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Post by peppermintraymaker on Mar 3, 2011 19:12:59 GMT -5
I haven't gotten to read the later books in the main series yet, but for some reason I am just so sad to hear about how bad things got for Mallory. (I knew she'd gone to boarding school from reading Friends Forever but didn't know the circumstances). Mal was always my favorite when I was a kid because I identified the most with her out of all the sitters. Unfortunately, I could have identified with her with the bullying, too. I guess I would like to have seen her overcome the bad behavior that was being shown to her, either through asserting herself or getting help from her friends in the BSC to quash the nasty teasing. I always hoped that boarding school was simply something she saw as a great opportunity to do the things she loved, but instead I guess it was simply the only escape she knew. Poor girl :-(
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 3, 2011 21:03:34 GMT -5
Mal really did get the short end of almost every stick in the BSC world. :/
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digigirl02
Junior Sitter
The P is for Princess
Posts: 698
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Post by digigirl02 on Mar 7, 2011 23:24:23 GMT -5
Mal really did get the short end of almost every stick in the BSC world. :/ I know, kinda sad isn't it?
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 7, 2011 23:50:03 GMT -5
Very. I really wish she had (at least) succeeded or had a more positive experience taking riding lessons. Also, in Mallory and the Trouble with Twins, she gets her haircut, pierced ears, and with that seemed to (at least for that book) feel better about herself. She also mentioned how she stays calm under pressure and realized that instead of whining about how her parents "treated her" she should talk with them. She sort of did and went on to "fresher" things. She also was confident in helping the twins. Too bad that better self esteem didn't last.
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Post by anzuhana on Oct 25, 2011 14:14:34 GMT -5
I wish that one of the adults (be it one of the teachers, Mallory's parents or the principal) did something about the teasing. Maybe the teasing would've gone down and Mallory wouldn't have wanted to leave had the adults done something. I wonder why none of the adults got involved. Surely, they must've noticed what was going on.
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Post by zoar3 on Oct 25, 2011 16:21:02 GMT -5
^ I said on page 5: Anzuhana, I guess this is "my turn" to once again ask you to share more of your opinions on threads. You are one of this forum's daily posters, a regular. I would enjoy getting to know a little more about you and your BSC preferences. I know, it's not always easy to think of something different or new to add to a discussion. Yes at times, I truly do agree to a T with what another poster has already said. That's great but I think all of us, for the most part, if we are going to say "ITA," include a tiny bit of "why" we do so. Back to this, do you think Mal truly kept what was going on at SMS from her parents? I don't buy they didn't have any clue something was going on with her. No matter how indifferent Stoneybrook parents may be if a child (Mal) is truly that depressed, they had to have been aware of a change! Even if the Pikes, were ignorant either by choice or Mal's insistence, there was zero excuse for the school to have been so. That would have made for a great school spirit subplot: encouraging students to come together in a positive way and not tolerate someone being put down.
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,257
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Post by oldhickory on Oct 25, 2011 17:33:54 GMT -5
mallory definitely talked to her mom about school problems in MHB(AG). unless she is just hoping mallory has put it all behind her and isn't worrying about it, mrs pike already knows that mallory has trouble fitting in with other students and doesn't feel comfortable going to teachers for help. even outside of a bad situation at school, that's something a mother should always be aware of.
edited for spelling
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Post by sparklymouse on Oct 25, 2011 22:25:17 GMT -5
I feel like with all the teen suicides you hear about these days it is extremely possible for parents to be oblivious to their kids' lives and/or they expect way more from the school staff than they're getting. Let's face it, not all the teachers at SMS were so good. Mal had a teacher who didn't even know what her name was, for crying out loud. Claudia had the shady math teacher, Jessi almost pushed a guy to a nervous breakdown, Stacey had the inappropriate Wes... So much also goes down in middle schools that teachers have no idea about. If Mrs. Pike was at all concerned then she should have pushed the subject.
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Post by zoar3 on Oct 25, 2011 22:33:40 GMT -5
^Maybe I just am hoping for more from the fictitious town and families I have come to "love." I just don't see how the Pikes could fail to notice (not take action) if Mal really was as despondent as it sounded like she was. I got the impression she truly felt invisible (except for teasing) as though no one were on her side; possibly family included. I honestly don't remember anybody aside from briefly Kristy and MA in class, standing up for her or even talking with her about what she was going through. (I know MA sort of did in MA in the Middle). I see it as a non physically ill reaction to how Mal behaved at the beginning of "Get Well Soon, Mallory." I think she was giving up, throwing in the towel, and that explained why it was "flight" (to Riverbend) time. I may not "get" why other options were never explored (to our knowledge) but can totally understand why Mal wanted to literally begin again.
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Post by greer on Oct 26, 2011 21:55:11 GMT -5
I think perhaps with eight kids to look after, Mal's problems may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Also it seems as if SMS, like the rest of Stoneybrook, was full of incompetent adults. They didn't do anything when Tess was teased, when Mr. Trout (ok, he's a teacher, but still) was being tortured by his students, AFAIK.
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Post by zoar3 on Oct 26, 2011 22:32:34 GMT -5
^Those are good points, Greer, but still! This wasn't like "I had a bad day or even week or hate boys and gym" type deal. I got the impression as I said above that Mal was growing more despondent each day. I don't care if they had 100 kids, the Pikes should have cared and noticed. If no one else, Mrs. Simon, the 8th grade English teacher for whom Mal was "subbing" for had zero excuse to not step in. It really does seem like Stoneybrook is either full of adults that go into a frenzy over nothing (school spirit), let their 11 year-old be in charge for a weekend but at the same time not allow her to baby-sit "at night" outside their home, and/or are completely oblivious to what's going on with their kid. The same points can be said about the SMS administration, sadly. Lol, despite all this, we still heart Stoneybrook!
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Spaz Girl.
Mar 30, 2020 17:08:12 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by CharlotteTJohanssen on Mar 30, 2020 17:08:12 GMT -5
“Mary Anne, I haven’t decided yet, but I feel that I need something drastic,” she said quietly. “Some days it’s as if I’m floating all alone out in space. At home I’m just one of the crowd. At school I’m Spaz Girl. And even in the BSC I’m only a junior officer with no real job to perform.”
^thats what Mallory says in Mary Anne in the middle. I think she’d been feeling like Riverbend will help solve her problems if she’s out on her own.
I feel like the teachers should have said or done something. I don’t blame her for wanting to stand out but the bullying was going almost too far. Mrs or mr pike could have talked to her. Although there were parts in 122 that makes me think Mrs pike knew but couldn’t do much about it.
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