Bullying

Both Charlotte and Ben’s sections address the painful truth of bullying as they experience it in two separate ways. Charlotte is bullied verbally, while Ben deals with physical bullying. This is meant to show how dangerous it can be when left unaddressed.

First, Charlotte is isolated from the students around her psychologically. There is no physical bullying in Charlotte’s story, yet it is just as harmful. People like Bridget or Tori talk behind Charlotte’s back or call her names in an effort to humiliate her. The biggest example of this comes from the library scene when Bridget is talking to the other students in her art club. Bridget says, “She’s like a parasite, I swear…. I feel bad saying it, but it’s true” (137). And the author makes it clear that this is not the first time that Bridget has insulted someone...