Lies of Silence: Reacting to violence
..., he didn't change his mind before he was inside the shop where the IRA said he had to go. Outside he saw possible IRA-spies, and that may have led him into calling the police. [pp. 94 «As he opened the door of the shop he saw the girl in the yellow muffler crossing the street behind him, coming in his direction. It is happening. It is happening just as they planned it. We are all a part of the team, I, the delivery boy, that girl, the people in the white Ford, the masked ones at my house.»] After he has called the police, he feels guilty. Guilty because he thinks that he has killed Moira. He hurries to their home, and when he gets there, he's somewhat relieved, but he doesn't show any joy for it. That can be because too much has happened, and that he's not over the shock. But it could also be because he was kind of relieved that Moira would be out of his way. But this theory is not making any sense, because when he later puts his hands around her and hugs and kisses her, he shows that he's relieved that she's alive. Things get more and more complicated between Moira and Michael after this. They never really get to talk to eachother because Michael has to get back to the Hotel to fix things. Or maybe he just doesn't want to face things yet. Moira is devastated about Michael calling the police even if he knew it could have killed her. You can see that because of her reaction to Michael's hug when he gets back to their home, seeing her alive. [pp. 107 «He hugged her tight, then realised that she had not put her arms around him, had not returned his kiss.»] When they finally meet again at Moira's parent's house, they are like strangers to eachother. They don't greet eachother, they just sit down in front of the TV, watching the six-o'clock news about what has happened. Later, they have a distant talk about him transferring to England, and her not coming with him. When Michael hears that Moira is not planning to come with him, he's relieved because then he won't be abandoning her. She's staying on her own will. So he might think that he doesn't even have to tell her about Andrea, his lover. [pp. 134 «If she did not come, if she did not want to come, then he would not be abandoning her, he would not have her like a millstone around his neck in London.»] The reason for her not wanting to leave Northern Ireland is because she thinks of Northern Ireland as her home-country, and that she's not going to be pushed around by the IRA. Michael also sees that Moira is more calm after all that have happened. [pp. 134 «The Moira who quickly lost her temper when you crossed her was not this woman who now looked at him as though he were a stranger she had met at a party, interested in his point of view, but willing to debate it.»] Later, Moira's father give a speech about the IRA [pp. 138]. This monolouge can sort out some things about Moira's views. Because Moira and her father have the same views. [pp. 138 «Instead of that we're helpin' them to go on destroyin' this country because we're too stupid to see the truth.»] Moira have the same arguments as her father about her staying in Northern Ireland. Michael, on the other hand, hasn't changed much after the incident. He's still the same insecure guy he was before. [pp.149 «Was he being selfish in involving her in all this? If he really loved her he should stay away from her now. But he could not. He did not have the courage to risk loosing her.»] At the hotel Michael and Andrea share breakfast, and Michael and Andrea hold hands when Moira suddenly comes in. Moira figures out that Michael is having an affair, and gets angry at him. She feels even more betrayed than before. [pp. 155 «Suddenly, she laughed, angry, close to hysteria. 'Why?' she said. 'Why?'»] After this, Moira decides to go world-wide to tell her story, without confronting it with Michael first. Michael is kind of feeling betrayed, but I think he doesn't feel he have the right of feeling betrayed, because he was the one betraying her first. And not only once. Twice. He's terrified about that Moira might have told on the telly that he was having an affair, and that that was the reason for him calling the police. Moira is also on the news later, and Michael gets a request about joining his wife, but he refuses. He doesn't want the attention. He's even more frightened that the IRA might do something now. Moira and Michael meet at a tea-shop later, and there Moira explains to Michael why she is telling their story on the news. Because she wants to make a difference. Michael understands her, but won't encourage her to do more than that. Moira leaves by saying «I hope they shoot you. ...No, hope they shoot me.» [pp. 181] This might show that Moira still loves Michael, and doesn't want him to be harmed. Michael gets a transfer to England and he feels that he can get his life back. But right before he' going to the airport, a priest comes and confronts him. Father Connolly, as he calls himself, says that Michael shouldn't testify against Kev, the IRA-man he saw the face of. But Michael who had said to the police that he would testify if they found him, says that he is going to testify against Kev. Father Connolly tries to talk Michael out of this, but fail. Michael is even more eager to testify after this. [pp. 207 «I'll tell you something, Father. If the police find that boy, Kev – vicious little bastard that he is – I'll make sure he's a lot older before he gets a chance to kill anybody else.»] When Michael and Andrea settle in England, Michael feels safe. Safe from the IRA, safe from Moira, safe from everything he wanted to leave. He feels happy. But he is still a bit insecure on himself, because he doesn't know how everything is going to be. He is afraid that his decision was formed of fear more than his love to Andrea. Detective Inspector Randall, who is investigating the bombattack, calls Michael and says that they have arrested Kev. Michael agrees on him testifying against Kev, and hangs up. But Andrea is worried, and doesn't see the point in testifying, now when they've started a new life. [pp. «Don't do it. Why should you? ...If you identify this Kev, it will be like putting out a contract on your own life.»] Michael agrees, and says that he will call back the next morning. The reason for Michael's sudden change in opinion, might be that he doesn't want more to do with Northern Ireland, nor his past. The next morning Moira suddenly calls Michael. She had also had a visit from Father Connolly. She tells Michael that Kevin «Kev» McDowell is Father Connolly's nephew, and Michael is shocked. Moira also tries to change Michael's mind about him testifying. Michael tells her that he's not going to testify, and she's relieved. Because she thinks that it is her fault that Michael suddenly stood up for himelf, and risked his life. [pp. 233 «...And in the middle of the night I thought: He's doing this because he wants to show he's not afraid, the way I said he was. Listen, don't heed what I said. It wa...