Feb 20, Avalon joins a new, quirky friend group. A boy named Marshall, a girl names Tamara, Jemima and another girl names Sukey. Alices group has started bullying Avalon, espacially Julie, they were in the change rooms where Avalon was trying to get dressed by herself, Julie said, 'she is completely up herself'. Feb 21, Avalon was about to try out for the hokcey team, she was always captian at gracepoint, and Julie said 'well, our teams really good.
And Alice is captian. So if you know whats good for you, you might want to leave now'. Feb 23, Avalon's emails, texts, blog letters are becoming more and more abusive. Dragon girl, hope faith and charity, angel baby and metallica guy re all the main threats. Feb 25, Dragon girl, metllica guy, hope faith and charity and angle baby seem to be banding into some kind of virtual group to attack Avalon. They have all started a rumor that her little sister, Ruby, is her baby.
Feb 28, The surfy guys- Caleb, Mick and friends and also her friend back at home Jake. Login to rate this Glog. Login to comment on this Glog.
Destroying Avalon. PLOT: Author of Destroying Avalon: Kate McCaffrey Destroying Avalon is a book about cyber bullying, the bullies were targeting her, as she is a new person to the school, she is trying to ignore by not telling her parents. Rate It! Tags destroying avalon. Comments Login to comment on this Glog. There are no comments for this Glog. Follow us Twitter Pinterest Facebook. Buzz Blog Press Contests.
Her front teeth almost crossed each other. Her arms were thin and pointy bones, with large knobbly hands at the ends. She reminded me of a cartoon character. I started something and it became huge. I was the leader. When you hurt people or threaten them you get what you want. It makes you feel powerful. Or they might turn it on you. I really wanted you to like me. He was smiling at Avalon.
The feelings of power and control consume her, she has the popular girls following her, reading her weblogs and texts as she whips up the frenzy against Avalon. This action serves as a double-edged sword, not only does it force a physical confrontation between Marshall and the male bullies it is what ultimately leads to his death. He never deserved it. Sensitive and intelligent, yet confused and misunderstood Marshall is also a veteran of bullying.
Labelled homosexual by his peer groups he reveals his agony in his journal. His friendship with Avalon, and the feelings he has for her causes him to again question his sexuality. I actually thought about kissing her!!
He must be a poof. Does it? In fact he always exhibited the opposite, he was always up-beat and happy, conveying to us the image nothing would bring him down. On several occasions he attempts to flirt with her, or impress her but she misinterprets his actions. I really wanted to go on the river cruise with someone and I kind of hoped Caleb might ask me.
He wants to kiss me. Marshall had effortlessly lifted sixty kilos on the bench press, like he was trying to impress me by being macho. Knowing that he is making himself a target for the bullies by being stoic in his support of Avalon, he continues undeterred.
She has good looks and brains and a willing group of minions. Her opinion is valued and her suggestions are acted upon. She is the one who determines the school hierarchy.
It was all we talked about. And I sent you an email. I sat back and watched them torment you…I knew we were being bitchy, but it was just what we did.
I never really thought it would make you feel that way. Judges people on behaviour not appearance. His washed out blue eyes had red patches under them, his nose was peeling, rough pieces of brown skin stood up from newly exposed pink flesh and I saw where his lips were chapped.
He honestly had no idea about the shit I was going through. The incident in the canteen area where people gather taunting Avalon and Marshall he swiftly intervenes. These two were always after the surfie boys. They looked embarrassed. I shook my head. I tried to make my family sound less weird.
I could always count on Dad back home when I needed someone to talk to. But things had changed so much. And I knew Dad felt it too.
For someone who thought he was so hip, Dad was so out of touch. But his eyes were troubled. He knew more than he was telling.
My Dad would know all the tiny details. Their interaction is minimal in the early part of the story. We see her as a distant figure, heavily preoccupied with her new job and the daily running of the house. She is not without compassion and concern for Avalon. Even though it is Doyle who first senses trouble Miriam immediately responds. I looked at her tired face. It had been a hard shift for all of us, including Mum, who had taken on a huge responsibility. I saw them sting her eyes and make her cry.
The true character of acceptance. She shows several times how desperate she was for Marshall not to be frightened of any difference but to accept it. They were all pretty, with long straight hair and no fringes, their uniforms immaculately ironed and their shoes completely unmarked. Girls tend to inflict pain on a psychological level, whilst boys aren't as subtle and they can get physical.
