Their father, Bully, pats them on the shoulder and laughs along with them, pr dud that one day, his sons will be just like him. William Gilding’s novel Lord of the Flies answers the question asked by many school officials and parents alike: When, if ever, does teasing and goading cross the lie en into bullying? Through the misfortune adventures Of Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and the other boy s on the island, it is revealed that teasing and goading turns into bullying the moment the victim s tarts feeling powerless. According to Tara L.
Shutter’s article “Understanding Bullying”, the bully and victim allegations blooms from an “imbalance of power’ where the victim finds it h arid to “defend humor herself” (Understanding Bullying 51 Once the Victim feels belittled, the line separating teasing and bullying becomes crossed. The victim of the bullying feels as if the y are too weak to answer back. Those targeted by a large group may feel even more powerless as well. When Piggy was trying to get attention from a group of boys in order to give them i important information, one of them yelled “Shut up! At him, to which “Piggy wilted”(Golf ins 58). Piggy, Managing 2 who is a constant target throughout the length of the story, may feel powerless as towards the rest of the boys. When he tries to assert leadership, he backs off timidly because he f eels irrelevant. This position makes him an easy target. Through Shutter’s definition of bullying g, Piggy is classified as a hopeless victim. The majority of victims may see themselves in Piggy’s shoes as a powerless VI CCITT of bullying. However, bullying can happen even to those that hold power.
Ralph, the elected leader f the boys on the island, faces bullying although he holds a leadership posits on. When he tries to confront his rivals, they end up killing one of his group members and kidnap ins the others. The rivals then continue to physically abuse him, ‘hurling [their] spear at Ralph”(G ladling 261). Ralph defies the stereotype Of the typical bullied victim, which only makes Shutter’s definition of a victim only true in some cases. Another case that argues against the stereotype e of the powerless victim is the story of Kathleen Stapleton.
She used the harsh words and insults o fuel her desire to stop bullying (Life after Bullying 55). While most victims of bullying feel powers sees, it is possible to have power and be bullied at the same time. Anybody could such MBA to being bullied. In conclusion, Lord of the Flies by William Gilding demonstrate sees that when victims start to feel powerless, teasing and goading turns into bullying. However err, In some cases, the victims of bullies aren’t as powerless as the typical victim. Everyone can b e a target of bullying, if they have power or not.