Susan's brother Tom doesn't stand up for her when his friends pick on her. Randy doesn't stop the other athletes from bullying students. Amber says "Sitting back and watching. That's as bad as the ones who do it, I think. " Do you? Do you think Tom and Randy's behvior is as bad as Kale's? As hurtful? Or is it worse? Is ignoring intolerance as bad as being intolerant? WHy?
At first, Susan is hesitant to be seen with Brendan. Do you think it's the same thing? Is Susan's behavior wrong? Why or why not?
13 comments:
I think standing around and watching someone get bullied is just as bad as the bully him/herself. Both Randy and Tom have just as much power as the people that are bullying Susan, and they could put a stop to it if they really wanted to. What makes Tom and Randy worst the Kale himself is that Susan really cares about them and she sees them as comforable faces. People feel more emotional pain when the ones they love let them down, not towards the people they can careless about.
I felt different about this question until I came to page 61 in another book I am reading "A Child called It" the mother is the one abusing the child but he felt much more hate for his father who did 'nothing' at all. I didnt understand that at first but thinking about simular situations in life I probably would have felt the same way.
To me Tom had more responiblity to stop the bullies from making fun of Susan, being her brother and someone you would expect to be there for you no matter what, but there was guilt apon Randy also.
I dont think it is the same thing at all but I do feel that it was wrong of Susan to be hesitant about hanging out with Brendan because after everything that goes on with her at school and what not the last thing she needs is pushing people away, espcially because Brendan sees her as someone much more then what most of the student body procceds her to be, Brendan sees her as a person. For Susan to be uncomforable about being seen with Brendan she is kind of going along with everyone else, when no one is going along with Susan.
Edessa Brown
Journal entry 'B
To watch someone get bullied and do nothing is the same as being the bully. By not speaking up, it appears as if you agree with what is being said or don't care enough to disagree. Tom and Randy are giving in to intolerance by not helping her. They are too ashamed to help Susan because they are afraid of what will happen to them. Tom and Randy are both popular and could stop the bullies if they wanted to, however they do not. They sit back and watch her being ridiculed. I believe Tom's intolerance is the greatest in this case. He does not even have the courage to tell his friends to stop bullying his sister. Typically family members can be counted on above all people for support, but not in this case. Tom is embarrassed and ashamed of his overweight sister. Randy is also at fault. He knows she is a good person but chooses not to stick up for her.
I do not think Susan’s entire hesitance towards Brendan is all because of the rumors spread about him. I think she is afraid to meet anyone knew. She does not like to speak to people and always has her head down. She is afraid that he is only talking to her so he can laugh at her like everyone else. Susan is afraid to trust people because she can never tell who is actually being sincere. I do think part of the reason Susan did not talk to Brendan was because of the rumors. She did not want to be seen as even more of a "freak" than she already was. Her behavior was wrong. She knows how it feels to be an outsider and I think she should have been open to Brendan. He is only trying to get to know her, which is something no one else has bothered to do.
This book shows many examples of intolerant behavior. Aside from the obvious bullying that takes place toward Susan and Brendan, there is also the undersurface tension that arrises when Tom and Randy turn the other cheek.
Tom's shame toward Susan's weight and their grief over their mother's death adds to Susan's insecurity. Because Tom is family, he should feel obligated to protect his sister. He is suppose to be someone she can depend on. The fact he does not, is more hurtful to Susan than the initial, direct blows Susan recieves from Kale. She expects his support and is left facing her problems feeling not only upset, but also alone. If your own family doesn't care enough to stick up for you then you may start to believe you are not worth helping. This is something no one should ever have to feel.
Randy is also ignoring behavior and even joining in when he knows it is wrong. He has the ability to say no or help but chooses not to do to his own insecurity.
When Susan first realizes that Brendan is even more dispised by people than her, she fears she will be brought down by him. Afterall, that is what everyone keeps telling her. However, she knows Brendan well enough to say seems to be a great guy. what other people say and think is their problem. She is not used to being around someone who is friendly to her. She is uncomfortable with the idea of having a friend especially when is is as infamous as he is. It is wrong of her to feel embarassed around him in public because the root of her discomfort is not dislke towards him, but rather fear and dislike for herself. this is the same feeling that drove Randy and Tom to indiference.
