Margaret Atwoods Cats Eye :: essays research papers

Trace the development of the bullying. How convincing atomic number 18 the situation and Elaines feelings are portrayed.-How it changes and increasesWe are first introduced to Cordelia and prepared for the future conflict between the two girls when it is mentioned, "The third girl doesnt wave". This lack of warmth towards Elaine is a premonition of what is to come, and is at the analogous clipping believable- new girls are often wary of each other, uncertain of what the other will be like. This key moment also reveals certain suit aspects in both Cordelia and Elaine that continue through out the bullying period, for example Cordelias judgmental attitude "her eyes are measuring" or " Cordelia is looking bygone me to where my parents are"      To me, this first meeting seems too rich on detail, too unbelievable because of the amount of detail that the adult Elaine has remembered. I cannot remember so furthermost back as to what another persons eyes looked like even yesterday, perhaps what they said made a deep impact and I would have remembered it, further surely a conversation between two girls when they were eight years old would not have been remembered in such great accuracy so many years afterwards.     Soon after Cordelias arrival she begins to intimidate Elaine, albeit unintentionally, by leading Elaine to make judgements and comparisons which she had not made before "It occurs to be for the first time that we are not rich." Showing the early signs of pressure and bullying starting to happen. Much of Cordelias character is also related to the audience at this point, her grownup doings is revealed "She has a smile like a grown-ups", "But children dont shake hands like this", "I feel shy with Cordelia", as is her childish nature, "The soft squashy kind, like peanut butter". These extreme swings are shown later when Cordelia appears to be friends with Elaine, while really harassing her. This again is typical of children- that they pick up on the conduct of their parents is quite natural, especially in Cordelias circumstances which are related when Elaine visits her with "I ask Cordelia if she is gifted, but she puts her tongue in the corner of her moth and turns away". The main motivation to bully Elaine seems to be the neglect that she has to deal with at home- the older siblings who are gifted and her ordinariness and inability to be more like them.