“Go Home Poor Girl”: Symbolic Bullying in “The Rich People School” Bullying is a problem faced by millions around the world. With around 3.2 million students being bullied each year, the problem has grown to a worldwide issue ("11 Facts About Bullying." np). Many could argue the worst part is that only 4 percent of teachers, students or adults reported that they would intervene in the event that they observed a bullying situation taking place ("11 Facts About Bullying." np). Those who are bullied have to deal with many feelings like depression and sadness. It is said that one in ten students drop out of school because of repeated bullying ("11 Facts About Bullying." np). The story “The Rich People School” is a Motswana short story written
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On page two, Lauri Kubuitsile writes, “Inside (lunch box) was left-over paleche and spinach from the night before. Her stomach growled and she began eating right away, not noticing that the children were gathering around her.” A girl with long braids said, “Look at what she eats”. Children stood with their expensive lunches in hand and laughed. Then,”Suddenly a boy rushed forward, and grabbed her tumbler (lunch box) and ran away with it…throwing the paleche and spinach on the green lawn along the way… when he ran past Sylvia, he said,”Go home Poor Girl.” There are two types of bullying in this example. There is name calling and physical bullying. As the children shout,”Go home Poor Girl” this is classified as name calling. While it is not physically hurting, it hurts the ego. When the boy “rushed forward, and grabbed her tumbler” this is an example of physical bullying because it has physically effected her. She no longer has food to eat while she is very hungry. So hurt by the words of her classmates and in fear of a similar activities happening again, she skipped every day of school for the remainder of the school year. Still, every morning her Grandma would “drop her at the end of the road and pick her up at the same place”. She would rather sit and hide all day than risk being humiliated by others. Because of the actions of the students at “The Rich People School”, Sylvia’s education is directly effected. This response happens much too often even today and it is yet another reason to draw awareness of this
On page two, Lauri Kubuitsile writes, “Inside (lunch box) was left-over paleche and spinach from the night before. Her stomach growled and she began eating right away, not noticing that the children were gathering around her.” A girl with long braids said, “Look at what she eats”. Children stood with their expensive lunches in hand and laughed. Then,”Suddenly a boy rushed forward, and grabbed her tumbler (lunch box) and ran away with it…throwing the paleche and spinach on the green lawn along the way… when he ran past Sylvia, he said,”Go home Poor Girl.” There are two types of bullying in this example. There is name calling and physical bullying. As the children shout,”Go home Poor Girl” this is classified as name calling. While it is not physically hurting, it hurts the ego. When the boy “rushed forward, and grabbed her tumbler” this is an example of physical bullying because it has physically effected her. She no longer has food to eat while she is very hungry. So hurt by the words of her classmates and in fear of a similar activities happening again, she skipped every day of school for the remainder of the school year. Still, every morning her Grandma would “drop her at the end of the road and pick her up at the same place”. She would rather sit and hide all day than risk being humiliated by others. Because of the actions of the students at “The Rich People School”, Sylvia’s education is directly effected. This response happens much too often even today and it is yet another reason to draw awareness of this