Jade Kestian
entry B
well i think standing back and watching the bad things go on is just as bad because if you tried to stop it and you did then the people wouldn't be getting made fun of. if you really wanted to stop your friends from making fun of your sister im sure you could, because if they're your real friends they'd stop if they knew it bothered you. so just watching it happen is just as bad. and i hurts susan to see kale be mean to her but when her own brother and someone she really likes just let it slip by it hurts her even more and maybe even makes her think she shouldn't try and there really is something wrong with her. the people that really count should be doing the most to stop it. and i do think its kind of bad of susan to be worried about hanging out with brandon because even tohugh he gets made fun of too he wants to be her friend and likes her for her. she needs to be appricietive of that and not be so worried about what other people tihnk because from what she knows they already think the worst so how much worse could it possibly get; if she has the chance to at least have one true friend she should be happy and take it.
jordan, entry B
When you stand back and watch, you're actually hurting the victim as much as the bully. You're not stopping the bully—so basically you're just letting them be mean to the kid. You could just step in and tell the bully, such as Kale, to stop, but you are egging the bully on and agreeing with him. It is definitely as hurtful as Kale’s behavior because you're just watching him do it. Ignoring intolerance is worse than being intolerant. If you're intolerant you’re mean and people don’t like you, but if you ignore it, you just let people down and support the intolerant people.
I think Susan is hesitant to be seen with Brendan because no one likes him, and people will come and tease him, and when they do, they will see her. It’s not really the same thing because Susan might want to protect herself, but it kind of is. She might just not be used to people either. But she soon gets the fact that Brendan is a great guy, even though he is gay, and he shouldn't be made fun of because of that. Susan acted like anyone would act. They stereotype someone before they even meet them. But once you do meet them...you might end up liking them and becoming nice friends.
I think Tom and Randys behavior is just as bad as Kales. If Rome really cared about his sister he would stick up for her no matter what she looked like and whould tell his friends to leave her alone. But I thinks its also a social issue sence he is not the coolest kid in school if he sticks up for the fat girl hes ganna get made fun of also and he probly doesnt want that. Same with Randy. Randy thinks if he stops them he will lose his popularity and all will be bad for him and he doesnt want that he wants to remian a popular jock. I think Tom and Randys actions are just as hurtful as Kales actions. even thought they dont make fun of people to there face they are implying the same thing. Susan in a way is the same as the rest of the kids. The way she treats Brendan when she first mets him is bad. And its mostly because of what her brother told her. Her behavior was wrong becasue u should never judge a person b4 you actuly no them. So Susan is the same as the other kids in a way but she gets better and like kale he doesn't. Kale i think has no heart and doesnt care about anyones feelings but his own but thats ok. I agree with Amber in the thought that if u sit back and watch whats happening its just as bad as actuly doing it yourself.
Colby Carr , entry b
I think that Tom is ashamed of Susan and is feeling the hurt just as much as she is. I think it is wrong to watch someone getting bullied and not doing anything about it, but it's even worse if it's your own brother or sister. You should have enough love for that person to disregard your peers to stand up for them. Tom and Susans Dad really confuses me because you would think that a death in a family would bring them closer but instead they all just mourned alone and ignored each other. So, I do think that Tom's behavior is just as bad, you can't just stand there and watch your own sister get picked on and taken down for no reason at all.
I understand why Susan would at first be hesitant because she had just been made fun of being fat and she didn't need anything else to be made fun of with, but her and Brendan both have a lot in common. They both get made fun of by Kale because they are different from everybody else. Brendan also likes Susan for her personality and ignores her weight. I think that its good that they have found each other.
April Helton
entry B
Watching a students or peer get bullied is just as bad as physicly bullying someone. I think in some cases it is worse. When you know someone and love someone like a family member you exspect them to help you and protect you in a situation when you can't help yourself. Tom was fully capible of stoping those bullies from hurasing Susan. He had a choice to make for Susan and in a way himself, he chose to do nothing. He just stood there and watched his little sister get teased and hurt by his fellow peers.
