Anyone can identify loneliness and hatred presented from others, whether it come from family, bullies at school, at work, or even friends. However, does one really comprehend the mental toll its takes on one's mind? The cruel actions of a bully and the iniquitous comments and words hurled at them are seen, but no one sees the misery draining the victim. A derelict child forgotten by their once parents. In the novel White Oleander by Janet Finch, a young girl journeys through life as a foster child, jumping from home to home, when her mother is accused of murder and is sent to jail. In a TED Talk by Shane Koyczan titled "To This Day… for the Bullied and Beautiful", Koyczan discusses the despondent thoughts and feelings of bullied kids and his own experiences with bullying. Both pieces demonstrate the feeling of being lost in sadness and bearing whatever happens to them, but understanding that who they are now is not who they were before. …show more content…
In White Oleander, a twelve-year-old girl named Astrid Magnussen is a foster child continually moving from house to house. At this age, it will obviously leave some traumatic scarring on anyone. Astrid could suffer from depression or PTSD and wait long after she needs treatment. In the TED talk by Shane Koyczan, Shane discusses bullying and its mental effects on the youth that goes through it. The main theme of his session is the reality of consequences the victims of bullying face. He discusses his own experiences as well as how he has been affected by
In “Phoebe Prince: Should School Bullying Be a Crime?”, an article written by journalist Jessica Bennet addresses school bullying, the outcomes and the consequences that bullies deserve or not. Above all, this article aims the spotlight on bullying, a 15-year-old who took her own life due to harassment, torment, rumors, physical threats all leading it to being bullied by well-known good students. In any case, the process of being bullied has never been taken into consideration nor importance in the school system or by society in general. “It’s even gotten better over the past decade says Dan Olweus, a leading bullying expert”. However, bullying just does not disappear, it is still an issue that humankind does not have any diligence to the cause
There are many forms of cruelty. One form that many can relate to is bullying. Whether having been bullied or been the one bullying others, those cruel memories can forever be imprinted on one’s heart. In “White Lies,” Erin Murphy, expresses that although bullying is wrong, trying to justify bad deeds for good is equally cruel. Using rhetorical and tonal elements, Murphy stirs emotions with pathos, “perhapsing” with logos, and vivid images with diction.
Loneliness is one of many central themes in John Steinbeck’s classic novella, Of Mice and Men. Throughout the story many characters sought after the company and attention of others. Each character has a certain barrier that keeps them isolated from the outside world. Three characters who portray this loneliness throughout the novella are Crooks, Curly’s wife, and Candy. Each having a different wall between them and society.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is book of many themes; one that is very prominent is loneliness. Loneliness is common in many people's lives and that is also true for the lives of the characters of the book. Almost all characters in the book are lonely in one way or the other.
Have you ever been a target of an individual’s cruelty and hatred? It does not necessarily have to be physical, but more like being verbally degraded or publicly humiliated. The effects bullying can have on its victims is something that may last throughout their lives, or something that may end their life(Braithwaite, Hyde, Pope, 2010).We all are well aware of childhood bullying but as evidence shows bullying does not stop on the
Bullying in modern society has massively grown into one of the most atrocious crimes, as people of all ages are discriminated against their schools and neighborhoods. As Steve Maraboli once quoted, “How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” His message is simple and its that you shouldn’t be quick to judge someone based on rumors or impressions. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne, a beautiful woman was publicly punished to benefit the deterring of those in her community symbolizes a “villain” in
“Scotty Richey … killed himself on his sixteenth birthday … nobody could understand about Scotty … But the way I see it is, he just didn’t have anybody. … It was like we were all the animals on Noah’s ark that came in pairs, except of his kind there was only one” (Kingsolver 132-4). In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Bean Trees, Taylor mentions to Estevan her classmate Scotty Richey’s suicide. She explains that although her school had a very distinct social hierarchy, people within a class had each other for company. Scotty, however, had nobody. As a result of the extreme isolation he faced, he committed suicide. Today, bullying is a developing issue in the world and exclusion, which Scotty faced, is just one of many forms of bullying. What Scotty experienced in the novel occurs in schools around the world, and the consequences are unimaginable and horrific. In light of the increasingly advanced technology developed in recent years, cyberbullying has become a more common form of bullying among students. Cyberbullying, or bullying that occurs through the internet or media, happens due to the courage that bullies acquire by not having to physically face their victims. The harassment the victims experience lead to mental as well as physical health issues, which often times leads to suicide. In order to prevent such grave repercussions, education systems and parents must teach kids how to behave properly on the
People are considered to be social beings, yet, again and again, they seek to falsify the claims of civility, and show themselves as the detached individuals they tend to be. In his novella, “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck designed several faulty pairings that display the true disparity and detachment that are proven to be a part of every relationship in the story. Through the associations of the main characters, Lennie and George, along with several other characters within the narrative, Steinbeck exposes the root of 1930’s relationships in promises, loneliness, and a basic need for companionship, rather than any true fondness- a junction that can easily be nullified.
