Another reason I really enjoyed Nineteen Minutes was because throughout the interesting storyline, it was also very informative about the issue of bullying. Jodi Picoult used her fictional writing to show why people bully, why people get bullied, and also shared how bullying can be stopped. Picoult doesn't have the solution to stopping bullying in high schools--I don't think anyone does--but she suggests that asking for help is the first step.
Peter was strongly affected by the bullying he faced daily. He was both physically and mentally abused, but it was the mental abuse from the name calling and humiliating jokes that led him to attack his schoolmates. Peter was depressed and felt as if he was alone and had no where to turn to. Rather than asking for help, he drowned in his sorrows, believing that the bullying could never be stopped. However, that was his downfall. It makes sense as to why he would be afraid to go to anyone explaining his situation; he had tried that before and it had backfired, causing the bullying to only get worse. But during the trial when the prosecutor was questioning the witness-the principal of the school-why he had never intervened, he asked, "But Peter didn't ask for help, did he?" (379). And, of course, the principal answered "no."
In order to prevent tragedies like Peter's school shooting from happening in the future, both the victim of the bullying and the victim's family, as well as the school must take action. Students like Peter who are bullied all the time must ask for help. If they are too afraid to talk to a school official, then they can always turn to their parents or go to a counselor for help. Peter took such drastic actions by entering his school with guns because he truly believed that he was in constant danger due to the threats from his bullies. Peter had a mental disorder and needed to be taken care of, but because his parents did not pay much attention to his life and school officials turned a blind eye to what was happening in their school hallways, Peter never go the help he needed.
Even though this novel was fictional, I found it very interesting how Picoult chose to have the defense make a large portion of the case based off the fact that Peter committed these violent acts because he was dealing with PTSD and felt that the only way to stand up for himself was by threatening the other kids, just like how they threatened him. Peter was depressed and felt as if his life was in a constant danger. It would not surprise me if the other students in real life who committed acts similar to Peter were also facing similar mental problems. They most likely needed to receive help, just like Peter. Although we can never truly control another person's actions, getting the students who face bullying the help and therapy they need is the first step in preventing school shooting tragedies like these.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Nineteen Minutes Entry 4: "In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it."
Peter's town blames him for the deaths of innocent students and for tearing their town apart. And without the knowledge behind Peter's attack, it would make sense as to why they would believe that. However, there is a story behind Peter's violent attack, further proving why it is so incredibly important for people to be educated about bullying and what takes place in schools. Because after being educated and informed about Peter's side of the story, we should also be blaming other students--even some dead ones--for causing this destuction.
In nineteen minutes, Peter may have shot eighteen people at his school and killed ten of them. But at the same time, it may have only took nineteen minutes for the 'popular kids' to bully Peter and cause him to face the mental problems that led him to the shooting. It may have only taken nineteen minutes to leave him feeling humiliated, unloved, and unwanted. It may have only taken nineteen minutes of bullying to cause Peter to believe that if he did not stand up for himself by fighting back and killing his bullies, he would die.
One point of view this story is told from is Josie's. She was a childhood friend of Peter's, but as they grew up she began to follow along with the popular crowd. Although she secretly cared about Peter and wanted to be friends with him, she recognized that doing so would jepordize her position with the popular crowd. The world of popularity is a vicious one. As Josie's boyfriend Matt tells her, "Because if there isn't a them, there can't be an us" (219). These students that have bullied Peter throughout his life don't bully him because he has ever caused any pain to them. They do it because they need to bring other people down to feel better about themselves. They bully others so that they can be placed on a higher social standing.
What will we do to stay on top? What I found most upsetting about this situation, was that Josie knew that what she was doing was wrong. She had such a strong desire to stand by Peter and stop the bullying that her friends were causing. But she was so focused on staying 'popular' that she was willing to stay friends with people that she didn't even like and people who didn't truly care about her, like Peter did. Josie turned into a person she wasn't in order to be popular. She no longer acted as herself and placed popularity above her true feelings and real friendships. At one point she is talking to Peter in private and he asks her why she acts the way she does towards him, if she doesn't hate him. Josie responds, "I have to act the way people expect me to act. It's part of the whole...thing" (239). Josie feels a pressure to be someone she isn't in order to remain on top of the social circle. In turn, it causes her to turn her back on someone who means a lot to her.
