SC Question #1: Speak

The first article in the packet begins with a quote from William S. Burroughs. The first section after the introduction begins with the heading “An Act With Three Characters.” Identify the “three characters” that, according to the article, play roles in the bullying scenario and discuss them all, exploring the ways in which each role character (the bully, the bullied and the bystander) contributes to the problem, and ways that we as a society can address each role to help put an end to this problem. You are encouraged to use the movie Speak, your own experiences and observations, and other things you’ve seen or read to illustrate your points and fortify your position.

A1: In the article on bullying, the authors identify three different roles that can be assigned to those involved in bullying: the bully, which includes anyone who actively picks on, intimidates or harms a person; the bullied, or those who are the direct victims of bullying; and the bystander, including anyone who is aware of the bullying and has done nothing about it. CREATE

B1: Okay, so how do each of these roles contribute to the bullying scenario? CLARIFY

A2: The bully is usually someone who is tough or thinks he/she is tough, like the girl in the movie Speak who started bullying Melinda at the pep rally. Bullies often have a reason, or what they think is a reason, to justify their mean and aggressive behavior. The girl at the pep rally has a brother whom she says lost his job because Melinda called the cops, who came and broke up the summer party. This gives her a special reason to hate Melinda, and this feeling of hate can easily lead to bullying. CLARIFY; BUILD, FORTIFY

B2: I like how you said “often,” because sometimes bullies bully people for no apparent reason at all. I was a victim of bullying when I was in elementary school, and I didn’t do anything to the bully to make him hate me. It got to the point that I wanted to change schools just to avoid this person. NEGOTIATE, BUILD

A3: I believe you. But I also like how you said no “apparent” reason. I believe that people always have reasons for what they do or how they behave, and the reasons for a bully’s behavior might have nothing to do with the victim, other than that, for some reason, the victim might be an easy target. For instance, maybe the guy who bullied you is bullied every day by his father, or a brother, or someone else. Maybe he was powerless in his own situation and decided to be “powerful” by bullying you. NEGOTIATE, BUILD, CLARIFY