Please Stop Laughing at Me
By: Jodee Blanco - Kendra Barlow
Summary
Please Stop Laughing at Me is a novel by Jodee Blanco. Jodee Blanco was the main character who was bullied. She was bullied at school constantly by her peers. Blanco was starting to get bullied physically and even having teachers make fun of her in class. She tried moving schools several times but nothing changed. They didn't like or accept her because she was different. Jodee Blanco did things like speech(public speaking) and helped out with the special needs. People just made fun of her and the special needs kids. Her parents thought there was possibly something wrong with her. Jodee got through high school and was successful in her life. She went back to her reunion and talked to the kids she went to school with and was surprised with some of the reactions she had from her peers. "No wonder you're such a loser,' Mr. Horn says to me, laughing."(Blanco 157)
Character Analysis
The main character of Please Stop Laughing at me is Jodee Blanco. She is made fun of by the kids at her school and has trouble making friends in general. She has both, a mom and a dad, and they are both mostly supportive. Her friends include the special needs kids she would help out during her lunches. She was also made fun of for this, resulting in having no friends because she left the special needs kids to not be made fun of. Whenever she looked for friends, she would go to the kids she knew would hurt her instead of the kids who were generally nice and actually wanted to be her friend. "Hey, screw you Blanco, I was just trying to be nice,..."(Blanco 236).
Conflict and Resolution
The conflict is man vs society because no matter what she did, she was pretty much rejected. " It was only a joke. Class, what do you think? Maybe Ms. Blanco should consider going to another school. You obviously don't want to fit in at Samuels."(Blanco157). She resolved this by going to the reunion. When she went, she talked to her classmates and got some apologies. Jodee Blanco got her closure this way.
Theme
I think the theme of the book is people aren't always as they seem. I think this because, at first, Jodee would be perfectly fine and be friends with a group of people. Then she would do something that was "wrong", or that they didn't like. They would turn on her and make her miserable for one reason that didn't even matter. Instead of forgiving her, they bullied her.
Textual Evidence
My favorite part in this book is when Jodee goes on vacation with her family because that is when she is happiest. She's making friends, having a good time, she goes out with her friends, and even has a guy that likes her. "In addition to Yorgos and his group, I have also met someone who I know will be a friend forever." (Blanco 183). I thought this was meaningful because Jodee hasn't really had that group of friends that she can hang out with and talk to about anything. When they hit it off and became friends, it was opening a whole new world up for Jodee.
Book Review
I would rate this book a five out of five stars. I would read this book again and probably the sequel as well. It was fun to discuss the book in groups and it always kept you wanting to read more. It kept you wondering if all of the things actually happened to her that happened in the book.
Multi Media
Physical
Jodee was bullied mentally and physically by her peers.
Age
People are bullied in many different ways at all ages.
Different Ways
Even if you are not physically hurting someone, you could be mentally hurting them.
Multi Media
This video relates to Jodee and the book because Jodee talks about how she has no friends and no one to talk to. She talks about how much words do hurt and she did at one point think about suicide.
Bullying short film - Sticks & Stones
Citation
More information
For more information on bullying and why it may happen, check out these websites.