This story shows us that popularity is often a major cause of bullying. Students feel as if they need to have some sort of power in order to be popular. They bring others down so that they can bring themselves up. And the bystanders are just as bad. Students, even the unpopular ones, are afraid to stand up and say "stop, that's wrong," out of fear that then they will become someone like Peter. As humans, we have a constant desire to feel accepted, even by people we don't know or care about. Nineteen Minutes demonstrates that students feel that in order to feel accepted, they must become a person they aren't.
In nineteen minutes, Peter may have shot eighteen people at his school and killed ten of them. But at the same time, it may have only took nineteen minutes for the 'popular kids' to bully Peter and cause him to face the mental problems that led him to the shooting. It may have only taken nineteen minutes to leave him feeling humiliated, unloved, and unwanted. It may have only taken nineteen minutes of bullying to cause Peter to believe that if he did not stand up for himself by fighting back and killing his bullies, he would die.
One point of view this story is told from is Josie's. She was a childhood friend of Peter's, but as they grew up she began to follow along with the popular crowd. Although she secretly cared about Peter and wanted to be friends with him, she recognized that doing so would jepordize her position with the popular crowd. The world of popularity is a vicious one. As Josie's boyfriend Matt tells her, "Because if there isn't a them, there can't be an us" (219). These students that have bullied Peter throughout his life don't bully him because he has ever caused any pain to them. They do it because they need to bring other people down to feel better about themselves. They bully others so that they can be placed on a higher social standing.
What will we do to stay on top? What I found most upsetting about this situation, was that Josie knew that what she was doing was wrong. She had such a strong desire to stand by Peter and stop the bullying that her friends were causing. But she was so focused on staying 'popular' that she was willing to stay friends with people that she didn't even like and people who didn't truly care about her, like Peter did. Josie turned into a person she wasn't in order to be popular. She no longer acted as herself and placed popularity above her true feelings and real friendships. At one point she is talking to Peter in private and he asks her why she acts the way she does towards him, if she doesn't hate him. Josie responds, "I have to act the way people expect me to act. It's part of the whole...thing" (239). Josie feels a pressure to be someone she isn't in order to remain on top of the social circle. In turn, it causes her to turn her back on someone who means a lot to her.
This story shows us that popularity is often a major cause of bullying. Students feel as if they need to have some sort of power in order to be popular. They bring others down so that they can bring themselves up. And the bystanders are just as bad. Students, even the unpopular ones, are afraid to stand up and say "stop, that's wrong," out of fear that then they will become someone like Peter. As humans, we have a constant desire to feel accepted, even by people we don't know or care about. Nineteen Minutes demonstrates that students feel that in order to feel accepted, they must become a person they aren't.
Nineteen Minutes Entry 3: "Something still exists as long as there's someone around to remember it, right?"
This entire novel was incredibly captivating and interesting, mainly due to the way Picoult chose to write it. As the story was narrated through many different points of view, I was able to hear what everyone had to say about each situation. On the back of the book, there was a quote from a critic that really stood out to me and changed my mindset towards school violence. People magazine wrote, "A brilliantly told tale, one that dares to remind us that someone loved the killer too." And it's true; in this novel was see how Peter's parents loved him even after he committed his tragic crimes. Even Peter's friend Josie was willing to sacrifice her life by admitting that she was the one who first shot Matt, her boyfriend. She wanted the truth to be told so that Peter was not blamed for a death that she was a part of causing. Even though Peter was willing to keep her secret, Josie cared too much for Peter to let that happen.
Nineteen Minutes teaches us that every killer is someone's son. Even though Peter felt bullied and unloved throughout his life, there actually were people he could turn to. Even though his parents had trouble showing their love for Peter, deep down they cared deeply for him. After the school shooting tradgedy, Peter's parents may have had trouble loving the man he became, but they still loved the man he used to be. By choosing to remember and honor his past, his parents' love shined throughh.
