The Real Bully In the short story “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the main character is Push the bully. Push is introduced as a bully who doesn’t believe in real force. That information made me question Push as a bully. What kind of bully doesn’t like using real force? Anyway, as the story moves on, a new character is introduced. His name is John Williams, and he is described as being pretty and perfect. The first encounter Push has with John Williams, Push couldn’t bully him. Push was not able to mimic his voice or find anything wrong with him to pick on. This became Push’s mission throughout the story. John begins to attract the kids who have problems, the kids that Push is usually picking on. John acts as an inspirational figure for the fat boy telling him he doesn’t need all those fatty foods. And he acts as a tutor for the dumb kid by helping study and encouraging him to be on the honor roll. Soon enough John Williams has all these kids following him around as if he is their God; and Push has no one. Later on in the story, we start to really see how John Williams is treating these kids. He begins to treat them as if they are his minions, because he knows they have no one else to go to. On page 187 in the text, John Williams refers to the other students repeatedly as ‘boys’, almost as if they are beneath him. “Boys,” he begins, “today we’re going to learn a game that the knights of the lords and kings of old France used to play in another country.” This quote further proves my point that John Williams does not look at the other students as he does himself; as an equal individual. He knows he is better than them which is why they follow him around, listen to what he says, and do everything he wants them to do. John Williams is no better than Push the bully. Nearing the end of the story, Push finally gets the opportunity to hit John Williams, so he does. Since John Williams portrays himself as some symbol of God, Push thought John would just turn the other cheek and get hit again. But that wasn’t the case; John Williams reacted brutally. Push raised his leg with intentions of kicking him in the face and John Williams grabbed his ankle and spun him in the air. Push landed flat on his back. John’s actions at that moment proved he was actually no better than Push. John Williams used force to defeat his victim and Push has never done that. So I ask, who is the real bully?
Naomi Alphonso Professor Chappell English 106W 3rd February 2012 A Guilty Conscience A Poetics for Bullies is an allegorical piece of literature written to personify the essence of having a conscience. Push the main character is given humanistic traits. The writer gives push a hierarchy over other characters. Push says he hates the students with glasses, rich or poor kids, smart or unintelligent kids, and a number of other groups (173). However, one can see that push seems to hate the students that have no flaws. An example of this would be John Williams. This character in the story is portrayed as being the closest thing to perfect. Push cannot find a flaw. This drives Push to a breaking point. This idea is further exemplified when Push remarks, ‘…I wish I were tall, or fat, or thin.’ (173) This defines Push as being something other than human. Push is merely a conscience. Push is there to drive people to realize their faults. Push is a guilty conscience. He helps Mimmer study to get better grades. If Push was human and a bully, he would not care about the betterment of his peers. However, Push drives people to do things like study over going out with their friends. Push says “I’m a coveter…I covet and case.” (173) By this he implies that he takes over. He goes into the minds of people and takes control of their train of thought. Push plays on a guilty conscience. He does not like those people who do not have anything to hide. People that are well liked and are not self-conscious are not of particular interest to Push. Girls adore John, teachers repeat his sayings, and even the principal praised John (184). Therefore, Push could not prey on him like he did with everyone else. Push’s character was allegorical and represented more than just that of a bully. Push separated himself from the other characters in the end of this piece of literature to signify the distinction of his character.
Where in the story does Push help Mimmer study? Inaccurate. The writing here is so overblown and ornate-this is not an allegory, and Push does not merely "personify" something. This paper doesn't get the story at all.
Cassie Ferraro Professor Chappell English 106W 30 January 2012 Response to “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin If one reflects upon their youth, undoubtedly, they can recall one individual that was the source of seemingly unlimited torment. In “A Poetics for Bullies,” Elkin examines the mind of the bully, Push, to let readers into the thoughts of such a person. Through this, we see the disparity that Push suffers through: being the egotistical individual that he portrays himself to be, and the truly jealous child that he is. The opening paragraphs of the short story give the reader insight to the kind of person that Push is. After describing all the various kinds of people he demonstrates contempt for, he goes on to say that he is a coveter. “I wish I were tall…I’m a coveter, a Boston Blackie of the heart, casing the world. Endlessly, I covet and case.” (Elkin 173) All the attributes that he listed in those he dislikes, he wishes he had in himself. When picking on a boy with red hair while the boy’s mother is watching, she shouts from her car that Push only bullies her son because Push wishes that he had hair like her son. And to some extent that is true. Push indeed admits, “It’s true; I did wish I had his red hair.” (Elkin 173) Perhaps what Push is noticing is that he hates all the attributes in people that other individuals find distinguishing and lovely. It only solidifies his statement: “I love nobody loved.” (Elkin 173) On the surface, we see Push as the bully he is. We see that he is self-centered and only thinks for himself. In bullying his classmates, he seeks to improve his self-esteem by hurting those that are cared for. Not only does he find a way to improve his self-worth, but he also finds amusement in bullying which, in turn, boosts his ego. By having a strong following, he has manipulated individuals into “obeying” him and doing whatever his bidding is. Due to a salivating issue, his sidekick, Eugene is forced to drink hot water because Push tells him with his affliction “you’ve got to evaporate fluids before they get into your glands.” Reluctantly, Eugene keeps drinking so as to not upset Push. This control that he keeps over his “friend” is only a mask for the self-consciousness that he possesses. This is shown again when John Williams is introduced. Immediately, Push is intrigued by this opposite force. He warns Eugene that John’s arrival doesn’t change the status quo. “Let’s understand something. No matter what this new kid is like, nothing changes as far as you and I are concerned…Nothing, Eugene. I mean it. You don’t get out from under me.” (Elkin 177) However, once John assimilates himself into the lives of the other boys at school, Push finds that a new leader has emerged. Many of the boys like John’s company because he proves to be a helpful and encouraging person. When Eugene tries to tell Push that he shouldn’t be mean to him, he adds that John had offered to take Eugene to a doctor to fix his salivating problem. Quickly, Push becomes jealous of the attention that John is getting from the other boys. Despite Push’s obvious distaste for John, John still tries to help Push in the ways that he has helped the other boys. When Push forgets his change at lunch, John forms a sort-of bucket brigade to make sure that Push gets his coins back. This is confusing to Push because, in his mind, they are rivals. As a reader, we do not see the two as rivals, but we see one kid trying to help another. Throughout the whole story, we as readers are given countless examples of Push’s disparity between wanting to maintain the control over the other students who also admire John Williams, and between him wanting to be someone like John Williams; Or perhaps, him wanting to be John Williams.
Jennifer Linke Professor Chappell English 106W 3 February 2012 Social Power Stanley Elkin’s, “A Poetics for Bullies” revolves around the central idea of a need for control and social power. The character Push remains in control over all the other boys by bullying, not physically, but mentally. He uses his words to hurt the boys and give them negative attention. Push knows how to manipulate the boys and how to control them, and make them believe that Push is in control. For example, Eugene has been taken under Push’s wing and Push makes it clear that once Eugene is under him there is no escape. Push uses Eugene’s condition to his advantage by manipulating him. Push bullies the boys who are different and are not socially accepted because of their conditions. Push struggles to remain in control and keep his social power over the boys, when John Williams comes to their school. John Williams attempts to help the boys and tries to make them socially acceptable. In some ways John Williams represents a bully because he tries to change all of the boys, instead of accepting them for who they are. Push struggles to keep the boys under his control because the boys are now getting attention of a different nature, and they are not as easily intimidated by Push. Push is infatuated with the fact that John Williams cannot be bullied, he cannot be broken. This also scares Push, and is a little intimidating because Push does not know what to do; he has always been able to manipulate the other boys. The story shows a strong struggle of social power and control over the other characters in the story.
Kelsey Nolan Professor Chappell EN 106W 2 February 2012
A Poetics For Bullies In this short story ‘A Poetics for Bullies,’ the main character Push tells the story from his point of view. Push is not a violent bully but a verbal bully. Push knows how to use language to hurt others not his fists. Push controls everyone until the stories antagonist appears. The antagonist’s name is John Williams. John Williams and Push share similar characteristics but they use them in different ways. John and Push are very similar but push uses his power for evil while John uses his power for good. Push and John are both manipulative people. Push forces Eugene to drink hot water just out of mean enjoyment. Push undermines people’s feelings in order to make himself proud. Push ‘pushes’ them down to boost himself up. John uses his form of manipulation for positive outcomes. John teaches the boys games, romances the girls, and helps boys get confidence. Helping others and being everyone’s friend makes John proud. The same characteristic is used in to different ways. John and Push both are very witty boys. John and Push are both brilliant with their words by using language to get people to do what they say. Push uses mockery to quick come backs to confuse and intimidate his collages. John uses inviting wording to make people want to follow in what he does. These two boys who seem very different are actually rather similar. Both are witty, leaders, manipulative, and very smart with their words. The both of them have strong effects on the people around them. Push has a more negative effect while John Williams is more positive. Push can easily be argued the less moral character. He tells each character there flaws very honestly yet rude. But, if you think about it, is he really the less moral character? Push is being honest, while John Williams is giving false hope.
A Poetic for Tyrants In Stanly Elkin’s short story, A Poetic for Bullies, the two main characters, Push and John Williams, have an internal as well as external struggle with one another. Push is the town bully; however his use of violence is strictly verbal. He plays mind tricks on kids with the use of language. John Williams, on the other hand, uses language to persuade kids to be better versions of them and fascinates them with stories of foreign lands. The internal struggle is that each character is trying to “conquer” the other. Push wants John to submit to his bullying just like the other kids. John wants to encourage Push to better himself, just as he’s encouraged all the other children. The theme in this story is power. Each character has a form of power and control over the town kids, except for each other. Although Push seems like the antagonist, it is clear that John Williams can be considered as one as well, due to the fact that they are both struggling for full power. The climactic scene of their physical fight occurs near the end of the story. Push throws the first punch, not so much in an effort to hurt John, but more so to provoke him into hitting him back and revealing John’s “bad side.” John wins the fight, yelling out “sic simper tyrannus” as he punches Push. This phrase can be translated to “down with tyrant.” Brutus said this when he assassinated Ceaser, and Booth said it when he assassinated President Lincoln. It seems like the typical phrase given from the protagonist to the antagonist, but it may be the opposite. In both assassinations, the killers used that phrase in an attempt to label their victims as tyrants; however history remembers these assassinators as the villains of the story. History itself plays a big role in this story due to the fact the word “poetics” originated from Aristotle. It seems as though Elkin repeatedly referenced the past in his story. With that being said, John Williams may have been the real tyrant in the story, just as Brutus and Booth were.
