The Moment Before the Gun Went Off

What is the significance of the story’s title? How does it relate to the description within the story of that moment, just before the gun went off? What does the title suggest about the story’s themes and characters?

Explore Alida Van der Vyver’s character. What is the significance of the details that Gordimer includes about Alida? Pay special attention to Alida’s thoughts on her garden and on her husband’s personality and political ambitions.

Gordimer won the Nobel Prize in 1991. She was described as an author who “writes with intense immediacy about the extremely complicated personal and social relationships in her environment.” To what extent does “The Moment Before the Gun Went Off” fit this description? Do you agree that the story shows “intense immediacy,” and if so, why?

How would you describe Marais Van der Vyver’s attitude toward Lucas, Lucas’s mother, and Lucas’s wife? Does he take a fatherly view of Lucas, in your opinion? How would you describe Van der Vyver’s attitude overall toward the Black laborers on his farm? Consider The Dehumanizing Nature of Racism in your answer.

How does the portrayal of Van der Vyver’s white neighbors and community members reflect the beliefs and values of some white South Africans under apartheid?

Is Van der Vyver a grieving father or an oppressor? Do you view him as a victim or perpetrator? Support your argument with textual evidence.

Consider the role of the media in “The Moment Before the Gun Went Off.” How does the media contribute to public perceptions of Van der Vyver’s crime? How does the media shape Van der Vyver’s own perceptions of himself and his environment?

Describe how Gordimer’s use of tone and point of view in “The Moment Before the Gun Went Off” contribute to our understanding of Van der Vyver’s character.