1. What point of view is driving your story? What central device for your subject must be conveyed?
I think Ma Elizabeth's point of view as a refugee is central to her story, but not in the context of the current refugee crisis. Ma Elizabeth has been a refugee in the United States for a while now and what continues to set her apart in America are the constant cultural differences that she experiences and the struggle she faces overcoming language barriers.
2. What dramatic question is organizing narrative?
Ma Elizabeth talks a lot about her strong faith in God and her strong connection to her culture. She speaks in part on how her religion basically got her out of Liberia and saved her life. There’s an overarching theme of her faith in the experience she shared and I think that’s the dramatic focal point of the story. Her strong faith that has stayed with her for all this time.
3. Identify the 5 central moments that must be included in the story and why?
The moment that she talks about her daughter dying because it was a source of a lot of grief and emotion for her and it still effects her to this day. When she talks about how hard it was for her to physically get on the boat and leave Liberia to escape the war, that’s also a crucial moment, she mentions seeing a vision from god and it convincing her to halt her grieving and move on to Sierra Leone to save her life. She also talked about the moment she entered the US refugee program and was selected to move to the United States. I think her mention of the Higher Ground program and what it’s done for her is also really important because it’s been a large source of positivity for her here in the United States. Another integral part of her experience would probably be her mention of her dream of going back to Sierra Leone or having her entire family together for one last time.
4. List them in the order in which they will appear
They’ll appear in the order they were mentioned, and the beginning will be her statement of her country of origin and her name. The ending will be her describing how her faith has helped her here in the US.