An Analysis of The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart by Lucy Cross

“The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross
I am about to analyze Lucy Cross’s story “The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart”.
First, I would like to start the show with a Character Sketch of Lucy Cook and her friend Bethan, followed by a look at the title of the text. Then I would like to share my thoughts on different symbols I think is very important. In the end, I would like to tell you my opinion about the theme and message of this text and compare it to “The Breakfast Club” and “The Body”.

Lucy Cook is the narrator in the story. She is a typical “good girl” stereotype. She always makes her homework, and she normally never does anything wrong. However, she is very unsecure about who she really is. Mr. Paterson, the teacher, is very surprised, when he discovers, that the great student he used to teach, apparently had teased poor Penny Jones. Lucy is under demand of her friend Bethan. She is scared of her, and she really does not know how to react, when Bethan is around – but at the same time, she is protecting her, as if she loved her. Normally, Penny Jones and Lucy were very good friend, but Bethan is forcing Lucy to do hit Penny. She really does not want to hit or harm Penny, but she is doing it, because she, at the same time, wants to be friend with to respected and cool girl, Bethan.
Bethan is the minor character but also the antagonist in the story. She is the typical “bad-girl-trouble-maker” stereotype, and she knows it. Lucy’s mom is describing her as being common, because she is wearing slutty cloth and “adult”-makeup. Bethan is clearly not an A-student, because she has been in detention many times before. Bethan is controlling Lucy. She is demanding her to do things, she normally would not do, but because Bethan is so powerful, she can control her. Bethan is the complete opposite of Lucy. You can compare Bethan to John Bender from the Breakfast Club. He is also insecure about himself, and is using that as a weapon against everybody else. He is not respected because he is kind, but because he is powerful.

The heart is a very central thing in this short story. She is drawing this heart along the whole telling, and I personally think, it symbolizes the heart of Lucy herself. The way she is her adding some fur into the arteries, is really telling us about how she feels – but she do not know how to tell us, so she is drawing it. I think the way the heart is nearly dyeing, is Lucy’s way to shout for help. Help to show us who she really is and who she really wants to be. Not being afraid to go against Bethan and her mom, not being afraid of doing what she wants to do – and most of all; Just being Lucy.
I also think that this heart is symbolizing love. The main theme in this story is love - on the surface, a hidden theme. Love can by defined in many words, but in this case, it is about loving yourself – a skill Lucy does not know how to handle. She is always thinking about how Bethan is seeing her, and how to live up to her expectations. Lucy is adding fur and tar to the heart in the text, but in reality, she is adding it to herself. She is slowly about to calcify, like the heart on the paper. Altogether, this heart is symbolizing Lucy’s feelings, all the feelings she do not know how to express.
I would also categorized the title “The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” as a symbol. I would interpret this title to be a split between being a bad girl like Bethan and being who she really wants to be. I think the title is a symbol of Lucy doubting her real identity. I find this title representing the split in Lucy’s mind. Who should I choose? Should I stand up against the suppression or should I just give up, and join the Bethan Club? I think this title is very important when you are analyzing this text. When I first saw this title, I really did not know what the author wanted me to think – but after reading the text repeatedly, I realized, this title was the main symbol of the text. A symbol of choosing who you want to be – or more important, finding the real you.

The theme in this text is not only about being a teenager and about living a teenage girl’s though life. This is about discovering who you really are – or in Lucy’s case, not being able to. If you look on page 35:“It’s a mess of really dark really light”. I think that this quote is representing the inside of Lucy. She is both the good girl and the bad girl – but she does not know which girl she really is. I think this story is about have the courage to stand up against the society, and show people who you really are – and not be afraid to show it. Otherwise, you will end up as Lucy; insecure, suppressed and most important not being the girl she really is. I think Lucy Cross is writing about a relevant theme, that young adults like me, easily could compare to our own life. Overall, I would like to say, that the main-theme of this story is discovering the real you.

I would compare this story to the movie “The Breakfast Club”. Not only because it is about teenagers and stereotypes, but mainly because we can put the text into a larger perspective by looking at John Bender. John Bender is representing Bethan. He is, exactly like Bethan, the bad person in the Breakfast Club. He is using his mysterious and though behavior to gain respect by the other teenagers. We do not know anything about Bethan’s background, but I could easily imagine it being very similar to John’s. They are both very greedy for power and I am pretty convinced that they are doing it, because of their, most likely, bad background.
I would also like to compare this text to Steven Kings story “The Body”. My thoughts is based on the way Gordon’s friends are dragging him down – in the same way as Bethan is dragging down Lucy. These boys are living in an unstable environment as Bethan. I would compare Lucy to Gordon, because they are both in the wrong circle of friends. Both Gordon friends and Bethan are using the doubtfulness of Lucy and Gordon. Both Gordon and Lucy are wasting their talent, and they are both not sure about, who they really are.

This text has been fascinating to analyze. At first, I really did not think, I could find so much interesting stuff to discuss. But after reading it repeatedly, many funny and mysterious things, really caught my eye. This story is not just a mainstream story. This telling has a much deeper meaning, and I was very pleased, to find out. Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

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[ 1 ]. Page 34 ” Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross
[ 2 ]. Page 33 ”Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross
[ 3 ]. Page 35, line 5-10 ”Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross
[ 4 ]. Page 45 ”Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross
[ 5 ]. Page 35 “The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross