation?
What do I do now?
To get to tomorrow, what do I need to do today?

Students chose one question that interested them and formed groups based on that question. Т Within their groups, they discussed and wrote about the following:

• If Marieme had asked herself this question at different moments in the film, what would have been her answer? At the beginning, the middle, the end?
• Think about moments in your own lives. What do you need to know to be able to answer these questions?

Students selected a peer from their group to report their answers to the class. Т The resulting discussion proved that while small, these young students had big things to say! They were able to effectively analyze a film as a text and make connections to their own lives:

“Even when she made a bad decision, it was HER decision, and she was in control.”

“Showing love is love; it’s about what you do versus what you say. “

“I picked this but I didn’t know what this meant until they helped me.”

“You have to consider every outcome, not just the good. Т You cannot ignore the bad effects of your choices. Т You need to think critically about your choices.” Т 

“She lost everyone because of one bad choice.”Т 

“I don’t think the door was locked for her. I don’t think doors are locked forever.“

“Don’t doubt yourself.”