“... it occurs to me that this is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But a feminist. It’s not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that’s always finding ways to tell them they’re not.”
― Jennifer Mathieu, Moxie
Moxie, by Jennifer Mathieu: Chapter 16
Tie grammar to power: You see, “The truth was hidden” hits differently from “They hid the truth.”
Grammar Focus: Passive Voice (Present, Past, Modal + Passive). Who does what—and why does it matter? When is it powerful to hide the doer in a sentence? When is it dangerous?
Who is the most active character in this chapter? Who is silenced? What is the difference in focus?
I will show you two different sentences from the chapter:
“Mitchell’s locker is already covered in stickers.”
“I covered Mitchell’s locker in stickers.”
Let's have a look at these examples from Chapter 16:
- “Zines and stickers have been distributed throughout all the girls’ bathrooms.” (Present perfect passive)
- “Mitchell’s locker is already covered.” (Present passive)
- “She was goosed around the waist.” (Past passive: use sensitively)
YOUR TASK 1: find 5 passive sentences in Chapter 16 and rewrite them in active voice, identifying who the agent is (even if it's not explicitly mentioned in the original). I will give you an example:
Passive: “Mitchell’s locker is covered in stickers.”
Active: “Vivian covered Mitchell’s locker in stickers.”
YOUR TASK 2: Passive Investigations, Turning activism into action
“Mitchell Wilson gets to read that he’s an asshole ten times today.”
What’s the focus here? who did it, or what happened to him?
- “Stickers were seen on over 50 lockers.”
- “A sticker was placed on Principal Wilson’s truck.”
- “Girls were encouraged to resist.”
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
| Skill | Excellent | Good | Needs Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar accuracy | Accurate use of passive in multiple tenses | Mostly accurate | Frequent errors |
| Creative use of examples | Original, connected to theme | Reasonable attempt | Minimal creativity |
| Thematic understanding | Strong grasp of agency/passivity themes | Basic grasp | Misunderstands or misapplies |
| Participation | Fully engaged in discussions and debates | Some engagement | Limited participation |
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