Kale may act strong and tuff, but deep down I think Kale and ther other sports players had there own problems with ther life's and just decided to take it out on a weaker student, who happened to be Susan. Being bullied can really cause some mental damage to a child or student and when you watch someone go through something as bad as being bullied it can cause some hurt and damage to you as well. If schools could get more students to report bullying then I think we could get some where, we could stop the bullies.
I think Tome and Randy are just as much bullies as Kale and the other student athletes. They had the chance to stop a bully, and chose not to! So they are just as responcible for the pain Susan has gone through as Kale is.
Sarah Klass
Every situation is different.I believe that you have to pick your battles wisely. In the case of Tom and Susan I believe that Tom should have standed up for Susan because like when Susan asked Kale why he bullied her it was becaseu no one was there to tell him to stop. If Tom would stand up for Susan his friends would probably listen to him and respect that he doesn't want them messing with his sister. By doing nothing Tom is just as bad as the bully and mabe even a little worse because Susan knows that he has the power to stop them but chooses not to. I think that Tom even though he is not saying anything bad to Susan by just letting it happen it hurts her more. Susan believes that because he is her brother that he should back her up and by not doning this he is just letting ehr down. Now other times in everyday life sometimes it is just better to stay out of it. In these casses by staying out of the situation you might auctally help the person who is being bullied. I know that a brother doesn't want his little sister to be sticking up for him aganist his bullies because it might just give them something else to tease him about. So when confronted with a similar situation you might want to consider the outcomes of your actions.
Sarah Klass
Continued
I also think that Susans behavior towards Brendon was wrong because by not wanting to be seen with him was more of a personal attack. brendon was nothing but nice, but her concer for herself got in the way of making the correct decision.
I say that "standing around and watching" is as bad as actually doing the crime. Also it will add on because the person that is making fun of the other person will probably continue and probably find other ways to currupt someone elses life. Adding on to that you will have a guilty conscience while you are witnessing the "crime" being done from one person to the next. Intolerance is ignorance basically.
Yes i do feel that Susan's was in a way in the wrong for being hesitant to actually been seen with or around him. If she wants to have Brendan as her friend so what. Forget about the rumors and everything and actually ask the person if they are true or not. Shes not friends with him at first because of the rumors. I also feel that she is afraid to meet new people. Very hesitant and takes the time to think things through when she really just needs to take a chance.
I agree completely with what Amber had to say. If you look at it one way, its just like someone being kicked to the ground, and there’s a surrounding mob, just starring, talking, and laughing. That makes it harder to the victim, knowing that he or she is being hurt physically, and emotionally. And I think mental emotions are more hurtful, because a wound can most of the time go away, unlike you feelings. This compares to what Tom does to his sister. And you would expect Tom, not Scott, to be the one standing up for her, in a count of she is his sister. I think that Tom and Randy’s behavior is worse than Kale’s, because they are hurting Susan emotionally, which is one of the worst feelings one could ever have. But ignoring intolerance is just as bad as being intolerant, because the bully should know better than to take his or her actions to the extreme, and the witnesses should know better than to just stand there and let it happen.
I think Susan’s behavior is wrong, but it is not the same thing. It is up to Susan when it comes to who she wants to hang out with. And I think Susan was being careful in a way, from hearing all the rumors. I think she was making a wise choice allowing time before officially making her friendship with a person like Brendan. However, I think there could have been a slightly better way into giving Brendan a chance, other than ignoring him.
I think that although Susan is submitted to alot of bullying, the fact that Tom does not stick up for her is the most troubleing, and most sickening. Day to day she sees people in the hall, those who snicker, laugh, point, and stare, but mostly people she does not care about at all. After a while, it is understandable to see that she developes a hardness, to look over all that, even though of course it must still hurt her. Even though Susan and her family do not remain as close as they had been before her mothers death, her father and her brother are the two people that she probbably cares about the most. God knows they were the ones she talked to the most, well discluding her cat. And to know that one of these two people that she allows herself to care about lets her be hurt, and is 'embarased' by her, is probbably the deepest emotoional scar she will have from these ordeals. Life goes on after highschool, after college, but you have to deal with your family, your brothers, much more than you have to deal with the peers that tormented you.
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