Moreover, the story is a Coming of Age story, of a young boy who is trying to safely pass the ports of adulthood. In the story, we witness the development of a male character from a state of being a helpless child into a state of maturity that is marked with an epiphany that breaking the circle of bullying, and to an extent of life, can only be possible when one finally takes a decision of action.
This idea of breaking up the silence is a metaphor to illustrate the performative power of language. It is when we speak up for ourselves, or even on the behalf of others, that a change might happen. Otherwise, one would forever be stuck at one point of his life, at a state of helplessness. Nonetheless, the story is basically one huge bloc of flashback, which even makes the reader doubt the accuracy of its details.
It will be one of the founding blocks of their personality, which only explains the vividness of the imagery regardless of the fact that years have already passed since the actual events happened. The use of flashbacks demonstrates the psychological depth of the story, showing that such traumatic experiences could never be graved by the worn-out days, but it will be always part of the ongoing presence of the victim.
It helps to clearly visualize parts of the story and create a strong mantle picture. Furthermore, Paul Logan introduced a number of literary devices in this piece of literature to help him express his theme better. The use of colloquial language is very important in contextualizing the text. I had no father. I knew that people were kind to give things to us, but I hated wearing clothes that might have been donated by my classmates.
Each time I wore something from the bags, I feared that the other kids might recognize something that was once theirs. Besides my outdated clothes, I wore thick glasses, had crossed eyes, and spoke with a persistent lisp. As a result, footballs, baseballs, soccer balls and basketballs became my enemies. I knew, before I stepped on the field or court, that I would do something clumsy or foolish and that everyone would laugh at me. I feared humiliation so much that I became skillful at feigning illnesses to get out of gym class.
Eventually I learned how to give myself low-grade fevers so the nurse would write me an excuse. It worked for a while, until the gym teachers caught on. When I did have to play, I was always the last one chosen to be on any team.
In fact, team captains did everything in their power to make their opponents get stuck with me. For four years, from second through fifth grade, I prayed nightly for God to give me school days in which I would not be insulted, embarrassed, or made to feel ashamed.
I thought my prayers were answered when my mother decided to move during the summer before sixth grade. The move meant that I got to start sixth grade in a different school, a place where I had no reputation. His name was George, and everyone made fun of him. George tried hard to be friends with me, coming up to me in the cafeteria on the first day of school.
Can I sit with you? I began to realize two things. If I befriended George, I would soon receive the same treatment that I had gotten at my old school.
If I stayed away from him, I might actually have a chance to escape being at the bottom. Within days, the kids started taunting us whenever we were together. It became clear that my friendship with George was going to cause me several more years of misery at my new school. What do you think would have happened if Paul had stood up for George? Would it have made any difference? Did your elementary or high school have bullies and victims similar to the ones in this story?
How did they behave? Circle the letter of the word or phrase that best completes each of the following four items. In the sentence below, the word simulate means a. In the sentence below, the word feigning means a. In the sentences below, the word rift means a. In the sentence below, the word vulnerable means a. Circle the letter of the answer that best completes each of the following four items. I had a. The audience shouted taunts at the band, such as a. My dad is so stoic that a. Which sentence best expresses the central point of the entire selection?
When Logan moved to a different school, he discovered that another student, George, was the target of more bullying than he was. Logan is ashamed that he did not stand up for George when George was being attacked by a bully on the playground. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of paragraphs 2—4? The first sentence of paragraph 2 b. The second sentence of paragraph 2 c. The first sentence of paragraph 3 d.
The first sentence of paragraph 4 3. Which sentence best expresses the implied main idea of paragraph 5? Because Logan hated gym so much, he made up excuses to avoid it. Other students did not want Logan to be a member of their team when games were played. Key Supporting Details 4. When Chris attacked George, George reacted by a. Logan finally found the courage to stand up for abused students when he saw a. Donald about to throw paper at a younger student. Which of the following was not a reason Logan was teased?
He had crossed eyes. He wore hand-me-down clothes. He had a foreign accent. He spoke with a lisp. Inferences 7. We can conclude that when Logan began sixth grade at the new school, he a. The author implies that a. George grew up to be a confident, well-adjusted person. The author implies that as adults, he and George talked together about what had happened at their school. Logan begins his essay with a. Why do you think Logan chose that title? Logan wanted to be kind to George, but he wanted even more to be accepted by the other students.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation—where you wanted to do the right thing but felt that it had too high a price?
Explain what happened. Why do children need someone to pick on? The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind.
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