Laurie Halse Anderosn has written a book which is considered as a trauma novel “speak”. Usually anger is a phase that begins with madness and ends with regret, but in this book anger will be tackled in different way, Melinda’s anger starts with silence and ends with speaking. In other words it’s starts with fear and ends with triumph over self. Over the course of the novel silence struggling with anger is leading to speak. Anderson incorporated all themes in anger direction with different techniques such as flashback, allusion, symbolism, and fragmentation.
Every teen will fear isolation in some portion of their lives and bullying is one theme that can lead to isolation. In the novel, The Loser’s Club by John Lekich, a fictional novel revolving around the persistent theme of bullying. The main conflict impacts a group of individuals stereotyped as “Losers” based on the antagonist’s opinion. The protagonist, Alex Sherwood is an individual who is impacted by the negation of bullying from Jerry Whitman’ gang. The persistent message of the novel explains the teen’s fear of speaking up. Lekich chose Alex Sherwood as a character with a disability and who felt isolated from his family to stand up against the students that were bullying him. Alex declared “‘Don’t do that, Whitman,’ I said -not
In this book the author talks about The differences between a bully, The ones getting bullied, and The bystander. Also the innocent ones feeling guilty and responsible for those being bullied. The part which caught my intention was when the author described why kids don't tell adults about their problems with bullies. I found all her reasons true especially the
When students are bullied, they are encouraged to speak up about it to a teacher or some other adult; however, many do not, because they may think their cases are not important enough to be told, because no one will believe their stories, or because they are embarrassed by what happened. As these cases turn from simple bullying to a more severe event, this inability to speak up only increases. Laurie Halse Anderson shows this effect with being raped, as well as the emotional damage that goes with it. Through Melinda’s experiences in Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson’s writing reflects the time in which it was written, her views on teens and the adolescent years, and her early life.
Young adult literature such as The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, emphasizes teenagers using both their actions and their voices to overcome injustices such as racial inequality and police brutality. Racial inequality and police brutality is discussed greatly throughout The Hate U Give, due to the difficulties the protagonist, Starr Carter, endures when her best friend, Khalil, is killed because of him being African American and situated in an unsafe neighborhood. Starr embraces an inner conflict with herself in regards to speaking up and taking action against the presented injustices she constantly faces. The author, Laura M. Robinson, of Girlness and Guyness: Gender Trouble in Young Adult Literature thoroughly explains why adolescents are
“After a traumatic experience, the human system of self preservation seems to go into permanent alert, as if the danger might return at any moment” (Judith Lewis Herman). The psychoanalyst Lewis Herman describes how encountering agonizing pain causes individuals to become more cautious as a result. The psychoanalytic lens is based on Freudian theories and asserts that “ people’s behavior is affected by their unconscious:...the notion that human beings are motivated, even driven, by desire, fears, needs, and conflicts of which they are unaware…” (Tyson 14-15) High schools a place where tragedy are brought upon people, but their voices aren’t heard. Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist in Laurie Halse Anderson’s book, Speak.
Poetry is a form of an impactful and influential style of literature, purposely emphasizing and expressing an author’s voice and message. After experiencing firsthand bullying and witnessing others being bullied, Shane Koyczan has become a forceful advocate in spreading awareness about bullying. He writes emotion evoking poems that he will produce on stage or in videos in which he includes a visual background and music. Vancouver’s Olympics included a performance of one of Shane Koyczan’s famous poems that moved the world watching the opening ceremonies. Two of Shane’s most stunning poems are “To This Day” and “Troll.” “To This Day” was published February 19, 2013 as an introduction to his new anti-bullying project in hope that the, “message (will) have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying” (2013). The later poem, “Troll,” was published September 14, 2014 as another poem to confront bullying. Both poems are brilliant and full of heart grabbing moments that spread an understanding of bullying and why it should be stopped. There are also many differences between the poems that make each unforgettable. Shane Koyczan is passionate about spreading awareness to stop bullying and he uses his talent of creating powerful poetry to make his message impactful and memorable.