Perspective and Power in 'Shattering Glass': Lens Essay Anonymous 10th Grade

“No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.” Ansel Adams proposes that every individual must dictate their own lives without the forced influence of another person’s ideas, perceptions, and emotions. Gail Giles’ Shattering Glass, portrays a narrative where a group of guys begin to consort with Simon Glass, a socially unwanted individual that faces verbal abuse and harassment from his peers. In relation to Ansel Adams’ suggestion, the group of guys, specifically their leader, Rob, sets their minds on a mission of putting Simon through a social transformation that is indeed, forcing their ideas onto Glass. As the novel progresses, events present themselves that will only heighten emotions, leading up to the death of Simon Glass. In Shattering Glass, the experiences that the boys undergo, as well as the events that lead up to the tragic incident, reveal the character’s desire to mandate the lives of others, reinforces the stereotype that the upper class is “of higher quality” and more prosperous than the lower class, and that the character’s names hold a deeper...