The title of Stanley Elkin’s story “A Poetics for Bullies” evokes the spirit of classic tragedy. The narrative has the language and the rhythm of an ancient Greek myth. Is its protagonist a tragic hero? Certainly not by Aristotle’s standards: Push does inspire fear and pity, but he is not even remotely virtuous. Nor is he sufficiently human for a hero. He is a god. Push says that plainly enough, in the end of the story: “I am Push, Push the bully, God of the Neighborhood, its incarnation of envy and jealousy and need.” Those words are not merely raving of a confused teenager trying to psyche himself up for the final blow. They are the accurate description of what Push is in the story. We don’t even really know that Push is a teenager. We assume that he is because he mentions being inside a school many times, and because some of his victims are of a kissing and dating age. But we are never told his age, what he looks like, what he wears, or whether he has any family. We do know he lives in an apartment. That is the only positive fact we are allowed to know about Push. Instead, we know a lot about what he is not. He is not red haired. He is not “tall, or fat, or thin.” Nor is he “a man, a small boy, a girl in the choir.” He seems to be an ageless, ancient spirit that happens to temporarily assume the appearance of a mortal kid, in the best tradition of Greek gods. Push is a god of envy and need, and his envy is not only for things that are good. He covets flaws as much as perfection, misery as much as happiness. He craves being human, belonging with humans. “You know what I like? To stand in crowds. To wait with them at the airport to meet a plane. Someone asks what time it is. I'm the first to answer. Or at the ballpark when the vendor comes. He passes the hot dog down the long row. I want my hands on it, too.” Push’s antagonist, John Williams, seems decidedly more human. He has a real name, to begin with. He is tall, with long legs, beautiful voice, and clear skin. Everything about him is perfect. Too perfect for a human, in fact. Push notices that: “What could he be doing here, why had he come, what did he want? It was impossible that this hero from India and everywhere had made his home here.” John Williams knows everything, has been everywhere. He teaches the boys “lost sports of the dead”. “His yellow hair swirled on his head like a crayoned sun.” Is he another god, then? An Apollo’s relative, a kinder god who doesn’t envy humans but likes to be amongst them and helps them to become more god-like. He has his own magic, quiet but powerful. Push writes John’s name on a wall, hoping to humiliate him, but “each day there was something more celebrational in the giant name, something of increased hospitality, lavish welcome.” Girls write his name on the margins of their notebooks, and “the big canvas books, with their careful, elaborate J's and W's, took on the appearance of ancient, illuminated fables.” Push and John Williams fight for the control of the neighborhood, and John Williams wins. He stays to teach, help, heal, and bask in the admiration of mortals. Push is forced to throw away the disguise of a human. He shows his real magic and his real essence. He spits out his incantation, "I will have something. I will have terror. I will have drought. I bring the dearth. Famine's contagious. Also is thirst. Privation, privation, bareness, void. I dry up your glands, I poison your well." The spell works! But it doesn’t change anything. He has to leave. He will try his bag of tricks again, some other place, some other time. But he will always have to leave.
Mitchel Cleveland Professor Chappell English 106W 2 February 2012 A Poetics For Bullies The short story “A Poetics For Bullies” is about a bully of a certain kind. He doesn’t use force or physical punishment, but he uses his words and his mind to hurt you. His name is Push and he is the biggest bully in school. One day John Williams moves to the town and goes to school with them. At first Push cannot make fun of him because normally he can imitate flaw and at first appearance John has none. John and Push are very similar to one another. They are both manipulative, smart, and leaders. Push is the leader of Eugene, who follows Push around because Push gives him the attention no one else does. Eugene drools all the time constantly and Push convince the kid to always drink water because he “dying”. John is a leader in his own way. He has his own way of telling stories and getting people to like him and be on his side. On the playground Push would tell all the other kids what their daddies would do to their mommies. On the other hand John would teach the boys game, how to flirt with girls, and tell intriguing stories to catch everybody’s attention. John becomes the Protagonist and Push becomes the Antagonist. Push one day confronts John because he just cannot stand it anymore. Push goes to fight John, but it does not work for him at all. John beats Push up with ease and while punching him he shouts, “Sic Semper Tyrannus.” Sic Semper Tyrannus stands for down with the tyrant which is exactly what John was doing when he fought Push. He was taking down a tyrant.
Ryan McDonald McDonald 1 Professor Bolster English 106W 2 February 2012
Response to “A Poetics For Bullies” In Stanley Elkin’s short story, “A Poetics For Bullies,” we are introduced into the disheartening life of Push “the bully.” Push reveals his strong disliking of, “new kids and sissies, dumb kids and smart, rich kids, poor kids, kids who wear glasses, talk funny, show offs.” (Elkin pg. 143) Push brags about the way he torments and bullies kids who are different than him, and takes pride in his cruel actions. Push goes verbally and physically above and beyond to make it known that he is the bully around town for a reason. Push’s desire to be unique and have his own claim to fame in school urges his hostile traits. Push represents the willingness that people in society possess to stand for something in order to stand out from the crowd at any cost possible. Individuality is something that is not given to you, but rather something that you achieve through your actions. Push represents the model of how people in society hold on to their unique characteristics that makes them individuals. Push is frustrated that he doesn’t have any special characteristic that will make him stand out in school so he reverts to bullying tactics that he hopes will catch the attention of his fellow classmates. Although Push discriminates on his different classmates he doesn’t necessarily hate those particular characteristics but the fact that they have them. The fact that Push states that he would rather be fat or thin specifies McDonald 2 the degree to which he would go to establish himself with a particular identity. Push reinforces by stating, “I’m a coveter…I covet and case.” (Elkin pg. 173) Push is discontent with himself and wishes to seek another identity but only uses bullying as his form of expression. The antagonist of the story is the new kid in school, John Williams who has no distinct trait about him but is immediately adored by his new class mates. John acknowledges the fact that he is not different than the rest so he uses kindness and helps his classmates instead of bullying them. Williams’s normality ultimately gives him a heroic title in the story compared to Push who envy’s John and remains his bullying habits. The story ends with no reconciliation or change from Push. I believe Elkin’s theme of the story is the fact that at the end of the day, people stay true to what they know and what makes them the person they are. Everyone has something special and unique to offer the world, but it is their job to find those qualities and make light of it.
Kristina Kruse Professor Chappell ENG 106W-01 2 February 2012 Don’t Push Me Around In the story written by Stanley Elkin, “A Poetics for Bullies,” the protagonist struggles through an arched transition of self growth. The climax of the story is not a singular moment, rather a progression of interactions and reactions to the antagonistic character. Push, the protagonist, establishes an elaborate self-image very early on. His language illustrates his disapproval with the behaviors he has portrayed up until now, and speaks of a desire to rise above his affliction of bullying. “There is no magic. If there were I would learn it…I would look for the main chants. Then I’d change things. Push would!” Push utilizes such stunning language to describe the beauty and turmoil he witnesses in daily communication. Sometimes I think I'm the only new kid. In a room, the school, the playground, the neighborhood, I get the feeling I've just moved in, no one knows me (This statement describes a feeling of solace; everyone is no one). You know what I like? To stand in crowds. To wait with them at the airport to meet a plane. Someone asks what time it is. I'm the first to answer. Or at the ballpark when the vendor comes. He passes the hot dog down the long row. I want my hands on it, too. On the dollar going up, the change coming down (The uplifting spirit of these experiences describe hope of a good in the world; everyone can be someone). (175) These words display a hope for self enlightenment and change. After bullying has become a part of who he is he realizes that the flaw he sees in others no longer uplifts him the way it used to. John Williams, the antagonist who we may also describe as a possible foil of Push, exudes a domineering personality the Push cannot unfold. After much observation and many attempts at out witting John, Push’s intellectual stamina has drained. His slight of mouth is not match for John’s ingenuity. A defeatist attitude has never been favored by Push and he will have his vengeance. Ironically the vengeance he seeks leads him to self reflection, and ultimately detachment from the life he has known. After instigating a physical altercation, Push finally penetrates the impervious shell that has been shadowing John. Push already knew he would lose fist to fist, but had hoped John retaliation would exalt him amongst the “… fatties, [dummies, slobs, and clowns], the gimps and squares and oafs and fools… all those losers.” Instead, their reactions project upon him and his heart is changed. No longer will he associate with these people. “I will not be reconciled, or halve my hate. It’s what I have, all I can keep. My sour solace. It’s enough, I’ll make do.”
Karina Rodriguez Prof. Chappell English 106 February 2012
Who’s the Real Bully?
Push is the main character in the short story, “A poetic for Bullies.” He sets himself out to be this tough little boy who can talk to all the kids around him in whichever way he wants. Push thinks he’s really tough and uses aggressive words toward everyone. Push wants to be the boss of everyone and he wants everyone to listen to what he has to say. He says that he is on top and everyone is under him. Push never uses any physical force or action towards anyone, he doesn’t hurt anyone, only with his words he is very much in charge at all times. Push says that he doesn’t like anyone with glasses, sissies, dumb kids, smart, rich, poor, and especially kids who are crippled. Basically Push doesn’t like anyone who comes in contact with him and when they do he has to tell them what to do, basically because he thinks he is the boss. Push doesn’t think that anyone will ever come in front or ahead of him. He likes to pick on kids who have something different about them so that he can point it out to them and make them feel bad. This new kid comes named John Williams. In the story he is portrayed as perfect, there is absolutely nothing wrong with his kid. John William is tall, he was wearing expensive clothing, and as push said he looked like someone who had been on a ship or a jet. Push got closer to John William and said his voice was beautiful and clear. It aggravated Push that he had nothing to joke about this new flawless student. He needed to figure something out he knew that John William wasn’t the “perfect student.” Push then came to a conclusion, Push wanted to fight John William he knows if John William doesn’t hit back then he really isn’t a bad kid after all. Push said, “He has gone to far this time and I think sadly I have to fight him, I will have to fight him not to preserve honor but its opposite. Every time I see him I will have to fight him. And I think of course and I smile. He has done me a favor. I know it at once. If he fights me he fails. He fails if he fights me. “ He continues on saying if he does fight back he fails, basically stating he knows John William is not the perfect person. Push goes to school the next day and join in the circle with John Williams and all the other students. Push leaves the circle and punches John William right in his face. This isn’t something Push normally does, he also went to go and kick John William and John William grabs his ankle and turns it forcefully. Right then and there John William proved that he is not the perfect student that he sets himself out to be. Everyday telling kids his own stories, teaching them how to play games his way, calling them boys as if there his students or under him, and then finally grabbing Push’s ankle when he went to kick him. The perfect student that he portrayed himself to be actually turned him into the bully that no one believed he was. At the end of the story it seemed that Push was jealous because he wanted to be John William who is in charge a nice way, and John William wants to be in charge because he comes to this school and sees this “bully,” Push who’s in charge. The conclusion seemed to really emphasize the question of Who is the real Bully in this story, “A Poetic for Bullies."
Nick Coutant Professor Chappell English 106W February 3, 2012 A Poetics for Bullies Bullying has become one of the biggest problems that kids face in school in today’s world. Most bullies are usually bigger and stronger than most other kids. What you normally don’t see is a bully that is smaller and weaker than most kids and controls them by getting into their head and torturing them mentally. In Stanley Elkin’s A Poetics for Bullies, Push is very different from most other bullies. You could tell right from the beginning of the story that Push was not an ordinary bully. He tells you that he hates violence, “I’m a pusher, no hitter, no belter; an aggressor of marginal violence, I hate real force.” Most bullies have almost the complete opposite view of that, most of them only use force to get what they want. He hates force so much because it is something that he cannot control. He is too small to force much on anybody, that’s why if you’re a bully like he is you “use your head.” The stereotype for most bully’s is that they are not the smartest kids in the school. Push on the other hand seems to be very intelligent for his age. It was surprising when he said “Do you know what makes me cry? The Declaration of Independence. ‘ All men are created equal.’ That’s beautiful” one of the last things that I would expect a kid his age to have read would be the Declaration of Independence. He is also very smart in the way that he knows exactly how to control most of the people around him, of course until he meets John Williams. Push is very different from most other bullies in that he is a smaller and weaker kid, and he seems to be much more intelligent than most kids his age. He hates violence but he wants control so he is able get into the heads of his fellow classmates and control them that way. Push truly proves to be different from most bullies and bullies don’t always have to be violent to get control.
William Arndt 2/12/12 Fictional Writing A Poetics for Bullies Response The short story of A Poetics for Bullies by Stanley Elkin is very interesting for a number of reasons. The main character’s name is Push who is a bully. But not just your average bully, Push does not believe in punishment or violence through force, he uses his mind. He is a thinker for sure. He’s very witty and sporadic in his way of viewing things. For example, Push would have his victims drink water because he knows they have an issue with drooling. Anything to morally scrutinize someone, that’s what Push, loves. The other main character in this story goes by the name of John Williams. I’d say it’s safe to say Push and John are nearly opposites of each other in terms of personality. John Williams is the new guy who wants to help everyone out just to be friendly. He’s the kind of guy to say “hey if you want to get stronger, you should go to the gym, to lift weights.” Push and John are different in that way because Push barely even likes anyone, and John Williams wants to give people a helping hand. But the interesting thing about Push and John Williams is that they do share some things in common. To their class mates Push and John are both dominant leaders and tyrant. This similarity occurs at the end of the story when Push confronts John Williams. Push despises John Williams because he appears to have nothing to hide, girls, boys, and even teachers like him (184). Push confronts John simply because he does not like him and wants to prove to himself that he can find flaws even in someone who appeared perfect in the eyes of others. Push hits John Williams and instead of John Williams just turning the other cheek, he flips Push around and slams him to the floor by force. Nobody, including Push saw this coming. My favorite part of the book was when John Williams says to Push, “Sic semper tyran"Sic semper tyrannusnous”(19x0). This Latin expression basically describes the tension between tyrant people and the battle for power. Because that’s what their fight is essentially about, two tyrants banging heads for dominance over their peers, but in much different ways. The involvement of battle for power, social status, and different personalities is what make this story so interesting.
One In The Same In “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the protagonist, John Williams, and the antagonist, Push, are very similar in some aspects. On the surface these two characters are very different. There is Push, the bully, the cruel kid. Then you have John, the kid who is nice to everyone and has an air of intellect about him. In simple terms you can classify Push as the bad guy and John as the good guy. But, they both show traits and express concerns and thoughts that can be closely linked. Push and John are both manipulators, albeit in different ways. They manipulate because, at their core, both John and Push want the others around them to feel like attention is being paid to them and that someone is willing to care about them. In the story, Push says, “Who else cared about the fatties, about the dummies and slobs and clowns, and the gimps and squares and oafs and fools, the kids with a mouthful of mush, all those shut-ins of the mind and heart, all those losers?” (pg. 181). Even though Push does cruel things to other people, like make Eugene drink hot water from the tap, he almost justifies it in a way because at least he is acknowledging them when others might not. He even says he is doing God’s dirty work by exploiting his peer’s faults. He manipulates people through intimidation. The character of John is a more compassionate character, but is still a manipulator like Push. John gets people to change their behavior under the guise that it will better them as people and increase their potential prospects. Now, John is harder to read because we as readers don’t have his internal dialogue expressed to us. But, one would think the accolades John gets from pushing the other boys into changing their behaviors and receiving positive feedback from that has to feel good. The validation is important to him. Just like Push is doing “God’s dirty work”, John is also doing what he feels is right also, not only with manipulating behaviors, but with his fight with Push as well. When he strikes Push, John says “sic semper tyrannus”, meaning down with the tyrant. He feels Push is a negative and dominating figure who must be brought down, which he ends up accomplishing in that moment. Manipulation doesn’t always have to be an adverse action or mean an adverse action. There is positive manipulation and negative manipulation. John ultimately used manipulation to get people to do what he wanted them to do by being their friend and expressing how potential change might benefit them. Alternatively, Push uses manipulation to get others to do what he wanted by intimidation.
Stephanie Mazzucco Professor Chappell English 106W February 3rd 2012 Identity Clash In the short story “Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin the narrator and antagonist of the story, Push, is confronted with a problem that he has never faced before. Being the typical American bully, Push usually is never defied by anyone of his schoolmates. However, when a young man by the name of John Williams comes along and starts to disrupt the balance of things Push has to resort to methods of bullying that he never would have thought of before. One thing that struck me as interesting about this particular story is that there was absolutely no mention of any type of adult figure throughout the story. I found this as a great thing for the story because it doesn’t give Push a reason as to why he is such an unhappy individual. One of the most powerful quotes in the beginning of the story to prove this point is when he states that “I love nobody loved.” (Elkin P1) As a young boy for something like this to be said he must have had some experiences in his life in which he doesn’t trust people very easily and won’t allow himself to get close to anyone. Maybe Push himself is not loved and therefore is jealous of everyone else that seems to have any sign of happiness or serenity in their lives so he makes it difficult on them in order for them to feel the way in which he feels all of the time. So when John Williams comes along and shows that he has the ability to make kids swarm to him like moths to a flame Push cannot resist the urge to try and find his one flaw. In the end Push thinks that he has found John’s flaw because he made John fight with him and Push feels that people will not look at John as such a perfect boy anymore. However, despite the sheer fact that Push has a dark side to him he also shows some signs of moral integrity. It seems that in the story the only person that doesn’t have an extreme hatred for Push is a boy by the name of Eugene. Eugene has a saliva gland disorder which causes him to drool a lot. Push tells him to drink a lot of water because he is losing so much water already. In this instance Push shows some compassion and care for someone other than purely himself. He also makes a statement about females and how they are like flowers in a graveyard. Meaning that he has some sense that even in a place that is supposed to be dark and ominous there is still some good surrounding it. This could be seen as the world being a bad place and women giving it the balance that is needed in order for all of us to survive. All in all I believe that this was an extremely interesting story and it evoked a lot of stimulating ideas and concepts from it.
Bryn Landino Professor Chappell/Mr. Bolster Eng 106W 3 February 2012 “A Poetics for Bullies” Response There are different kinds of bullies out there. There are the ones who beat kids up for whatever reason, the ones who try and put others down with their words, ones who are a combination of the two, and also ones who bully people into doing the right thing. You can bully people in more than one way. In “A Poetics for Bullies”, Stanley Elkin illustrates that with the characters Push and John Williams. The two boys are more alike than they think- manipulation is a strong suit for both of them. Manipulation is defined as the act of adapting or changing (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage. John Williams definitely does that just as well as Push. Granted, John Williams does it for the other students, but he still does get gratification from knowing that HE is the one who made it happen. John tells people anything he can to get them to do what he wants, which is to improve themselves. Push is not a strong enough guy to use force to get people to do what he wants them to do. So what does he do? He manipulates them. He says so himself when he says “I’m best at torment”. He knows he is not the strongest, so he plays up his strength: word games and manipulation. He convinces Eugene to get a canteen for water, just because he can. Push is an intimidating kid, there is no denying that; but that’s just it. He is good at intimidation but when the time comes, he is not strong enough to fight physically. The fight with John Williams shows that. The basic idea here is that just because Push and John Williams are not the same type of manipulator, it does not mean that they both do not do it. You can be a bully and do it in different ways. As previously stated, bullies can manipulate people into doing good just as easily as doing bad.
Trey Cole Professor Chappell English 106W 2 February 2012 Title Here Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. They can be large and strong, skinny and cunning, rude, nasty, or any combination of these prior traits. While many people might accuse bullies of being inhumane and cruel, bullies tend to have one particular skill mastered: being in complete control of others while holding onto their pride. The main character, Push, in the short story, “A Poetic for Bullies” by Stanly Elkin, is a perfect example of that. Push is not the biggest of people in the world. He does not overwhelm his prey with strength nor does he ever target women. He targets people that are loved. When a new kid comes to the school that Push attends, instinctively Push wants to give this kid a hard time. However, Push realizes that not only will the new kid, John Williams, entertain Push’s attempts to bully him, but John Williams has also managed to hold complete jurisdiction over the other classmates with positive reinforcement. Naturally, Push has a huge problem with this. At the end of the story, Push confronts John Williams and a physical altercation arises. Push ends up losing in a fight to John Williams but Push finds solace in this. Not only has he broken John Williams by making him fight; Push also realizes that John Williams will never have control over Push. Bullies are quite prideful creatures and Push starts and ends the story with his pride still intact.
Alyssa Downey Dr. Chappell Intro to Fiction 3 February, 2012 Angels and Demons In “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the main character, Push, puts on a hard exterior in order to be tough and intimidating. This behavior is encouraged by Eugene, a boy who follows Push around like a sidekick. He pushes Push to say mean things to others and to show no mercy. This all changes when Push meets a new student named John Williams. In Push’s eyes, John is perfect. He is attractive and well put-together, and encourages kids to do the impossible in order to make themselves feel better. Push cannot bring himself to make fun of John, and meanwhile, Eugene is trying to get Push to say something hurtful. Push is in a situation where he has an angel on one shoulder, John, and a devil on the other, Eugene. Push’s struggle between these two characters is a physical representation of his conflict with himself. Push wants to be hard. He uses no physical violence, so he goes straight to verbal abuse. Push knows where it hurts. Eugene allows him and wants him to be bad. He whispers cruel ideas into Push’s ear, like in the cartoons with the devil on the shoulder. Push wants to act tough and mean, but inside his head, he admires people who help others and are liked by others. However, Push has been a bully for so long that it has become a comfort zone to him. By changing who he is, he does not know if people will forgive him and treat him the same way they treat John. John is the angel on Push’s shoulder who is manipulating him to be like him. It is not directly, but by his actions towards others, John is making Push envious. John is the push that is making Push want to change. Even though he acts tough, Push does have a caring personality. Eugene is an outcast who drools all over himself, and Push makes sure he drinks enough water and does not choke in his own saliva. The way people react to John is god-like. They go to him for self-improvement, and he is flawless. Push envies this. He wants to be like John and have people go to him for comfort. However, he has Eugene on the other side pulling him back. Both Eugene and John manipulate Push to go to one side or the other. Push is torn between these two decisions because he wants to be both sides. Being a bully is familiar, yet being caring and nice is fulfilling. The back and forth conflict with Push and John while Eugene is standing behind Push, is a physical representation of Push’s mental conflict. He is stuck in the middle. It is up to him which side he wants to be pulled into.
Nicole DeFosche Professor Chappell EN 106W 3 February 2012 A Poetics for Bullies In the short story, “A Poetics for Bullies” written by Stanley Elkin, the story is first introduced with the main character, Push. Push is a bully who only is a “pusher”. Push says “I’m a pusher, no hitter, no belter; an aggressor of marginal violence, I hate real force.)” After reading this, it made me wonder what kind of bully is Push? When the word “bully” comes to my mind, I think of a physical person who loves to fight others. When Push said he wasn’t physical, it made me think if he was a real bully or just someone who thought he was “big and tough”. Push describes the type of people he doesn’t like. He says “What I hate are new kids and sissies, dumb kids and smart kids, rich kids, poor kids, kids who wear glasses, talk funny, show off, patrol boys and wise guys and kids who pass pencils and water the plants- and cripples, especially cripples. I love nobody.” After I read this, it made me think if he doesn’t like all these types of people and just “pushed” people, why doesn’t he physically hurt them, but one of Push’s specialties was mimicking people. He always liked and enjoyed mimicking people. Also in the short story, another character by the name of John William was introduced. John is the new kid in town and he’s prefect. The author describes him as a perfect kid. When Push talked about and described John, he said “he was a prince, I tell you.” John was so perfect to Push that he didn’t even know how to make fun or how to mimic John. Towards the end of the story, John starts to fight Push, hopefully knocking some sense into him. John just really wanted to get through to Push and make him a better person. He thought by fighting him, it would give him a glimpse of what it feels like to be bullied, but hopefully for him to like John as well. John’s plan backfired on him and he didn’t end up liking him.
Brie Brown Prof. Chappell ENG 106W-01 3 February 2012 John Williams, The Manipulator In today’s society, bullying takes place every day. A bully is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. In the American Short Story, “A Poetics for Bullies,” it is clear that the character Push is the main bully. However, it also shows how devious and bully-like the character John Williams is. John Williams is no hero. In the story, Push is the bully who mentally manipulates other boys and makes them feel bad. He essentially belittles them. When his friend Eugene tells him about this new kid John Williams, he does not really care much about the situation until he sees how perfect and how he’s, as Push describes him, “a prince” (Elkin 178). But is John Williams really a prince-like guy? Is he really god-like? It is all an act to get everyone on his side rather than having people be afraid of Push. Throughout the story, John Williams wins everyone over with his intricate stories and helping people better themselves. Yes, it is good that he helped all those people, but it is a little too good to be true. When someone transfers to a new school, he or she does not become popular the way John Williams had right away. When Eugene heard about John Williams, at first he was very against him and extremely loyal to his good friend Push. However, something changed in the next few days. The audience understands this when Push asks Eugene about John Williams’s whereabouts. Eugene changes his opinion about him because John Williams knew of a doctor that could help him with his drooling problem. It is a little fishy is it not? John Williams knew that Eugene and Push were friends. One way get some sort of revenge on someone who doe not like another person, is by being nice and trying to be friends with their friend. Although John Williams appears to be helping people, he orders them to do things and tells people what to do. He even tells Frank what and whatnot to eat. John Williams is a bully in disguise. One day, John Williams makes a trip to Push’s house and does not exactly leave him alone and stays outside of his house for a long period of time. Bothering Push so much that Push is on the verge of tears and choking. He even feels like he is in some kind of danger where he is double locking the doors. That in itself is a sign of how he does not feel safe. Towards the end of the story, Push has the idea that if he punches John Williams, then people will see his true colors. When John Williams is punched he smiles, and when Push tries to kick him John Williams grabs his foot and forces him hard to the ground. Then when Push tries to walk away, John Williams stops him and punches him. This does not sound very heroic. Then he says, “Sic semper tyrannus” (Elkin 188) which translates to “you were always a tyrant”. In other famous instances, that quote is used by villains throughout history and other literature pieces. For example, in Julius Caesar, Brutus said it, as did John Wilkes Booth after assassinating President Lincoln. In the story, John Williams show how bad he is when he does not “turn the other cheek” after Push punched him. Heroes do not punch someone back unless it is completely necessary, or life threatening. In conclusion, John Williams is no hero, but is just as devious if not more than Push. Although Push wanted to get to John Williams mentally, John Williams eventually got to Push very physically. In the end, John Williams publicly humiliates Push and beats him up just like any other bully would. John Williams is no hero and he is no better than any ordinary bully. He manipulated others to get what he wanted, which was to get people to follow him and disregard Push.
Tami Corsi Professor Chappell Intro to Fiction 106W Self Fulfilling Manipulation Administrators biggest question for the most part about school children is, what causes someone to become a bully? What is the reason that makes them so manipulative? The reason that most educators refuse to face is that there is a self fulfillment in manipulation. Mostly everybody likes to feel they are the smartest, the wittiest, and verbally cunning. Push, at the beginning of "A Poetics For Bullies" is the only one in the school operating on that specific brain wave. Push convinced the audience that physical violence was not his style. The whole guide, or poetics is on how to have "slight of mouth" (Elkin) This talent is something that is not easily practiced and mainly very uncommon. This is why most schools have one main verbal bully while the rest are followers. Push has a need for power over others. This is where choosing words and phrases wisely comes in handy for a bully. There are power in words. Words move nations, break walls, and break trust. All of this is done through the power of carefully chosen phrases. Push is a master in the art of persuasion. He was able to persuade Eugine that drinking hot water was good for him just as he is able to convince himself that all he is doing is telling people the truth about themselves. The power fulfills Push's needs. John Williams also has a need for power even though it is completely opposite of Push'es methods. John needs to feel like he is helping others, even if that means giving them a false hope. He does not care that what he said may not work and in the long run hurt someone. As long as he gets the rush of having control over someones feeling, John is happy. Push and John are very similar in the aspect that they both needs to be mentally above everybody else. Administrators do not understand the complex minds of students like Push and John; they only see the effect an unchallenged brain has on other developing, impressionable minds. Both Push and John take the most self fulfillment out of knowing no adult will ever be able to truly figure them out.
Victoria Weiss Professor Chappell English 106 W 3 February 2012 A Poetics for Bullies Response I found that this piece of literature had a very unique style of writing. The story automatically catches you in with the way the story is written with its style of dialogue and tone. Throughout the story the main character, Push, suffers through finding himself through others in a negative way. In "A Poetics for Bullies", Elkin studies the way of the bully and all the torment and jealously that Push goes through. He goes on about how he hates everyone who is tall, who has more money, who doesn't have money, the kids that wear glasses and much more (173) however, he secretly wants to be all these things. For instance: when John becomes a bigger part of the story, Push becomes intimidated and threatened by his social standing. Everyone wants to meet this new John kid, the teachers and children all enjoy his company, and to Push he was the one person who he couldn't control. Unlike Eugene, who he could make do almost anything for attention, John did not need it. This drove Push mad with frustration and jealousy. He detested that John was getting so much attention from the other boys at school because of his kinds ways of trying to help all of them. When John tries to help Eugene to a doctor because of his saliva problem, Push looses a little bit more control from him and really starts to envy John Williams. Throughout the story, Push shows that he tries to maintain control over the students but finds that instead he wants to be more like John. Examples show that he wants to even be him.
Stephanie Sereday Intro to Fiction Professor Chappell “A Poetics for Bullies”
Response to “A Poetics for Bullies”
"A Poetics for Bullies." A hand guide for bullies? Maybe. Maybe this short story by Stanley Elkin can be taken as an example for bullies everywhere. Grow, the message says. This is a story of one bullies external as well as internal conflict with himself and others.
The main character, Push, isn’t your average bully from the very beginning. “Do you know what makes me cry? The Declaration of Independence. "All men are created equal." That's beautiful.” This quote was said by Push in the first paragraph of the story. Right away this tells us that Push doesn’t fit the stereotype that all bullies are dumb and heartless. This quote shows that not only is Push insightful, but compassionate as well.
Through out the story, Push behaves as a normal bully would: pushing kids, picking on them, pointing out flaws, and humiliating them. As the story progresses, John Williams is introduced. He is the antagonist and Push’s external conflict. John Williams is the new kid in school and begins to help
the other kids with their flaws and insecurities. These are the same insecurities that Push fed off of. This make Push furious, especially when he couldn’t imitate John. “It was true. I sounded nothing like him. I could imitate only defects, only flaws.” Push had realized that John was too perfect to bully. Now with their new mentor, the kids began to polish their flaws and become impervious to Push’s antics. This is where Push’s internal conflict becomes obvious. He is powerless now and strives to prove that John Williams is no hero, but a bully just like him. It was Push’s place to “help” these kids in realizing their imperfections. John Williams took that away from him. Push ultimately fails at discrediting John, but he learns that he can push through. “I push through,” he pushes through his own insecurities, through his own defects, and grows.
Zach Westfall Professor Chappell Intro to Fiction 25 January 2012 Poetics for bullies Poetics for bullies is about a bully named “push” and how a new kid name John Williams changes the views of the people “push” bullied. Push isn’t like the common bully you would think of the beat up someone for their lunch money. Push is more of a mental bully that using words to make other people do what he wants. With Eugene he made him drink hot water by telling him if he didn’t he would get dehydrated and that hot water evaporates and gets into your glands quicker, in doing so forces Eugene to drink hot water. Push doesn’t like other people he hates everyone when john arrives he tries to bully him. John isn’t like the other he doesn’t fall for the simple mind tricks push uses. John is like push in some way like how it makes other do what he wants but he does it by helping them and changing them for the better. Push doesn’t like this because if john helps them he can’t bully them for their flaws. Push likes to pick on the little things while john helps them with their insecurities. Near the end of the story push plans to fight john in doing this he believes he will change the views of the other kids towards john. Push thinks that if john fights him this will change the views of the kids so that he also is a bully. “If he fights me he fails. He fails if he fights me.” What push is saying I that is john fights push the kid will view him as another bully and lose the respect they had for him. When push fights john push is quickly dropped and as john stands on top of him about to throw a punch he stops and put out a hand to help push up. Pushes plan fails him because john did the unexpected and instead of beating him up like push wanted to reacted than controlled him and helped push up.
Poetics is defined as a study of a literary work or a guideline that relates dramatic theory. The underlining concept within its definition is aesthetics, or the mastery of a skill to a point of beauty. Stanley Elkin utilizes this concept in his short story “A Poetics for Bullies” where the main protagonist Push delves into the art of being a bully. His characterization, as well as his art, truly takes form when conflicted by a character named John Williams, the antagonist of the story, who embodies everything Push is not. One of the many underlying themes of this characterization is love and how it shows contrastingly between the two characters. In the opening paragraph of the story, Push defines his art of bullying in a bold sentence. “I love nobody loved.” (173) He gives therefore, a definition of hate, which is a crucial component in his characterization. Hate, in Push’s terms, is the love that nobody loves: another form of love. He elaborates his definition by giving an example of the red-haired kid that he bullied and that his reasons for bullying were actually because of his desire of the red hair. Even in the interaction between Eugene Kraft and Push, Push isn’t out to get Eugene but tries to take care of Eugene’s drooling problem, in a “tough love” kind of expression. Push’s form of love is actually expressed by his bullying. When visiting the house of John Williams, his arch-nemesis, Push whispers into John’s ear “lover”. (183) Push is telling John that he is a lover, defined by conventional terms. Since Push is a hater, another type of lover, he expresses his hostilities towards John. With the appearance of John Williams, the attention that Push once had is shifted towards John. The love that Push gave is rejected as the love that John gives is accepted. In the final paragraphs of the story, Push solidifies his will to continue being a bully. He will pursue the form of love that he has been giving. He will not be reconciled, or halve his hate. (190) Even though the attention of his friends is shifting away, Push will move on and will not compromise to John William’s form of love. This characterization of Push, in terms two different forms of love, provides a better sight on the inner workings and the beautiful art of being a bully.
Chris Reagan ENG 106 Mr. Bolster 2/2/12 Looking into Push The reader has the opportunity of following a young boy who plays the role of bully rather than victim in the story, A Poetics For Bullies. Throughout the story, Push explains how his bullying works, and he continues to bully other students. However, when a an impressive boy named John Williams appears, the kids stop paying attention to Push because of how nice Williams is to everyone. Push's main reason for being angry, is because he is someone who thrives off of other peoples insecurities; he also refuses to recognize and let go of his own. Push goes on, playing mind games with people such as Eugene with the saliva problem, Frank the “fat boy,” or Clob who has am acne problem. For a while Push is able to enjoy the fact that he can mess with these kids, convincing them to do dumb things as well as exploiting their insecurities. An example of this occurs when Push tries to convince Eugene he needs water: “Eugene...You're too close to the tap. Lean your head deeper into the sink.” [Eugene] “It's hot Push.” (176) Push uses his “gift” of persuasion to place poor Eugene under a very hot faucet. However, Push's sense of control is threatened when Williams offers to help solve Eugene's saliva problem, along with the problems of the many other kids. Push is ultimately stopped when his plans of making John look like a fool are foiled, and even as Williams beats Push in a fight he offers to be friends with him. The truth is that Push hates Williams because not only could he not detect any insecurities, Williams and the other kids had learned to get past them. Push is unwilling to let go of his insecurity: the thought of not having power, and in a way the reader can pity the fact that Push is truly the most insecure of them all.
Kile Coty Dr. Chappel Intro to Fiction 2/3/12 Response to “A Poetics for Bullies” “A Poetics for Bullies” tells the story of the anti hero. It delves into the psyche of a bully named Push and shows the almost artistic characteristics behind his actions. It’s almost as if he’s creating a manual of how to master mental abuse. He even states that he’s night a fighter but he pushes just enough to make others back down. He brags about how he can imitate any defect that a person has whether it’s a gimp walk or a funny accent, until John Williams is introduced to the story. The more Push is around John Williams the more his world becomes skewed and this drives him crazy. To push this is the one kid he can’t bully and he is so obsessed with finding a flaw in him that it becomes almost an infatuation. Push sees the John Williams even helps the kids Push bullies to better themselves and that’s where push finds the chink in the armor. Push sees that in a sense he and John Williams are no different. They both bend the wills of other people to fit their expectations. Push devises a plan to get into a fight and loose to John Williams but in reality it doesn’t go the way he planned. Instead of making John Williams look bad he just looks pathetic, but where Push wins is in the fact that John Williams can’t have him. John Williams will never make Push change and even though Push is an undesirable person, I think it’s a strong message in the story that for better or for worse no one can change you only you can. This story is a lot deeper than a simple school yard bully versus the kind new kid. It’s an overall message that between the motivations of good and evil you still make the choices of who you want to be yourself.
Morgan Taylor Professor Michael Chappel English 106W 2 February 2012 A Fake Bully In Stanley Elkin’s short story “A Poetics for Bullying” a bully named Push tests the limits and takes advantage of many kids. Within the first sentence we learn right away that Push hates everyone. On the contrary we learn that Push “hates real force”. Push picks on people because he feels different. He is searching for who he really is. The only way he feels good about himself is picking on other kids and being the god of the neighborhood. Push reveals to us that “sometimes I think I’m the only new kid. In a room, the school, the playground, the neighborhood, I get the feeling I’ve just moved in, no one knows me.” (ASSM, 175) Push takes out his loneliness on other kids. A new kid John Williams moves into the neighbor and is very nice to all the other kids. The kids start to stand up to Push because of John Williams motivational words to them. Push tries to mock and even emotionally hurt John Williams but he never breaks. John Williams seems invincible. Push takes it a step further and sucker punches John Williams. As Push walks away John Williams is struck with anger and lunges at Push. Everyone looks at the two boys in awe. Push tries to make John Williams the bad guy, but learns quickly that the kids are happy that Push is finally being bullied himself. John Williams has now taken Push’s spot and he will not let it happen easy. After being embarrassed Push fights back but takes his anger out on Eugene. He makes him choke, rubs his tongue with sand, anything he can do to make Eugene scared and in pain. Suddenly Push feels happiness again. “I will not be reconciled, or halve my hate. It’s what I have, all I can keep.” (ASSM, 190)
Brandon Johnson Professor Chappell EN 106 W 2 February 2012
Push V.S John Williams
Usually in many stories the protagonist and antagonist are very much different in their beliefs and what they stand for. Most times the beliefs of protagonist and antagonist are so different that they tend to clash on a regular basis. Even though this is true for the most part in the story “Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the Protagonist Push and the Antagonist John Williams share many similar characteristics. Whether or not these two characters are alike has been a very scandalous part of our classroom discussions. In my opinion I think that these two characters do share similar qualities but their intension are what separates them at the end of the story. Batman and The Joker is arguably one of the best examples of a Protagonist and Antagonist. Reason being is because Batman is the Hero, and Joker is the villain. These two characters have so many differences that it creates a natural clash between the two characters. But as you read “Poetics for Bullies” you may start to notice that this isn’t your common Good V.s Evil story. Early in the story, Push shows his true colors when it comes to his sinister mind games of torment, and manipulation of Eugene. Playing off his weakness of being gullible and weak hearted, Push bullies Eugene into doing a number of very ridiculous tasks that would be entertainment in the eyes of Push. On the other hand, with John Williams it seems like he has a manipulative quality as well as Push. For instance, in the cafeteria John in a way seems to bully Frank (an overweight kid) out of eating Potatoes and Ice Cream. At first glance it may seem like John may be following in the footsteps of Push. But then he shows concern for him by reminding him that he lost some weight the week before and that he should keep it up. And he even gives him a genuine brotherly hug that made Frank feel like a million bucks. Does that sound like a bully to you? In many ways both Push and John are very similar and if the fight didn’t go down I think that these two characters would have the makings of being very good friends. Push has the characteristics to be just like John in many ways but his ego gets in the way of him being a positive person. If Push wasn’t so caught in his ways, John and Push wouldn’t be Batman and The Joker but maybe they would be Batman and Robin. As you can see, Push and John have many similarities. But it’s their intensions that separate the good versus evil.
Nicole DeFosche Professor Chappell EN 106W 10 February 2012
A Christmas Day Tragedy
In the short story, “The Ledge”, written by Lawrence Sargent Hall, there is a lot of conflict shown. It is very visible to the readers of which conflicts are used, man vs. man and man vs. nature, but the main conflict would have to be man vs. nature. The fisherman in the story is a very confident and strong man. He loves what he does and is very intelligent and hard working. He is a very successful man with all the activities he participates in. He never has a doubt in his mind that he can’t be the best. Usually when he does everything they tend to be “perfect” and nothing goes wrong for the fisherman. The first kind of conflict that is shown is man vs. man. It wasn’t said and was a physical approach, but the reader can tell there was conflict. The fisherman’s wife in the beginning of the story was explaining how she felt about the trips the fisherman took and how she was worried about her son going this time. She would always be worried and always think about being a widow, but the fisherman doesn’t know how his wife really feels. This just shows the readers how dedicated the fisherman is to his hunting. The conflict of man vs. nature starts to come into play when the fisherman leaves his house to go on his hunting at sea trip with his son and his nephew. The fisherman explains how the weather has been in the past when he goes on hunting trips. He says “the fisherman had done it often in the fog or at night- he always swore he could go anywhere in the bay blindfolded.” This makes the reader think the fisherman was capable of being able to face mother nature at its worst. In my opinion, it made me think how he was a very intelligent guy and takes pride in what he loves to do. The conflict comes in when the fisherman gets out to sea and things start to go terribly wrong. He doesn’t know what to do towards the end and begins to become helpless. He’s the type of guy who likes things to go in order, but that day the smallest things that would usually go right for the fisherman didn’t go right, for example, his tobacco for his pipe.
