“Eat”-“Love Letter to my Bully”
Tonya Hurley recalls, “No matter how hard I tried to block you out, some of your insults, your criticism, stuck with me, eating at me, making me doubt myself, until I had no choice but to persevere and to succeed.” The metaphorical eat underscores the agony which Hurley experiences as a result of Steven's insults. She suffers emotionally and loses peace of mind due to the trauma which arises from the bullying. The 'eating' is invisible , but it is pervasive for it impacts Hurley, emotional and psychological wellness.
Ex-boyfriend-“Love Letter to my Bully”
Tonya Hurley confesses, “I’ve even tried to forgive you, although I have to admit that hasn’t worked out very well. Like some unwelcome ex-boyfriend who friends you on Facebook or an embarrassing prom date who pops up in old family photo albums, you are unavoidable, even all these years later.” Hurley equates Steven to her ex-boyfriend because she has not succeeded in repressing his memories. She finds it difficult to disremember him because all the wound which hew inflicted in her life are unconscious. Although many years pass, Steven’s memories and the aggressions which he subjected Hurley have not diminished.
Hell-“Dear Bully”
Laurie Faria Stolarz recalls, “ you started pushing me from behind, shoving me out into the street at the bus stop, tugging my hair, pulling at my clothes, slapping the back of my head, spitting in my face. While you cohorts thought it was funny as hell, others stayed out of it, most likely relieved that it was me you were harassing and not them." Cohorts motivate the bully to continue with the bullying when they insinuate that they are deriving fun by watching him bully Stolarz. The cohorts lack empathy because they deem the bully's actions to be funny when they are clearly hurting Stolarz.
Charmed-“Dear Bully”
Laurie Faria Stolarz explains, “a student came in, wanting me to help her with an interview assignment. She was asked to interview someone whom she really looked up to and respected, and to write an essay based on her findings. To my complete and utter shock that someone was you. The interview detailed your whole life’s story, from early childhood-a story that had been anything but charmed (to say the least)- and how , despite all odds, you’d been able to turn things around for yourself.” The metaphoric charmed infers that the bully’s story is embellished to give a positive impression and to motivate others. Obviously, the story excludes dark details about the bully’s past. Stolarz is the only individual who can deconstruct the story because she has first-hand experience of the bull’s meanness. Accordingly, not all charmed stories are real; some stories are embellished to appeal to readers, yet they are not accurate portrayals of the subjects.
“Survival to the Fittest”-“Why do we Celebrate Bullying”
Hellen Hopkins remarks, “Some might argue this (bullying) is simply the evolutionary by product of survival for the fittest. That all animals weed out the weak. But the human animal has a brain capable of compassion.” Likening bullying to "survival to the fittest" encourages and normalizes bullying. Victims are deemed unfit; hence, they are terrorized by bullies to the degree that some end up committing suicide because they cannot handle the bullying. Instead of celebrating bullying through maxims like 'survival for the fittest; it should be condemned to ensure that vulnerable people are not tortured unnecessarily.
