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CHAPTER FIVE: DATA ANALYSIS
more joining in. Ihe arson is primarily Joes problem, the direct guestion
towards them offers a possibility for the group in role as friends to relate to
the problem.
In the following lesson the focus of attentions moved to the promise
the friends made to Joe to keep his secret about his Mother instigating
the arson, and also the responsibility of them being the only ones who know he
committed the crime. Joe made them swear holding a brick. I asked the group
what this brick reminded them of in the focus group after the second lesson.
Pl: (talking about the brick) It would remind us that we can’t tell the truth to
anyone else. That we know the truth but can’t tell it. Because then we would break
the promise we made.
P2: Actually, it’s like in the sixth volume of Harry Potter, we have made an
unbreakable vow.
T: What do you mean? Could you explain?
P2: There is a vow that is unbreakable. You can’t break the vow because then you
die.
T: But these kids don’t die if they break their vow.
P2: It’s just similar, if they break the vow it almost feels like someone has died. Like
their conscience has died. If they don’t keep their promise.
The connection of the participants to the crisis was their promise, their
loyalty to another child from their group. This was one of the central issues of
discussion in the focus group after the second lesson.
T: What do you think is happening with this group of kids in the story?
P1: They dream something bad every night.
P2: They have a bad conscience.
P3: They have a bad conscience because they lied. And because they talked to Joe’s
Mum.
P4: They should not say anything because they made a promise. But they still have
a bad conscience. It is all really quite hard.
T: What is hard?
P4: To lie about things. That they need to lie about things so no one finds out it was
Joe who did it. Or they have to say something that is true and not at the same
time.
603 F G2.
604 F G2.
+ 180 +