After being a prime target to Malcolm’s heinous deeds numerous times, Michael lacks the mental and physical courage to take a stand. Furthermore, Mrs. Collings shows Michael that his native intellect is not built to take advantage of the weak. Yet she teaches him how to skillfully access that. Michael lives in a very difficult situation: prey to Malcolm’s constant torture, his unsupportive parents, and his lack of friendship at school which surfaces on to his isolation. Due to his situation, Michael is a vulnerable figure and therefore requires an extensive amount of grooming from Mrs. Collings to come out. She carves the idea of a severe revenge by referring to the samurai warriors: “they prepared for battle by deciding they were dead already
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Yet, samurai warriors exercised their self-discipline which is the complete opposite of stalking behaviour thus Mrs. Collings installs a false sense of courage in him. Michael gradually learns that to get rid of his predator, he will need to do more than to change himself; he will need to analyze Malcolm and find his weakness. He says, “a cunning person can become invisible, if he tries. He can become the hunter, not the hunted. If Malcolm Kennedy was tracking me all the time, I had to become invisible and then I had to start tracking him”(Burnside, 55). Michael effectively gains further knowledge of his bully through spying on him. Ultimately, Malcolm and Mrs. Collings remain far more atrocious than the oblivious Michael, both whom inspire terror as a means of validation. The status quo of the Malcolm and Mrs. Collings arises from the fear they instill in others or the deceptive ideas they preach to the gullible. In essence, Michael remains far more innocent than his prey Malcolm and his mentor Mrs. Collings, both whom inspire terror as a means of validation. Not to mention, when Malcolm is unintentionally led to his own death by Michael, the reader continues to sympathize with Michael as his rational is so
Yet, samurai warriors exercised their self-discipline which is the complete opposite of stalking behaviour thus Mrs. Collings installs a false sense of courage in him. Michael gradually learns that to get rid of his predator, he will need to do more than to change himself; he will need to analyze Malcolm and find his weakness. He says, “a cunning person can become invisible, if he tries. He can become the hunter, not the hunted. If Malcolm Kennedy was tracking me all the time, I had to become invisible and then I had to start tracking him”(Burnside, 55). Michael effectively gains further knowledge of his bully through spying on him. Ultimately, Malcolm and Mrs. Collings remain far more atrocious than the oblivious Michael, both whom inspire terror as a means of validation. The status quo of the Malcolm and Mrs. Collings arises from the fear they instill in others or the deceptive ideas they preach to the gullible. In essence, Michael remains far more innocent than his prey Malcolm and his mentor Mrs. Collings, both whom inspire terror as a means of validation. Not to mention, when Malcolm is unintentionally led to his own death by Michael, the reader continues to sympathize with Michael as his rational is so