Back to: Tamil Nadu Class 7 English Guide & Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
This essay is to raise awareness against the act of bully and protect the children from bullies.
The Story
The story starts with three characters Meenu, Ajay and Anu, all of them in class seven. Anu, being the shortest in the class, is always teased by Ajay for her height. He calls her by nick names which draw attention to her size, and is constantly patting her on the head to show how short she is. Anu feels miserable at this but she doesn’t retort back. Meenu, though she feels sorry for Anu, laughs along with Ajay.
The author then brings forth the aspect of bullying in this context. He draws the line between teasing and having fun with friends, and bullying. He says when someone purposely makes fun of another or forces them to do things even if they make it clear they don’t want to, it is called bullying. He says that by even supporting the act of bullying is also wrong. What Ajay does is downright wrong but even Meenu, who despite knowing about Anu’s sorrow supports Ajay, is actually supporting bullying.
The author then points out what makes a bully. A bully is someone who likes to be in control over someone else. They do so by teasing someone or calling names. Ajay knows that Anu is upset, but continues to bully her because it gives him a feeling of control. This is because they themselves aren’t confident of being someone. They find faults in others.
The bullies have a low self esteem which is why they demean others to put themselves in a more superior position. This is how they try to fit in and make sure they get all the attention. Maybe Ajay is unhappy with his performance in the exams; maybe Meena doesn’t like her big ears and doesn’t want anyone to notice them. They target someone who doesn’t speak or retort back like Anu.
The author goes on to say that bullying doesn’t necessarily mean getting violent. It’s quite simple – if, through your actions, you target someone repeatedly to hurt them, it is bullying. He lists examples of bullying by saying how one can spread rumors about others and make that person miserable or target and tease a person endlessly by making him or her feel inferior.
He then talks about peer pressure which leads to both mental and physical trauma. Sometimes, you can find yourself disagreeing with something that everyone is doing but you also end up doing it because you don’t want to be the odd one out. It can lead to disastrous consequences if one is not aware of it.
Speaking against bullying is not easy. No one wants to feel dejected or singled out in life. Sometimes, a child who is bullied can end up bullying someone else just to feel better. Bullying can lead to a boost in confidence which is wrong as the person getting bullied has a lack of confidence. Bullies usually target appearances or class or abilities or family members and so on. What the bullies person undergoes, no one can know properly.
The author states how to overcome bullying. He says if any incident regarding such happens one should immediately raise the concern to an adult. The adult can intervene and help the child who is bullying to reflect and understand their inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour. The author understand that standing up to the bully is very difficult and can have consequences but it is for the best.
But you can speak to your peers about not supporting a bully. Because not participating in doing something wrong also matters. The author emphasizes on the word empathy. He requests the person bullying someone to understand and reflect the state of the bullied. If Meena had complained about Ajay to an adult, not only will she be helping Anu but Ajay also by getting help regarding his habit of bullying others. Bullying is wrong and one should always be against it.
Bullying
Bullying is a distinctive pattern of repeatedly and deliberately harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are smaller, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. The author states in the essay what constitutes a bully and how one should stand against a bully. Bullying can lead to depression and self harm. A person bullying others should not be tolerated under any circumstances. They deliberately target those of less power. Aggression is a very stable social interaction style and some people never grow out it even when they grow up.
Conclusion
Through this writing, the author has rightly portrayed the act of bullying and how one can protect and protest against a bully. He has shown that bullying is never right and no matter what the circumstances are, a bully shouldn’t be tolerated.
