Olive Penderghast Sparknotes

Olive Penderghast, a 17-year-old girl lies to her friend Rhiannon about having a date to get out of an uncomfortable camping trip. She spends her whole weekend in the house, listening to a card she received. When she gets back to school the following week, Rhiannon presses her to own up to her losing her virginity over the weekend, so Olive lies to seem cool. Marianne, a prissy and strict Christian at their school, hears their exchange and spreads the rumor like wildfire. Olive gets cleaning the school as detention for saying inappropriate words in class, she notices the boy cleaning the stall next to hers and realizes it’s her acquaintance Brandon. Olive then confides the truth to Brandon, and he confides he’s bullied for being gay. He later asks Olive to pretend to sleep with him so everyone will accept him as a “straight stud.” She reluctantly agrees, they have “sex” at a party and everyone believes it. Olive and Rhiannon fight over her new identity as a “dirty skank.” Olive decides to embrace the negative opinions and dress
Children are genuinely hurt by such indirect aggression, and they are likely to express dislike for others who use this form of aggression a lot; Girls use this form of aggression more than boys. (p.253)
Olive was a constant victim of relational aggression from Rhiannon, in less damaging forms such as: facial expressions of disdain. Rhiannon also bullied her in more damaging forms such as: joining Marianne’s church group. Marianne was worst of all, she: circulated the gossip in the first place, essentially caused everyone to ostracize Olive, and label her as a slut and a liar. The movie made Marianne and her gang the clear bullies, even though Rhiannon wasn’t any better. (Easy A, 2010)

Identity Crisis or Conduct