When Peter's mom Lacy was struggling with how to express her love to her son after he had been put on trial, her friend Alex reminded her of the sweet and special boy Peter used to be. She told Lacy, "He used to like the peanut butter on the top half of the bread and the marshmallow fluff on the bottom. And he could find anything I'd dropped-an earring, a contact lens-before it got lost permanently" (386). This was a powerful moment for Lacy, and a moving one for me as well. In this moment, it is clear that although one may feel uncared about, there is always someone who loves them. Even though Peter had just killed ten innocent people, his mother still loved him and did all she could to protect him. It sends out an important message to those who are being bullied; you are never alone.
Nineteen Minutes teaches us that every killer is someone's son. Even though Peter felt bullied and unloved throughout his life, there actually were people he could turn to. Even though his parents had trouble showing their love for Peter, deep down they cared deeply for him. After the school shooting tradgedy, Peter's parents may have had trouble loving the man he became, but they still loved the man he used to be. By choosing to remember and honor his past, his parents' love shined throughh.
When Peter's mom Lacy was struggling with how to express her love to her son after he had been put on trial, her friend Alex reminded her of the sweet and special boy Peter used to be. She told Lacy, "He used to like the peanut butter on the top half of the bread and the marshmallow fluff on the bottom. And he could find anything I'd dropped-an earring, a contact lens-before it got lost permanently" (386). This was a powerful moment for Lacy, and a moving one for me as well. In this moment, it is clear that although one may feel uncared about, there is always someone who loves them. Even though Peter had just killed ten innocent people, his mother still loved him and did all she could to protect him. It sends out an important message to those who are being bullied; you are never alone.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Final Project Day 3:
In addition to reading Nineteen Minutes, I decided to do some more research to see what facts I could get. I wanted to mainly focus on the connection between school violence and bullying. In order to help people recognize how serious the consequences are of bullying, they need to see the facts. The first source I found stated directly that after 40 school shootings that took place between 1974 and 2001, the United States Secret Service had discovered that "approximately two-thirds of the shooters had been victims of bullying." One example would be the students from Columbine who were often picked on and bullied for being different. It is clear that bullying can cause students to feel unsafe, and in turn, causes them to take drastic actions.
There were many other interesting statistics throughout the article, making shocking and upsetting. One fact stated, "a conservative estimate, is that on any given day, at least 5% to 10% of children aged 7-16 are victims or offenders." That means out of 100 kids, every day, ten students may be picking on others and hurting them both physically and mentally. If that isn't a major red flag, I don't know what is. These facts show that bullying is an issue that must be taken very seriously and students, parents, and school officials should be educated about the issue. The strong connection between school violence and bullying is a major concern for schools.
source: http://issues.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/913445?cid=70&terms=bullying
There were many other interesting statistics throughout the article, making shocking and upsetting. One fact stated, "a conservative estimate, is that on any given day, at least 5% to 10% of children aged 7-16 are victims or offenders." That means out of 100 kids, every day, ten students may be picking on others and hurting them both physically and mentally. If that isn't a major red flag, I don't know what is. These facts show that bullying is an issue that must be taken very seriously and students, parents, and school officials should be educated about the issue. The strong connection between school violence and bullying is a major concern for schools.
source: http://issues.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/913445?cid=70&terms=bullying
Nineteen Minutes Entry 2: "Fighting? Or fighting back?"
In Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult offers the perspectives of many characters. We are able to see Peter's feelings, as well as the others involved both directly and indirectly with the shooting. One would expect to view Peter as the antagonist. After all, he went into his school and killed ten innocent students. But were they all truly innocent? By allowing us to learn about Peter's background as well as the other students, we are presented with all the facts, and deciding who is truly responsible for the violent attacks is now up to the readers.
Picoult demonstrates in her novel that there are two sides to everything. In this story, we begin to learn that often, the shooter is also the victim. As a reader, it was difficult for me to realize that I was sympathizing with the killer. But after hearing his story about how he was bullied both physically and mentally from elementary school all the way until high school, I felt just as bad for him as I did for the people hurt in the shooting. Picoult brings up the question, who has the right to judge someone else? Peter was threatened by others just like the students were by him the day of the shooting. He tells Josie, "everyone's saying I ruined their lives, but no one seemed to care when my life was the one being ruined" (134). Throughout his life, the bullying took a large toll on Peter and he felt unwanted and unsafe in his surroundings. Although he had no right to kill the people who were hurting him, after hearing his side of the story, one could also begin to understand why Peter went through with his violent actions.
This novel begins to shed light on why school shootings take place. Bullying is almost always one of the main causes. In the trial, Peter's lawyer explained to the jury the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is the main reason that Peter was led to believe that he needed to kill his bullies in order to protect himself. Peter, although he is a fictional character, helps us recognize how kids who are bullied feel. They don't feel safe in their schools since they are surrounded by students who threaten them and hurt them on a daily basis. I'm not saying that I think that students who commit the terrible act of a school shooting should not be blamed. Of course they should. But at the same time, so should the bullies that have led them to that place.
Picoult demonstrates in her novel that there are two sides to everything. In this story, we begin to learn that often, the shooter is also the victim. As a reader, it was difficult for me to realize that I was sympathizing with the killer. But after hearing his story about how he was bullied both physically and mentally from elementary school all the way until high school, I felt just as bad for him as I did for the people hurt in the shooting. Picoult brings up the question, who has the right to judge someone else? Peter was threatened by others just like the students were by him the day of the shooting. He tells Josie, "everyone's saying I ruined their lives, but no one seemed to care when my life was the one being ruined" (134). Throughout his life, the bullying took a large toll on Peter and he felt unwanted and unsafe in his surroundings. Although he had no right to kill the people who were hurting him, after hearing his side of the story, one could also begin to understand why Peter went through with his violent actions.
This novel begins to shed light on why school shootings take place. Bullying is almost always one of the main causes. In the trial, Peter's lawyer explained to the jury the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is the main reason that Peter was led to believe that he needed to kill his bullies in order to protect himself. Peter, although he is a fictional character, helps us recognize how kids who are bullied feel. They don't feel safe in their schools since they are surrounded by students who threaten them and hurt them on a daily basis. I'm not saying that I think that students who commit the terrible act of a school shooting should not be blamed. Of course they should. But at the same time, so should the bullies that have led them to that place.
Nineteen Minutes Entry 1: "Who has the right to judge someone else?"
For this semester, I decided to read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I have always been interested in the issue of bullying, because I believe that it is a issue that can easily be prevented. It isn't something like world poverty or pollution that could take years and years to figure out how to fix. Bullying could be stopped today, this very minute, as long as people are educated on how serious the effects of bullying are. Reading this novel gave me a much better sense of how those who are bullied feel, and also it touched on the idea of why people bully. It allowed me to get inside the head of someone who had been bullied their whole life, but I also was able to see the other side--those who committed the vicious acts of bullying.
One question that was brought up in Nineteen Minutes was who is to blame for the school shooting that took place? Should we blame Peter, the shooter, for causing this tragedy? What about his parents for not paying more attention to their clearly depressed son? Or the popular kids who bullied Peter every day of his life? The administration and school officials for not being more involved in what was taking place in their school? One scene of the novel that remains clear in my mind was a flashback to when Peter was in elementary school. Even at that age he was being bullied. However, when his mother went into the school to talk with the teacher about making sure things like this were not to happen again, the teacher responded by saying, "I'm showing Peter how to stand up for himself. If someone cuts him in the lunch line, or if he's teased, to say something in return instead of just accepting it" (72). It's shocking to me that teachers believe the solution to prevent bullying is to have those being bullied to act in the same way as the bullies. It is wrong to tell students that they can only be protected if they fight back. It is 100% the school's responsibility to handle the bullying that takes place on school campus and they need to handle it by getting involved and punishing the kids, not telling those being bullied to fight back.
It's hard for me to sympathize with Peter--after all, in this novel, he was a killer. But at the same time, I put a large part of the blame on others in his life. Parents have the responsibility to be involved with their children. If I had guns in my room and was constantly depressed, I would only hope that my parents would be able to recognize my change in behavior. I think that parents need to be educated just as much as students do about this issue. Obviously the parents of those being bullied need to make sure that they are getting the help and protection they need, so they do not result to such drastic measures like Peter did. At the same time, the parents of the students who do the bullying should be able to teach their children that no one has the right to hurt or judge someone else.
Nineteen Minutes helps to demonstrate that when school shootings take place, maybe people should stop pointing their finger just at the shooter, and should take a good look at themselves. Clearly Peter had some mental issues, but at the same time, someone caused him to feel the need to walk into his school and kill the people he spent seven hours with every day. Others besides Peter needed to take the blame for the tragedy that took place in this novel. He might have destroyed their lives, but they also destroyed his.
One question that was brought up in Nineteen Minutes was who is to blame for the school shooting that took place? Should we blame Peter, the shooter, for causing this tragedy? What about his parents for not paying more attention to their clearly depressed son? Or the popular kids who bullied Peter every day of his life? The administration and school officials for not being more involved in what was taking place in their school? One scene of the novel that remains clear in my mind was a flashback to when Peter was in elementary school. Even at that age he was being bullied. However, when his mother went into the school to talk with the teacher about making sure things like this were not to happen again, the teacher responded by saying, "I'm showing Peter how to stand up for himself. If someone cuts him in the lunch line, or if he's teased, to say something in return instead of just accepting it" (72). It's shocking to me that teachers believe the solution to prevent bullying is to have those being bullied to act in the same way as the bullies. It is wrong to tell students that they can only be protected if they fight back. It is 100% the school's responsibility to handle the bullying that takes place on school campus and they need to handle it by getting involved and punishing the kids, not telling those being bullied to fight back.
It's hard for me to sympathize with Peter--after all, in this novel, he was a killer. But at the same time, I put a large part of the blame on others in his life. Parents have the responsibility to be involved with their children. If I had guns in my room and was constantly depressed, I would only hope that my parents would be able to recognize my change in behavior. I think that parents need to be educated just as much as students do about this issue. Obviously the parents of those being bullied need to make sure that they are getting the help and protection they need, so they do not result to such drastic measures like Peter did. At the same time, the parents of the students who do the bullying should be able to teach their children that no one has the right to hurt or judge someone else.
Nineteen Minutes helps to demonstrate that when school shootings take place, maybe people should stop pointing their finger just at the shooter, and should take a good look at themselves. Clearly Peter had some mental issues, but at the same time, someone caused him to feel the need to walk into his school and kill the people he spent seven hours with every day. Others besides Peter needed to take the blame for the tragedy that took place in this novel. He might have destroyed their lives, but they also destroyed his.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Final Project Days 1 & 2
I have decided for my final project that I am going to focus on the topic of bullying. Along with that, I am planning on comparing physical bullying to cyberbullying, as well as making the connections and studying how school shootings and teen suicide corresponds to bullied teenagers. I plan to study about why people get bullied, but more importantly, why the people who do the bullying do what they do. I also want to research the straight-foward facts and statistics about bullying, because I believe that will give other people a sense about how serious this issue is.
To help me with this project I have been reading the novel Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It is a fictional story about a boy who was constantly bullied, and as a result, he entered his school and shot and killed multiple kids. Although the story is fictional, it seems incredibly realistic and truly shows how teenager feels these days and why they choose to act the way they do. I have also watched Elephant, which relates well with this topic. I also hope to study a lot about the Columbine school shooting, because it will be a crucial element in my research.
My main goal from researching this issue is to make myself, as well as others, more educated about this issue. Bullying is very serious, but if people are not educated about what is happening at their schools, then it can't be stopped. Hopefully when presented with the facts, people will recognize the level of importance this issue has at our school, and hopefully, this will inspire people to make a change in how they treat other individuals.
To help me with this project I have been reading the novel Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It is a fictional story about a boy who was constantly bullied, and as a result, he entered his school and shot and killed multiple kids. Although the story is fictional, it seems incredibly realistic and truly shows how teenager feels these days and why they choose to act the way they do. I have also watched Elephant, which relates well with this topic. I also hope to study a lot about the Columbine school shooting, because it will be a crucial element in my research.
My main goal from researching this issue is to make myself, as well as others, more educated about this issue. Bullying is very serious, but if people are not educated about what is happening at their schools, then it can't be stopped. Hopefully when presented with the facts, people will recognize the level of importance this issue has at our school, and hopefully, this will inspire people to make a change in how they treat other individuals.
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