Jeff Semenetz Professor Chappell English 106W 5/7/12 Sleight of Word A “Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin is about a bully in school named Push. He likes to manipulate the children of the playground with words rather than physical force. Push is an interesting character as his name contradicts how he operates. He does not hit people usually; he simply gets inside their heads. The theme of this story was the power of influence through lies and deception is stronger than that of pure physical strength. Push had more power over everyone when he avoided actual violence because he isn’t a strong kid. He is smart though, and has the ability to manipulate the weak through verbal bullying. Push is a tyrant and has little opposition until John Williams arrives. He is essentially the opposite of Push, he has the same abilities, but intends on helping rather than destroying and taming others. Push doesn’t fall until he strays from his verbal talents and hits John Williams. That was the moment he fell and lost his authority as a bully on the playground. He failed to realize he was much better at speaking than fighting, it was something that could have been avoided, but out of frustration he fell victim to the manipulation of John Williams. It comes to show that words can go a lot further than a punch.
The Real Bully
ReplyDeleteIn the short story “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the main character is Push the bully. Push is introduced as a bully who doesn’t believe in real force. That information made me question Push as a bully. What kind of bully doesn’t like using real force? Anyway, as the story moves on, a new character is introduced. His name is John Williams, and he is described as being pretty and perfect. The first encounter Push has with John Williams, Push couldn’t bully him. Push was not able to mimic his voice or find anything wrong with him to pick on. This became Push’s mission throughout the story.
John begins to attract the kids who have problems, the kids that Push is usually picking on. John acts as an inspirational figure for the fat boy telling him he doesn’t need all those fatty foods. And he acts as a tutor for the dumb kid by helping study and encouraging him to be on the honor roll. Soon enough John Williams has all these kids following him around as if he is their God; and Push has no one.
Later on in the story, we start to really see how John Williams is treating these kids. He begins to treat them as if they are his minions, because he knows they have no one else to go to. On page 187 in the text, John Williams refers to the other students repeatedly as ‘boys’, almost as if they are beneath him. “Boys,” he begins, “today we’re going to learn a game that the knights of the lords and kings of old France used to play in another country.” This quote further proves my point that John Williams does not look at the other students as he does himself; as an equal individual. He knows he is better than them which is why they follow him around, listen to what he says, and do everything he wants them to do. John Williams is no better than Push the bully.
Nearing the end of the story, Push finally gets the opportunity to hit John Williams, so he does. Since John Williams portrays himself as some symbol of God, Push thought John would just turn the other cheek and get hit again. But that wasn’t the case; John Williams reacted brutally. Push raised his leg with intentions of kicking him in the face and John Williams grabbed his ankle and spun him in the air. Push landed flat on his back. John’s actions at that moment proved he was actually no better than Push. John Williams used force to defeat his victim and Push has never done that. So I ask, who is the real bully?
plz do me a favour by giving a comparative study between Push and the protagonist of paul's case by willa cather :/ pretty plz a.s.a.p!!
DeleteNaomi Alphonso
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
3rd February 2012
A Guilty Conscience
A Poetics for Bullies is an allegorical piece of literature written to personify the essence of having a conscience. Push the main character is given humanistic traits. The writer gives push a hierarchy over other characters. Push says he hates the students with glasses, rich or poor kids, smart or unintelligent kids, and a number of other groups (173). However, one can see that push seems to hate the students that have no flaws. An example of this would be John Williams. This character in the story is portrayed as being the closest thing to perfect. Push cannot find a flaw. This drives Push to a breaking point.
This idea is further exemplified when Push remarks, ‘…I wish I were tall, or fat, or thin.’ (173) This defines Push as being something other than human. Push is merely a conscience. Push is there to drive people to realize their faults. Push is a guilty conscience. He helps Mimmer study to get better grades. If Push was human and a bully, he would not care about the betterment of his peers. However, Push drives people to do things like study over going out with their friends.
Push says “I’m a coveter…I covet and case.” (173) By this he implies that he takes over. He goes into the minds of people and takes control of their train of thought. Push plays on a guilty conscience. He does not like those people who do not have anything to hide. People that are well liked and are not self-conscious are not of particular interest to Push. Girls adore John, teachers repeat his sayings, and even the principal praised John (184). Therefore, Push could not prey on him like he did with everyone else. Push’s character was allegorical and represented more than just that of a bully. Push separated himself from the other characters in the end of this piece of literature to signify the distinction of his character.
Where in the story does Push help Mimmer study? Inaccurate. The writing here is so overblown and ornate-this is not an allegory, and Push does not merely "personify" something. This paper doesn't get the story at all.
DeleteCassie Ferraro
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
30 January 2012
Response to “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin
If one reflects upon their youth, undoubtedly, they can recall one individual that was the source of seemingly unlimited torment. In “A Poetics for Bullies,” Elkin examines the mind of the bully, Push, to let readers into the thoughts of such a person. Through this, we see the disparity that Push suffers through: being the egotistical individual that he portrays himself to be, and the truly jealous child that he is.
The opening paragraphs of the short story give the reader insight to the kind of person that Push is. After describing all the various kinds of people he demonstrates contempt for, he goes on to say that he is a coveter. “I wish I were tall…I’m a coveter, a Boston Blackie of the heart, casing the world. Endlessly, I covet and case.” (Elkin 173) All the attributes that he listed in those he dislikes, he wishes he had in himself. When picking on a boy with red hair while the boy’s mother is watching, she shouts from her car that Push only bullies her son because Push wishes that he had hair like her son. And to some extent that is true. Push indeed admits, “It’s true; I did wish I had his red hair.” (Elkin 173) Perhaps what Push is noticing is that he hates all the attributes in people that other individuals find distinguishing and lovely. It only solidifies his statement: “I love nobody loved.” (Elkin 173)
On the surface, we see Push as the bully he is. We see that he is self-centered and only thinks for himself. In bullying his classmates, he seeks to improve his self-esteem by hurting those that are cared for. Not only does he find a way to improve his self-worth, but he also finds amusement in bullying which, in turn, boosts his ego. By having a strong following, he has manipulated individuals into “obeying” him and doing whatever his bidding is. Due to a salivating issue, his sidekick, Eugene is forced to drink hot water because Push tells him with his affliction “you’ve got to evaporate fluids before they get into your glands.” Reluctantly, Eugene keeps drinking so as to not upset Push. This control that he keeps over his “friend” is only a mask for the self-consciousness that he possesses. This is shown again when John Williams is introduced. Immediately, Push is intrigued by this opposite force. He warns Eugene that John’s arrival doesn’t change the status quo. “Let’s understand something. No matter what this new kid is like, nothing changes as far as you and I are concerned…Nothing, Eugene. I mean it. You don’t get out from under me.” (Elkin 177)
However, once John assimilates himself into the lives of the other boys at school, Push finds that a new leader has emerged. Many of the boys like John’s company because he proves to be a helpful and encouraging person. When Eugene tries to tell Push that he shouldn’t be mean to him, he adds that John had offered to take Eugene to a doctor to fix his salivating problem. Quickly, Push becomes jealous of the attention that John is getting from the other boys.
Despite Push’s obvious distaste for John, John still tries to help Push in the ways that he has helped the other boys. When Push forgets his change at lunch, John forms a sort-of bucket brigade to make sure that Push gets his coins back. This is confusing to Push because, in his mind, they are rivals. As a reader, we do not see the two as rivals, but we see one kid trying to help another.
Throughout the whole story, we as readers are given countless examples of Push’s disparity between wanting to maintain the control over the other students who also admire John Williams, and between him wanting to be someone like John Williams; Or perhaps, him wanting to be John Williams.
Jennifer Linke
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
3 February 2012
Social Power
Stanley Elkin’s, “A Poetics for Bullies” revolves around the central idea of a need for control and social power. The character Push remains in control over all the other boys by bullying, not physically, but mentally. He uses his words to hurt the boys and give them negative attention. Push knows how to manipulate the boys and how to control them, and make them believe that Push is in control. For example, Eugene has been taken under Push’s wing and Push makes it clear that once Eugene is under him there is no escape. Push uses Eugene’s condition to his advantage by manipulating him. Push bullies the boys who are different and are not socially accepted because of their conditions.
Push struggles to remain in control and keep his social power over the boys, when John Williams comes to their school. John Williams attempts to help the boys and tries to make them socially acceptable. In some ways John Williams represents a bully because he tries to change all of the boys, instead of accepting them for who they are. Push struggles to keep the boys under his control because the boys are now getting attention of a different nature, and they are not as easily intimidated by Push. Push is infatuated with the fact that John Williams cannot be bullied, he cannot be broken. This also scares Push, and is a little intimidating because Push does not know what to do; he has always been able to manipulate the other boys. The story shows a strong struggle of social power and control over the other characters in the story.
Kelsey Nolan
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
EN 106W
2 February 2012
A Poetics For Bullies
In this short story ‘A Poetics for Bullies,’ the main character Push tells the story from his point of view. Push is not a violent bully but a verbal bully. Push knows how to use language to hurt others not his fists. Push controls everyone until the stories antagonist appears. The antagonist’s name is John Williams. John Williams and Push share similar characteristics but they use them in different ways. John and Push are very similar but push uses his power for evil while John uses his power for good.
Push and John are both manipulative people. Push forces Eugene to drink hot water just out of mean enjoyment. Push undermines people’s feelings in order to make himself proud. Push ‘pushes’ them down to boost himself up. John uses his form of manipulation for positive outcomes. John teaches the boys games, romances the girls, and helps boys get confidence. Helping others and being everyone’s friend makes John proud. The same characteristic is used in to different ways.
John and Push both are very witty boys. John and Push are both brilliant with their words by using language to get people to do what they say. Push uses mockery to quick come backs to confuse and intimidate his collages. John uses inviting wording to make people want to follow in what he does.
These two boys who seem very different are actually rather similar. Both are witty, leaders, manipulative, and very smart with their words. The both of them have strong effects on the people around them. Push has a more negative effect while John Williams is more positive. Push can easily be argued the less moral character. He tells each character there flaws very honestly yet rude. But, if you think about it, is he really the less moral character? Push is being honest, while John Williams is giving false hope.
Jihan Hage
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
ENG 106W
2/3/12
A Poetic for Tyrants
In Stanly Elkin’s short story, A Poetic for Bullies, the two main characters, Push and John Williams, have an internal as well as external struggle with one another. Push is the town bully; however his use of violence is strictly verbal. He plays mind tricks on kids with the use of language. John Williams, on the other hand, uses language to persuade kids to be better versions of them and fascinates them with stories of foreign lands. The internal struggle is that each character is trying to “conquer” the other. Push wants John to submit to his bullying just like the other kids. John wants to encourage Push to better himself, just as he’s encouraged all the other children. The theme in this story is power. Each character has a form of power and control over the town kids, except for each other. Although Push seems like the antagonist, it is clear that John Williams can be considered as one as well, due to the fact that they are both struggling for full power.
The climactic scene of their physical fight occurs near the end of the story. Push throws the first punch, not so much in an effort to hurt John, but more so to provoke him into hitting him back and revealing John’s “bad side.” John wins the fight, yelling out “sic simper tyrannus” as he punches Push. This phrase can be translated to “down with tyrant.” Brutus said this when he assassinated Ceaser, and Booth said it when he assassinated President Lincoln. It seems like the typical phrase given from the protagonist to the antagonist, but it may be the opposite. In both assassinations, the killers used that phrase in an attempt to label their victims as tyrants; however history remembers these assassinators as the villains of the story. History itself plays a big role in this story due to the fact the word “poetics” originated from Aristotle. It seems as though Elkin repeatedly referenced the past in his story. With that being said, John Williams may have been the real tyrant in the story, just as Brutus and Booth were.
A Myth of Two Gods
ReplyDeleteThe title of Stanley Elkin’s story “A Poetics for Bullies” evokes the spirit of classic tragedy. The narrative has the language and the rhythm of an ancient Greek myth. Is its protagonist a tragic hero? Certainly not by Aristotle’s standards: Push does inspire fear and pity, but he is not even remotely virtuous. Nor is he sufficiently human for a hero. He is a god.
Push says that plainly enough, in the end of the story: “I am Push, Push the bully, God of the Neighborhood, its incarnation of envy and jealousy and need.” Those words are not merely raving of a confused teenager trying to psyche himself up for the final blow. They are the accurate description of what Push is in the story.
We don’t even really know that Push is a teenager. We assume that he is because he mentions being inside a school many times, and because some of his victims are of a kissing and dating age. But we are never told his age, what he looks like, what he wears, or whether he has any family. We do know he lives in an apartment. That is the only positive fact we are allowed to know about Push.
Instead, we know a lot about what he is not. He is not red haired. He is not “tall, or fat, or thin.” Nor is he “a man, a small boy, a girl in the choir.” He seems to be an ageless, ancient spirit that happens to temporarily assume the appearance of a mortal kid, in the best tradition of Greek gods.
Push is a god of envy and need, and his envy is not only for things that are good. He covets flaws as much as perfection, misery as much as happiness. He craves being human, belonging with humans. “You know what I like? To stand in crowds. To wait with them at the airport to meet a plane. Someone asks what time it is. I'm the first to answer. Or at the ballpark when the vendor comes. He passes the hot dog down the long row. I want my hands on it, too.”
Push’s antagonist, John Williams, seems decidedly more human. He has a real name, to begin with. He is tall, with long legs, beautiful voice, and clear skin. Everything about him is perfect. Too perfect for a human, in fact. Push notices that: “What could he be doing here, why had he come, what did he want? It was impossible that this hero from India and everywhere had made his home here.” John Williams knows everything, has been everywhere. He teaches the boys “lost sports of the dead”. “His yellow hair swirled on his head like a crayoned sun.”
Is he another god, then? An Apollo’s relative, a kinder god who doesn’t envy humans but likes to be amongst them and helps them to become more god-like. He has his own magic, quiet but powerful. Push writes John’s name on a wall, hoping to humiliate him, but “each day there was something more celebrational in the giant name, something of increased hospitality, lavish welcome.” Girls write his name on the margins of their notebooks, and “the big canvas books, with their careful, elaborate J's and W's, took on the appearance of ancient, illuminated fables.”
Push and John Williams fight for the control of the neighborhood, and John Williams wins. He stays to teach, help, heal, and bask in the admiration of mortals. Push is forced to throw away the disguise of a human. He shows his real magic and his real essence. He spits out his incantation, "I will have something. I will have terror. I will have drought. I bring the dearth. Famine's contagious. Also is thirst. Privation, privation, bareness, void. I dry up your glands, I poison your well." The spell works! But it doesn’t change anything. He has to leave. He will try his bag of tricks again, some other place, some other time. But he will always have to leave.
Mitchel Cleveland
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
2 February 2012
A Poetics For Bullies
The short story “A Poetics For Bullies” is about a bully of a certain kind. He doesn’t use force or physical punishment, but he uses his words and his mind to hurt you. His name is Push and he is the biggest bully in school. One day John Williams moves to the town and goes to school with them. At first Push cannot make fun of him because normally he can imitate flaw and at first appearance John has none. John and Push are very similar to one another. They are both manipulative, smart, and leaders. Push is the leader of Eugene, who follows Push around because Push gives him the attention no one else does. Eugene drools all the time constantly and Push convince the kid to always drink water because he “dying”. John is a leader in his own way. He has his own way of telling stories and getting people to like him and be on his side. On the playground Push would tell all the other kids what their daddies would do to their mommies. On the other hand John would teach the boys game, how to flirt with girls, and tell intriguing stories to catch everybody’s attention. John becomes the Protagonist and Push becomes the Antagonist.
Push one day confronts John because he just cannot stand it anymore. Push goes to fight John, but it does not work for him at all. John beats Push up with ease and while punching him he shouts, “Sic Semper Tyrannus.” Sic Semper Tyrannus stands for down with the tyrant which is exactly what John was doing when he fought Push. He was taking down a tyrant.
Ryan McDonald McDonald 1
ReplyDeleteProfessor Bolster
English 106W
2 February 2012
Response to “A Poetics For Bullies”
In Stanley Elkin’s short story, “A Poetics For Bullies,” we are introduced into the disheartening life of Push “the bully.” Push reveals his strong disliking of, “new kids and sissies, dumb kids and smart, rich kids, poor kids, kids who wear glasses, talk funny, show offs.” (Elkin pg. 143) Push brags about the way he torments and bullies kids who are different than him, and takes pride in his cruel actions. Push goes verbally and physically above and beyond to make it known that he is the bully around town for a reason. Push’s desire to be unique and have his own claim to fame in school urges his hostile traits. Push represents the willingness that people in society possess to stand for something in order to stand out from the crowd at any cost possible. Individuality is something that is not given to you, but rather something that you achieve through your actions. Push represents the model of how people in society hold on to their unique characteristics that makes them individuals.
Push is frustrated that he doesn’t have any special characteristic that will make him stand out in school so he reverts to bullying tactics that he hopes will catch the attention of his fellow classmates. Although Push discriminates on his different classmates he doesn’t necessarily hate those particular characteristics but the fact that they have them. The fact that Push states that he would rather be fat or thin specifies
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the degree to which he would go to establish himself with a particular identity. Push reinforces by stating, “I’m a coveter…I covet and case.” (Elkin pg. 173) Push is discontent with himself and wishes to seek another identity but only uses bullying as his form of expression.
The antagonist of the story is the new kid in school, John Williams who has no distinct trait about him but is immediately adored by his new class mates. John acknowledges the fact that he is not different than the rest so he uses kindness and helps his classmates instead of bullying them. Williams’s normality ultimately gives him a heroic title in the story compared to Push who envy’s John and remains his bullying habits.
The story ends with no reconciliation or change from Push. I believe Elkin’s theme of the story is the fact that at the end of the day, people stay true to what they know and what makes them the person they are. Everyone has something special and unique to offer the world, but it is their job to find those qualities and make light of it.
Kristina Kruse
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
ENG 106W-01
2 February 2012
Don’t Push Me Around
In the story written by Stanley Elkin, “A Poetics for Bullies,” the protagonist struggles through an arched transition of self growth. The climax of the story is not a singular moment, rather a progression of interactions and reactions to the antagonistic character. Push, the protagonist, establishes an elaborate self-image very early on. His language illustrates his disapproval with the behaviors he has portrayed up until now, and speaks of a desire to rise above his affliction of bullying. “There is no magic. If there were I would learn it…I would look for the main chants. Then I’d change things. Push would!”
Push utilizes such stunning language to describe the beauty and turmoil he witnesses in daily communication.
Sometimes I think I'm the only new kid. In a room, the school, the playground, the neighborhood, I get the feeling I've just moved in, no one knows me (This statement describes a feeling of solace; everyone is no one). You know what I like? To stand in crowds. To wait with them at the airport to meet a plane. Someone asks what time it is. I'm the first to answer. Or at the ballpark when the vendor comes. He passes the hot dog down the long row. I want my hands on it, too. On the dollar going up, the change coming down (The uplifting spirit of these experiences describe hope of a good in the world; everyone can be someone). (175)
These words display a hope for self enlightenment and change. After bullying has become a part of who he is he realizes that the flaw he sees in others no longer uplifts him the way it used to.
John Williams, the antagonist who we may also describe as a possible foil of Push, exudes a domineering personality the Push cannot unfold. After much observation and many attempts at out witting John, Push’s intellectual stamina has drained. His slight of mouth is not match for John’s ingenuity.
A defeatist attitude has never been favored by Push and he will have his vengeance. Ironically the vengeance he seeks leads him to self reflection, and ultimately detachment from the life he has known. After instigating a physical altercation, Push finally penetrates the impervious shell that has been shadowing John. Push already knew he would lose fist to fist, but had hoped John retaliation would exalt him amongst the “… fatties, [dummies, slobs, and clowns], the gimps and squares and oafs and fools… all those losers.” Instead, their reactions project upon him and his heart is changed. No longer will he associate with these people. “I will not be reconciled, or halve my hate. It’s what I have, all I can keep. My sour solace. It’s enough, I’ll make do.”
Karina Rodriguez
ReplyDeleteProf. Chappell
English 106
February 2012
Who’s the Real Bully?
