Literary Bullies, He Was Weird: The Eighth Graders

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American football, bullying, guns, He Was Weird, Michael D LeFevre, school shootings, schools, social settings, teasing

After giving things a little thought, I have decided to put the next group of bullies together. Obviously, the title of the post gives away what grade they were in at the very least. (Mark was in seventh grade at this time.) The thing about these eighth graders is that they bullied Mark both collectively and individually, so Mark didn’t stand a chance.

Why did the eighth graders bully Mark? The main reason was because he quit the (American) football team. In “He Was Weird,” Mark goes out for an makes the local football team. However, it is clear that he is in no way the best player on the team. He is so below the ability of the rest of his teammates, that the assistant coach informs him that the only reason he made the team was because he was a seventh grader. He also tells him that he won’t be getting into any games unless he improves, even if the team is winning 100-0! After a few games, it appears the prophecy is going to be true so Mark figures “what’s the point?” and quits the team. However, most of his former teammates, especially the eighth graders on the team, take exception to his departure.

At first, everyone demands to know why he quit the team and any reason Mark gives is immediately rejected. This goes on for a couple of weeks until the first physical incident when Mark tries out for the basketball team. While participating in a drill, the eighth graders trip him and shove him around. Worse, the coach seems to do nothing about it. After that it seems to be open season on him.

While I will go into individual bullying when I profile each eighth grader, the collective bullying still goes on too. The worst case is after the incident where Mark has his shorts pulled down by a substitute teacher. His grandfather and mother press charges against the teacher but the eighth graders beat him up in the playground with threats of doing worse should the teacher go to jail. He receives more gang bullying when he is falsely accused of taking legal action against the school when the school paper brands him gay and the editor, another eighth grader, is fired from his post. This time, not only does Mark receive the ritual punches and kicks, he has the further humiliation of it being filmed and posted onto social media. It is little wonder he snaps and names many of these as his intended targets.

While I will save individual slayings and wounding of eighth graders when I go through each individually, I  can safely say that Mark gets most of them in his rampage. A good number are killed and several more are wounded, although one boy escapes because he is away at the time.

Let me say that I did go out for football and did quit the team and as a result, had a lot of hassle from the eighth graders. They did the things mentioned when I tried out for basketball but I can say that the branding and indecent assault were all part of my creativity. Still, there were several incidents when they would come and punch or push me around and bully me in general. Do I forgive them? Some would say that as a group, they were following the mob and maybe so. However, individually, they are accountable for their own doings and if any of them want to individually apologize, then my forgiveness will be forthcoming.

Next post: Mark Wolfe

To buy He Was Weird, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437940478&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

 

 

 

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Literary Bullies, He Was Weird: Part V- Joe Kellerman

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anxiety, books, bullying, fantasies, guns, He Was Weird, ice hockey, Michael D LeFevre, school shootings, schools, Self Esteem, social settings

Although Joe Kellerman was never in any of Mark’s classes in “He Was Weird,” his bullying of Mark follows along the same timeline as Mike Sigfried’s. While they are in sixth grade, Joe, like Mike, carries out low level bullying. Mostly, he is a joiner to others’ bullying but his bullying is more physical. The first instance is when Joe, along with three other boys, repeatedly push Mark up against a fence. The second instance is at the very end of sixth grade. Acting as a henchman for another boy who wants to bully Mark, he holds one of his arms so the boy can slap Mark a couple of times then gives him a kick before letting him go.

In seventh grade, things get a lot worse. It starts off when Joe learns about Mark’s fantasy of being an ice hockey player. Joe in fact plays on a local ice hockey team and is ‘offended’ that Mark claims to play as well. Whenever Joe sees Mark in the school, he gives him a hockey style body check into the wall. Then, as with all bullying, it progresses to worse things like punches. Also as is the normal case, other children egg Joe on.  It gets to the point that Mark’s anxiety levels reach crisis point whenever he sees Joe around in school. Joe senses this so there are times that he doesn’t actually hit Mark but raises his hand as if he’s going to do so. That too has the desired effect.

Unlike Mike Sigfried, on the day Mark finally gets his revenge, he shoots Joe dead. There’s nothing elongated or ritualised. He simply shoots Joe with the Uzi and while Joe is lying there, Mark simply goes up to him and says, “I can’t take a check, you can’t take a bullet” before finishing him off with the pistol.

If you take the “man” off Joe’s last name, you will have the bully who inspired the character of Joe Kellerman. I can honestly say that all of the things I’ve mentioned, he did to me. He checked me into walls and even used my hockey fantasy as justification. The checks did lead to punches and intimidation. However, Joe Keller is the one person who already has my forgiveness. This is because he is unable to ask for it because in the summer between seventh and eight grades, he drowned while swimming in the ocean. While I didn’t dance in delight at the time, I didn’t exactly shed a tear either. Part of me did think, “One less person to bully me.” I just hope that wherever is soul is now, that he has repented for the sins he inflicted upon me.