For example, boy bullies are more likely to insult their victims on the playground than ignore them. Instead of isolating a non-athletic victim during Phys Ed, they are more likely to use the victim as target practice. Confident in their social position the Bitches make their power felt through classic forms of bullying: exclusion, harassment, vicious gossip, threatening behaviour and intimidation, both overtly and covertly.
There are several accounts in the novel: the change rooms at Phys Ed where Avalon discovers her belongs trashed, at the hockey tryouts and in Art class. One horrific example of bullying is the incident in the canteen area, where the Bitches incite others, particularly Todd to join in.
Then when their attention is drawn to Avalon and Marshall the group harassment begins. Marshall is no stranger to bullying as his journal reveals. He has endured years of insults and harassment and physical attacks. Chosen as a target for his differences he has inflamed the aggression of these bullies. Much of the information is conveyed in electronic form, emails, sms and web pages and the language used is also electronic. It is handwritten and the font style mimics the feeling and emotion of his words.
The narrative begins with the afternoon of the second day at school and then jumps backwards in time to Avalon leaving Grace Point. The story is told in past tense and given elements of setting with references to popular culture it is present day. It is the final chapter- After the Moment that provides us with a different narrative voice.
I felt the warmth of his body, his realness so comforting in my alienation. Not seeing any way out of it all, feeling so caught up in the moment, sure that this would be my future. But he was right. The voice is mature and insightful and loaded with the benefits of hindsight. We could argue that it is a much older, wiser Avalon narrating the final chapter. Or, perhaps one could argue she is only a year older and the lessons of that difficult year have encouraged her maturity.
Either way the novel ends on a positive note, we learn that she has come through the trauma, she is accepted and happy. And she does belong. Language Colloquial, obscene and neologisms A story of this nature, appealing to the target audience has to use the language of the times.
As language is specific to culture, age, interest and often gender, even across Australia different words are fashionable at any given time. For example bathers in WA are called togs, swimmers, cossies in other states. The use of pussy once referring to a scared man is now used by both males and females to indicate anyone exhibiting weakness.
An erection used to be a hard-on, but now the term stiffy is back in vogue. CD covers carry labels, radio presenters give fair warning, TV shows and movies carry ratings all explaining the level of obscene language contained within the product.
Teenagers, as do adults, swear. The cyber bullies choose the foulest language they can to attack Avalon. Not only does this make them feel powerful but there are no repercussions. They are screaming obscenities across the world with no fear of censorship. They just can. Why is this? Is it because increased exposure to the language allows her to push the boundaries of her own language- a form of desensitising?
It is the same argument that is attributed to violent computer games creating a generation of black-coated, machine gun toting teenage serial killers? A direct form of stress, and a tell-tale sign to look for in a victim of bulling is personality change. Avalon exhibits them all, insomnia, aggression, introversion, nervous disorders-nail chewing, secretive behaviour, excessive computer and mobile phone use.
And interestingly, it is her deteriorating level of language that tips her parents off. Her final boundary, swearing in front of her father, is pushed and precipitates the breakdown and confession. Neologisms are especially useful in identifying inventions, new phenomena, or old ideas which have taken on a new cultural context. The fallout for Avalon from this news is monumental and ultimately catastrophic. From one of the world's strictest Christian sects — higher education, motorized vehicles and anything else of the modern world from buttons to television, are forbidden — these teenagers are turned loose.
Though many still live with their parents during rumspringer, they're free of Amish rules and go to parties where liquor and crystal methamphetamine are abundant; they can buy their own cars and cell phones and cable TV. Wavering throughout the bullying, she is finally able to draw on the strength her character has always possessed.
It is interesting to review the complete set of song lyrics. The first is, she is aware of the willingness of people to follow a leader, the cult mentality, the way many people need to have hierarchy and fit into a social structure.
Also in this chapter is the description of the Gloucester Tree and Avalon climbing it. As she climbs she convinces herself she can do it, her self talk is reinforced by the encouragement of her parents. Her arrival at the platform is symbolic of her determination to overcome the bullying. She has divorced herself from her physical self and is watching the events. I wanted to tell him I was trying but the words were all ravelled up and the pressure of them was splitting the wire around my jaw.
I felt like my gigantic head was about to burst. If I could have I would have run out of the room. The pressure was enormous.
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