Genre
Fiction, Young Adult
Setting and Context
The novel is set in a contemporary American middle school.
Narrator and Point of View
Third person omniscient
Tone and Mood
The novel's tone and mood are serious, realistic, and uncomfortable.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Eric Hayes; Antagonist: Griffin Connelly
Major Conflict
Eric remains silent to protect himself from Griffin's bullying, but he struggles to speak up and seek help.
Climax
Eric finally decides to stand up against Griffin and refuses to continue watching him bully others.
Foreshadowing
Eric's initial timid and shy nature foreshadows that he will become a target of Griffin's bullying.
Understatement
The novel depicts bullying in schools as a normalized problem that harms students who do not speak up because they believe no one will help them.
Allusions
The school setting acts as an allusion to real life, showing how bullying and silence exist not only in schools but also in society.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
Eric stays silent in order to protect himself from Griffin, but this silence makes Griffin choose him as a target.
Parallelism
As Eric's personal growth increases, Griffin's behaviour becomes worse, which strengthens Eric's moral awareness.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Silence and fear are personified as they stop students from speaking.