Next post: Mark Wolfe

To buy He Was Weird, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437684715&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

Literary Bullies, He Was Weird: Part IV- Mike Sigfried

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books, bullying, communication, He Was Weird, Michael D LeFevre, school shootings, schools, social settings, teasing

In “He Was Weird,” Mike Sigfried is the opposite of Joe Gerbwitz with his bullying of Mark. Mike is in the same class as him and Joe but Mike is happy to take a back seat and let Joe and others bully Mark. He does engage in low level teasing but most as a joiner rather than an instigator although he did like to call Mark by his former name because he thought it was funny. However, throughout all of sixth grade, Mark never felt threatened or bullied by Mike.

That all changes when the two boys are again in the same class in seventh grade, at least towards the end of the year. The first major incident happens in the April during a baseball game in PE class. First, Mark’s momentary loss of concentration due to his DAMP causes him to miss a ball in center field and because Mike is only obsessed with winning, threatens harm upon Mark if he does it again. Then when batting in the final inning, Mike tries to change the batting order to get the better batters up first to which Mark protests because he will miss his bat. The other team catch on and call foul forcing Mike and Mark’s team back into the original batting order. Because Mike doesn’t get his way, he begins punching Mark who eventually defends himself by grabbing a baseball bat and threatening to use it. The appearance to the PE teacher dissolves the situation.

After that, the bullying becomes actual. Mike gets great delight in punching Mark in the back whenever he can get away with it. But the biggest incident happens near the very end. Mark becomes visibly upset at the school awards assembly when he is expecting an award for being on the winning basketball team but instead, they all up his friend in error. His upset is there for all to see and once the assembly is over and everyone is back in the classroom, the teasing begins. When Mike makes crying gestures towards Mark, Mark gives back the one finger salute. Naturally, Mike responds by physically attacking Mark. (Typical trait of a bully, using the slightest perceived irritation to justify an assault on a victim.) The ironic thing was that before this incident happened, Mark was actually planning to abandon his idea of revenge.

To add insult to injury, when they meet in school next, it is Mike who again attacks Mark, twisting his arm behind his back, demanding an apology for everything he did. A bit rich isn’t it? That was the day before Mark finally gets his revenge and when he does, Mike Sigfried is clearly in his sights. First, Mike is shot in both legs and while lying on the ground, Mark goes up to him and demands that Mike take back everything he did to Mark. When he tries to play the innocent, Mark’s response is a pistol round through a non lethal part of the body, several times. When Mike finally does take it all back, Mark spares his life.

Mike Sigfried might not have died on that fateful day but later in the book we learn that he often wishes he did. In spite of all the psychiatrists, he never mentally recovers. His life becomes marred by the trauma and he can’t hold down a full time job because the metal anguish is just too great. Maybe it might have been kinder if Mark had killed him.

Mark Sigmund was the inspiration behind the Mike Sigfried character. All of the mentioned incidents happened and pretty much in the way I describe them here and in the book although there may have been some creative license. Oh, I never shot him or anyone but it was because of bullying like this that, whenever I hear or read about a school shooting, my first thoughts are “This could have been me.” Fortunately, it wasn’t me and that is why the olive branch of forgiveness will always be out there.

Next post: Joe Kellerman

To buy He Was Weird, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436903248&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

 

Literary Bullies: He Was Weird, Part III- Joe Gerberwitz

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Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, friendship, guns, He Was Weird, Michael D LeFevre, school shootings, schools, teasing

Joe Gerberwitz makes his appearance in “He Was Weird” on page 111 of the story. He and Mark are in the same class together in sixth grade but as they went to different elementary schools, didn’t know each other until then. While Joe’s first aggressive act against Mark doesn’t happen until he makes his appearance in the story, we learn that previously, Joe seems to encourage Mark to make a spectacle of himself in and out of the classroom.

Along with most of the pupils in the class, Joe quickly learns that there is something not right about Mark. He, along with several others, encourage Mark to do and say silly things in the class thus getting him and sometimes others into trouble. Of course, Joe thinks all of this is very funny. It is Joe who seizes upon Mark’s fertile imagination like when Mark tells an amusing story about how he killed the Sandman, (an intended joke that backfired because others conveniently decided that he was being serious) he gets Mark to tell many others about it for his own amusement. Then after that, Joe makes great sport in asking Mark who his victim is that night.

Now some might ask why Mark went along with this and refused to allow himself to be made a spectacle of. The answer is quite simple and I have highlighted this in other posts. Although we don’t know it at the time, Mark has Asperger’s Syndrome and DAMP and like many who have similar conditions, has difficulty with social cues. Mark naively believes that doing such things are going to win him friends. Obviously, it doesn’t and the Joe and others just abuse him for their own amusement. Joe, personally, leads the charge further by getting Mark to say horrible things to the ‘ugly’ girl in the class on the grounds that if he doesn’t, he must like her. Not wanting people to think that, he goes along with it and does say things to the poor girl.

