The story is told almost entirely through Darling's first-person narration, but at least two chapters take on a more poetic, third-person style of narration. How do these sections affect the reading of the story as a whole? Consider the following extract: "Look at them leaving in droves despite knowing they will be welcomed with restraint in those strange lands because they do not belong, knowing they will have to sit on one buttock because they must not sit comfortably lest they be asked to rise and leave, knowing they will speak in dampened whispers because they must not let their voices drown those of the owners of the land, knowing they will have to walk on their toes because they must not leave footprints on the new earth lest they be mistaken for those who want to claim the land as theirs. Look at them leaving in droves, arm in arm with loss and lost, look at them leaving in droves." (p. 148)
Despite living in poverty in Zimbabwe, Darling and her friends are exposed to lots of American pop culture -- from Lady Gaga to the television show ER. What does this say about effects of globalization on contemporary African life?
What does the title of the book refer to? What role do names play in the story?
What is revealing about the title "Shhh"? What literary device is it? How is the title connected to the chapter?
