The Beckoners Book Analysis
AnneMarie Donahue, 2A Novel: The Beckoners
Date Due: October 28th, 2014 Author: Carrie Mac
Submitted to Mrs Grimsley
Begun On: September 22nd
Activity No. 2 Completed On: September 23rd
In this novel, the geographical setting is precise but meant to represent an abundance of smaller towns across the United States and Canada. Our protagonist, Zoe, moves from Prince
George to Abbotsford, which is the inciting moment for all the conflict in the novel. …show more content…
In Abbotsford, the people are extremely traditional and christian (for the greater part).
Everyone knows the way matters are and how they operate, and no one is looking to change these any time soon.
The biggest problem in this novel is bullying, a common topic in Young
Adult novels but,
I have not yet seen a book capture bullying in such a perceptive and unflinching way. However, Zoe is actually initiated into the group of bullies, before she realises the error in her ways and resigns to try to help April (or Dog, as she is commonly called) to stand up for herself and to prompt the Beckoners to leave her alone. This is much more strenuous task than would be expected, as the Beckoners are incredibly serious about their initiation process and once members are in, they are basically in for life. Through Zoe’s perspective, I learnt more about the role of the bystander in bullying situations. Usually, in novels about bullying, we read either through the perspective of the victim or of the bully, so hearing from Zoe was helpful in furthering my knowledge of how bullying, and standing up for other people and oneself, works. Although bullying is all too common these days, the bullying situation in this novel was so extreme that it made me understand the true gravity of bullying and it’s effects on the victims, the bullies, and the bystanders. I learnt that not all victims are perfect, innocent people
(for
example April was strikingly homophobic), and that bullies were usually victims before they made the change to the bully. The Beckoners emotionally and physically manipulated and mutilated their victims. They went beyond anything sane and went so far as to almost kill multiple people and even April’s dog. This kind of bullying is an exaggeration of a typical bullying case, which makes the book increasingly terrifying and much more moving. We think about the actions these girls (whether they be bullies, bystanders or victims) are taking and we can relate them to our own experiences which, quite honestly, appalls and frightens me on an entirely new level. This story struck me in numerous ways and it truly made me think about my actions and their consequences. Also, it furthered my understanding of how the geographical setting of the novel can have such a large impact on the characters and their story, and I learned about round, dynamic characters and how they can transform a story into something so much more interesting to read.
Word Count: 464
Date Due: October 28th, 2014 Author: Carrie Mac
Submitted to Mrs Grimsley
Begun On: September 22nd
Activity No. 2 Completed On: September 23rd
In this novel, the geographical setting is precise but meant to represent an abundance of smaller towns across the United States and Canada. Our protagonist, Zoe, moves from Prince
George to Abbotsford, which is the inciting moment for all the conflict in the novel. …show more content…
In Abbotsford, the people are extremely traditional and christian (for the greater part).
Everyone knows the way matters are and how they operate, and no one is looking to change these any time soon.
The biggest problem in this novel is bullying, a common topic in Young
Adult novels but,
I have not yet seen a book capture bullying in such a perceptive and unflinching way. However, Zoe is actually initiated into the group of bullies, before she realises the error in her ways and resigns to try to help April (or Dog, as she is commonly called) to stand up for herself and to prompt the Beckoners to leave her alone. This is much more strenuous task than would be expected, as the Beckoners are incredibly serious about their initiation process and once members are in, they are basically in for life. Through Zoe’s perspective, I learnt more about the role of the bystander in bullying situations. Usually, in novels about bullying, we read either through the perspective of the victim or of the bully, so hearing from Zoe was helpful in furthering my knowledge of how bullying, and standing up for other people and oneself, works. Although bullying is all too common these days, the bullying situation in this novel was so extreme that it made me understand the true gravity of bullying and it’s effects on the victims, the bullies, and the bystanders. I learnt that not all victims are perfect, innocent people
(for
example April was strikingly homophobic), and that bullies were usually victims before they made the change to the bully. The Beckoners emotionally and physically manipulated and mutilated their victims. They went beyond anything sane and went so far as to almost kill multiple people and even April’s dog. This kind of bullying is an exaggeration of a typical bullying case, which makes the book increasingly terrifying and much more moving. We think about the actions these girls (whether they be bullies, bystanders or victims) are taking and we can relate them to our own experiences which, quite honestly, appalls and frightens me on an entirely new level. This story struck me in numerous ways and it truly made me think about my actions and their consequences. Also, it furthered my understanding of how the geographical setting of the novel can have such a large impact on the characters and their story, and I learned about round, dynamic characters and how they can transform a story into something so much more interesting to read.
Word Count: 464