It is on the already mentioned page where Joe’s bullying of Mark goes from simple teasing and manipulation to more aggressive forms. The main instance is at a school basketball game where Joe punches Mark in the side and threatens other violence on him when he celebrates his school team making a basket. It is clear that he is only doing this to bully Mark and any protest from Mark or threats of telling someone only results in more violence or threats of it against him. When Mark finally decides he’s had enough and leaves, Joe brags to all about how he made Mark leave the game.

There is little more bullying from Joe after that. One reason is that they are in different classes for seventh grade. There is an instance when another boy threatens Mark he’s going to ram his glasses down his throat, Joe hears it and says “Stick’em up his nose instead.” Joe’s direct bullying against Mark might have subsided in seventh grade but his bullying in sixth grade was enough for Mark to list him as a target and why, when Mark finally gets his revenge, he makes no hesitation in finishing Joe off after he’s wounded.

Joe Gerberwitz was based on a real life person named Joe Gurwicz, who in sixth grade, made my life hell for much of that year. He did take advantage of my lack of social skills and my fertile imagination and he did threaten me with violence during a school basketball game and boasted how he made me leave after. There were a couple of other instances where he bullied me that I didn’t include in the book either. Like with the other bullies and future ones as well, the branch of forgiveness is ready should any acknowledge their wrongs and show true regret.

Next post: Mike Sigfried

To buy He Was Weird, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436277892&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird

 

 

Literary Bullies: He Was Weird, Part II, Liz Clover

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19 Minutes, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, Gender, He Was Weird, Jodi Piccoult, Michael D LeFevre, school shootings, schools, Self Esteem, stereotypes, teasing

Two maybe three previous posts have focused or at least included the subject of females bullying males. One instance was included when I reviewed literary bullies, in Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes.” In that story, the inter-gender bullying is more subtle and indirect. The girl involved manipulates others in her bullying. However, in the case I am going to outline in this post, the bullying is in fact direct.

Cue Liz Clover. She makes her presence known on Mark’s second day at school in the new town. Liz and her friend Judy follow him home from school, pushing him in the back the entire way and trying to goad him into a fight. Liz also makes several unsuccessful attempts to separate his books from him. When Mark ignores this because he is not allowed to hit girls, they do it even more and only stop when they reach the street they need to turn down. The only positive to come out of it was when Mark reports the incident to his mother, she gives him permission to hit girls if they are bothering him.

It is another year before he has another major bullying incident with Liz although she does carry out lots of low level teasing. Furthermore, she constantly calls him by his former name. At the next incident, she actually pushes Mark over several times. This time, Mark simply runs because he realises that if he tries to fight back, Liz’s brother Joe is there to intervene.

Another major incident happens a month later when Mark and his friend decide to go roller skating one day. Liz and her friends are there and they spend the entire time harassing Mark and trying to make him fall. When he tries to tell the rink officials, they are uninterested. Worse, Liz and her friends tell another official that it is Mark harassing them who orders him off the floor for fifteen minutes. To add insult to injury they also falsely tell the official that Mark swore at them. In the end, that would be the last time he would ever roller skating.

The last occurrence happens later that summer when Mark has a paper route. His route includes the street Liz lives on. One evening, as he is carrying out his collecting, she immediately starts on him by sticking her ice cream cone in his face and then throwing it at him. Then she goads the others to join in and a direct result of this is that some of the boys, including the bully I am saving for second from the end, let the air out of both of his bicycle tyres. After that, his mother comes with him when he collects on that street.

In the time which elapses between the last major incident and when Mark finally gets his revenge, there are no major incidents, only the odd word out of Liz’s mouth. That is why Mark doesn’t name her as one of his prime targets when he plots his revenge. Still the painful memories are enough that when he sees her whilst carrying out his revenge, he puts several rounds into her, killing her instantly. We only learn a little about Liz’s family background at the funeral. Her father had left a long time earlier, forcing her mother to work two jobs to support the family. As a result, Liz and her brother are pretty much left to fend for themselves.

I don’t know if that was the case of the person who influenced my creation of the character but to figure out the name, simply drop the “l” from the surname. I only met the mother once but I know that the Liz in real life hung out with the “tough crowd.” She smoked at age eleven, which was more of a big thing back in the early 70s. I could stereotype here but she also seemed the type and I’m sure that others who knew her might have agreed with me back then, who might have become a mother at 16. Again, at that time, it would have been a major event. Like practically everyone who bullied me when I lived in the town, I know nothing of what became of her. My speculation about early motherhood could be as unlikely as it was likely. All, I know was that for two of the three years I lived in the town, she contributed to the hell I lived under. But like all who had contributed, my forgiveness is waiting should anyone come forward and show penitence.

Next post:  Joe Gerberwitz

To buy He Was Weird, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435778576&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird