Synthesis Page

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Critical Thinking Question:  How does this book help you to think about social issues you care about or causes you are committed to?

Bullying

            “One of them is glaring at me and I realize that he hit me with his backpack as he walked past. I doubt it was an accident and I start to follow them. I know I’m not going to do anything, even though I could. I just don’t like bullies” (Page 28)

            This shows how many of the ‘new’ kids such as John often gets bullied. Although John displayed civil action against the bullies, he didn’t stand up for himself nor did anyone else. There are many kids who enter school for the first time and get treated horribly because they are ‘new’.

            “You think you can stay in school a little longer today? Or are you going to run off again like a little bitch? Snickers spread through the crowd.” (Page 58)

            This happened the day after John had an asthma attack and had to leave school early. Not only is John being physically bullied but he is also being bullied verbally. The ‘big kid’ is picking on the little kid which is very common in bullies all around the world. Bullying could potentially provoke other people to become bullies because of how easy it supposedly is.

Conclusion/ Connection

            Many kids all around the planet are being affected by bullying exactly the way John is. As John was being bullied there were many bystanders who never stood up for him because he was the new kid who was potentially a little bit different than the rest. Students shouldn’t be bullied by their peers both physically and verbally.

Abuse of Power

            “I have the interview with the Gazette tomorrow, and the game on Friday. I don’t have time to worry about crap like this. I’m being accused of something I didn’t do. It’s hard to stay focused with this shit going on.—“I believe you,” the principal says with a smile at Mark.” (Page 67)

            This shows how the principal was only interested in publicity for his school and never considered that his ‘favorite’ student was actually a bully and was harassing other students. This happened right after many people witnessed Mark throw food at John. Although he had many people that witnessed it, he abused his power of being principal to excuse bullying because his star player was being featured in a magazine.

            “I bring my knee straight up into his crotch a little harder than I should have. His breath catches in his throat, and he doubles over. The whole lunchroom gasps.” (Page 59)

            This shows how even the hero can sometimes abuse his own ‘superpower’. He had excessive strength and he used to hurt an average person because he was mad at the original bully. Sometimes the good people in school who seem kind, everyone has a dark side and sometimes people just show them to somebody else, and someone gets hurt.

Conclusion/ Connection

            Many governments and many individuals take power and end up abusing it for their own good. Like the principal, the government can sometimes abuse their own power and cover something up that was supposedly better for themselves. Like John, there are people in the world who have so much power, they take it for granted and use it for themselves and their own liking.

Taking advantage of the Weak

            “The small beasts target the children. They are defenseless, holding sparklers in their hands from the celebration. That is how we are losing—only a few of the Loric are fighting the beasts, the rest are trying to save the children.” (Pages 114-115)

            This happened right after the Mogadorians decided to invade Lorien to take their resources. I think that this part was important because it showed that in order to defeat someone both people and potentially made up characters sometimes choose to attack the weaker kind in order to take advantage and get the outcome for them. This was a lot like the people in our world only there aren’t any aliens. The “children” are the weaker human and the “beasts” are the people that take advantage of the weak.

            “He looks down at the pile of manure on the floor, then back at me. “Mark?” I ask. He nods sadly. “It’s like this all the time, they always pick on me,” he says sighing.” (Page 99)

            The student that was being picked on was Sam Goode, a scrawny teen that still believes in aliens. Mark was always picking on him because he possibly believed that he was weak and that he could never fight or talk back. Mark is the kind of bully that picks on the small kids because he might believe that he is superior and ‘popular’.

Conclusion/Connection

            Many people in this world take advantage of the weak/small people. Just like the characters in this book, people in the world are actually quite similar to them because of their coldness and selfishness to other people. Not all people are like them, some are the victims just like John and Sam, while others are exactly like Mark. 

Julia Nowak 811