Cassidy Weeks- Extra Credit

For extra credit I read "Debbieland", this story is about a girl Debbie, who was teased and tormented by a group of girls in high school. She was not liked because she wore the wrong clothes and did not "fit it" with the girls. One day the girls even trapped her and then beat her up in the parking lot, since that day Debbie has not forgotten but the girls long have. In this story it shows the significance of power that people like to have over one another. These girls that bullied Debbie continue to do the same thing all through life, right through college when they meet another girl, who they in a way emotionally bully until the girl leaves. While reading this I was reminded of a big high school atmosphere, cliques judging other people for how they act or what they wear. It is also funny because when Debbie sees them at the end of the story, they do not even remember her, it was a life changing thing for Debbie but nothing out of the ordinary for the others.

These girls in the story like the feeling of someone else depending on them, they like to know that somone is at the mercy of their hands. For example if it was Debbie begging for them not to hurt her anymore, or the college friend crying on their shoulders, they liked the feeling of having control. By the end of the story, the reader has realized that Debbie has moved on with a family, while the bullies have not made much progress since high school. I find it interesting that Aimee Bender does not tell the story from the point of view of one person. The person speaking is always saying "we." I believe that this identifies the strength of the clique and without them all together, they would not be powerful or able to have such control.

Cassidy Weeks "Debbieland" extra credit.