Push is the main character in the short story, “A poetic for Bullies.” He sets himself out to be this tough little boy who can talk to all the kids around him in whichever way he wants. Push thinks he’s really tough and uses aggressive words toward everyone. Push wants to be the boss of everyone and he wants everyone to listen to what he has to say. He says that he is on top and everyone is under him. Push never uses any physical force or action towards anyone, he doesn’t hurt anyone, only with his words he is very much in charge at all times. Push says that he doesn’t like anyone with glasses, sissies, dumb kids, smart, rich, poor, and especially kids who are crippled. Basically Push doesn’t like anyone who comes in contact with him and when they do he has to tell them what to do, basically because he thinks he is the boss.
Push doesn’t think that anyone will ever come in front or ahead of him. He likes to pick on kids who have something different about them so that he can point it out to them and make them feel bad. This new kid comes named John Williams. In the story he is portrayed as perfect, there is absolutely nothing wrong with his kid. John William is tall, he was wearing expensive clothing, and as push said he looked like someone who had been on a ship or a jet. Push got closer to John William and said his voice was beautiful and clear. It aggravated Push that he had nothing to joke about this new flawless student. He needed to figure something out he knew that John William wasn’t the “perfect student.”
Push then came to a conclusion, Push wanted to fight John William he knows if John William doesn’t hit back then he really isn’t a bad kid after all. Push said, “He has gone to far this time and I think sadly I have to fight him, I will have to fight him not to preserve honor but its opposite. Every time I see him I will have to fight him. And I think of course and I smile. He has done me a favor. I know it at once. If he fights me he fails. He fails if he fights me. “ He continues on saying if he does fight back he fails, basically stating he knows John William is not the perfect person. Push goes to school the next day and join in the circle with John Williams and all the other students. Push leaves the circle and punches John William right in his face. This isn’t something Push normally does, he also went to go and kick John William and John William grabs his ankle and turns it forcefully. Right then and there John William proved that he is not the perfect student that he sets himself out to be. Everyday telling kids his own stories, teaching them how to play games his way, calling them boys as if there his students or under him, and then finally grabbing Push’s ankle when he went to kick him. The perfect student that he portrayed himself to be actually turned him into the bully that no one believed he was. At the end of the story it seemed that Push was jealous because he wanted to be John William who is in charge a nice way, and John William wants to be in charge because he comes to this school and sees this “bully,” Push who’s in charge. The conclusion seemed to really emphasize the question of Who is the real Bully in this story, “A Poetic for Bullies."
Nick Coutant
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
February 3, 2012
A Poetics for Bullies
Bullying has become one of the biggest problems that kids face in school in today’s world. Most bullies are usually bigger and stronger than most other kids. What you normally don’t see is a bully that is smaller and weaker than most kids and controls them by getting into their head and torturing them mentally. In Stanley Elkin’s A Poetics for Bullies, Push is very different from most other bullies.
You could tell right from the beginning of the story that Push was not an ordinary bully. He tells you that he hates violence, “I’m a pusher, no hitter, no belter; an aggressor of marginal violence, I hate real force.” Most bullies have almost the complete opposite view of that, most of them only use force to get what they want. He hates force so much because it is something that he cannot control. He is too small to force much on anybody, that’s why if you’re a bully like he is you “use your head.”
The stereotype for most bully’s is that they are not the smartest kids in the school. Push on the other hand seems to be very intelligent for his age. It was surprising when he said “Do you know what makes me cry? The Declaration of Independence. ‘ All men are created equal.’ That’s beautiful” one of the last things that I would expect a kid his age to have read would be the Declaration of Independence. He is also very smart in the way that he knows exactly how to control most of the people around him, of course until he meets John Williams.
Push is very different from most other bullies in that he is a smaller and weaker kid, and he seems to be much more intelligent than most kids his age. He hates violence but he wants control so he is able get into the heads of his fellow classmates and control them that way. Push truly proves to be different from most bullies and bullies don’t always have to be violent to get control.
William Arndt
ReplyDelete2/12/12
Fictional Writing
A Poetics for Bullies Response
The short story of A Poetics for Bullies by Stanley Elkin is very interesting for a number of reasons. The main character’s name is Push who is a bully. But not just your average bully, Push does not believe in punishment or violence through force, he uses his mind. He is a thinker for sure. He’s very witty and sporadic in his way of viewing things. For example, Push would have his victims drink water because he knows they have an issue with drooling. Anything to morally scrutinize someone, that’s what Push, loves. The other main character in this story goes by the name of John Williams. I’d say it’s safe to say Push and John are nearly opposites of each other in terms of personality. John Williams is the new guy who wants to help everyone out just to be friendly. He’s the kind of guy to say “hey if you want to get stronger, you should go to the gym, to lift weights.” Push and John are different in that way because Push barely even likes anyone, and John Williams wants to give people a helping hand. But the interesting thing about Push and John Williams is that they do share some things in common. To their class mates Push and John are both dominant leaders and tyrant. This similarity occurs at the end of the story when Push confronts John Williams. Push despises John Williams because he appears to have nothing to hide, girls, boys, and even teachers like him (184). Push confronts John simply because he does not like him and wants to prove to himself that he can find flaws even in someone who appeared perfect in the eyes of others. Push hits John Williams and instead of John Williams just turning the other cheek, he flips Push around and slams him to the floor by force. Nobody, including Push saw this coming. My favorite part of the book was when John Williams says to Push, “Sic semper tyran"Sic semper tyrannusnous”(19x0). This Latin expression basically describes the tension between tyrant people and the battle for power. Because that’s what their fight is essentially about, two tyrants banging heads for dominance over their peers, but in much different ways. The involvement of battle for power, social status, and different personalities is what make this story so interesting.
Chynna Burroughs
ReplyDeleteBolster
Eng 106W
2 February 2012
One In The Same
In “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the protagonist, John Williams, and the
antagonist, Push, are very similar in some aspects. On the surface these two characters are very
different. There is Push, the bully, the cruel kid. Then you have John, the kid who is nice to
everyone and has an air of intellect about him. In simple terms you can classify Push as the bad
guy and John as the good guy. But, they both show traits and express concerns and thoughts that
can be closely linked. Push and John are both manipulators, albeit in different ways. They
manipulate because, at their core, both John and Push want the others around them to feel like
attention is being paid to them and that someone is willing to care about them.
In the story, Push says, “Who else cared about the fatties, about the dummies and slobs
and clowns, and the gimps and squares and oafs and fools, the kids with a mouthful of mush, all
those shut-ins of the mind and heart, all those losers?” (pg. 181). Even though Push does cruel
things to other people, like make Eugene drink hot water from the tap, he almost justifies it in a
way because at least he is acknowledging them when others might not. He even says he is doing
God’s dirty work by exploiting his peer’s faults. He manipulates people through intimidation.
The character of John is a more compassionate character, but is still a manipulator like
Push. John gets people to change their behavior under the guise that it will better them as people
and increase their potential prospects. Now, John is harder to read because we as readers don’t
have his internal dialogue expressed to us. But, one would think the accolades John gets from
pushing the other boys into changing their behaviors and receiving positive feedback from that
has to feel good. The validation is important to him. Just like Push is doing “God’s dirty work”,
John is also doing what he feels is right also, not only with manipulating behaviors, but with his
fight with Push as well. When he strikes Push, John says “sic semper tyrannus”, meaning down
with the tyrant. He feels Push is a negative and dominating figure who must be brought down,
which he ends up accomplishing in that moment.
Manipulation doesn’t always have to be an adverse action or mean an adverse action.
There is positive manipulation and negative manipulation. John ultimately used manipulation to
get people to do what he wanted them to do by being their friend and expressing how potential
change might benefit them. Alternatively, Push uses manipulation to get others to do what he
wanted by intimidation.
Stephanie Mazzucco
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
February 3rd 2012
Identity Clash
In the short story “Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin the narrator and antagonist of the story, Push, is confronted with a problem that he has never faced before. Being the typical American bully, Push usually is never defied by anyone of his schoolmates. However, when a young man by the name of John Williams comes along and starts to disrupt the balance of things Push has to resort to methods of bullying that he never would have thought of before. One thing that struck me as interesting about this particular story is that there was absolutely no mention of any type of adult figure throughout the story. I found this as a great thing for the story because it doesn’t give Push a reason as to why he is such an unhappy individual. One of the most powerful quotes in the beginning of the story to prove this point is when he states that “I love nobody loved.” (Elkin P1) As a young boy for something like this to be said he must have had some experiences in his life in which he doesn’t trust people very easily and won’t allow himself to get close to anyone. Maybe Push himself is not loved and therefore is jealous of everyone else that seems to have any sign of happiness or serenity in their lives so he makes it difficult on them in order for them to feel the way in which he feels all of the time. So when John Williams comes along and shows that he has the ability to make kids swarm to him like moths to a flame Push cannot resist the urge to try and find his one flaw. In the end Push thinks that he has found John’s flaw because he made John fight with him and Push feels that people will not look at John as such a perfect boy anymore. However, despite the sheer fact that Push has a dark side to him he also shows some signs of moral integrity. It seems that in the story the only person that doesn’t have an extreme hatred for Push is a boy by the name of Eugene. Eugene has a saliva gland disorder which causes him to drool a lot. Push tells him to drink a lot of water because he is losing so much water already. In this instance Push shows some compassion and care for someone other than purely himself. He also makes a statement about females and how they are like flowers in a graveyard. Meaning that he has some sense that even in a place that is supposed to be dark and ominous there is still some good surrounding it. This could be seen as the world being a bad place and women giving it the balance that is needed in order for all of us to survive. All in all I believe that this was an extremely interesting story and it evoked a lot of stimulating ideas and concepts from it.
Bryn Landino
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell/Mr. Bolster
Eng 106W
3 February 2012
“A Poetics for Bullies” Response
There are different kinds of bullies out there. There are the ones who beat kids up for whatever reason, the ones who try and put others down with their words, ones who are a combination of the two, and also ones who bully people into doing the right thing. You can bully people in more than one way. In “A Poetics for Bullies”, Stanley Elkin illustrates that with the characters Push and John Williams. The two boys are more alike than they think- manipulation is a strong suit for both of them.
Manipulation is defined as the act of adapting or changing (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage. John Williams definitely does that just as well as Push. Granted, John Williams does it for the other students, but he still does get gratification from knowing that HE is the one who made it happen. John tells people anything he can to get them to do what he wants, which is to improve themselves.
Push is not a strong enough guy to use force to get people to do what he wants them to do. So what does he do? He manipulates them. He says so himself when he says “I’m best at torment”. He knows he is not the strongest, so he plays up his strength: word games and manipulation. He convinces Eugene to get a canteen for water, just because he can. Push is an intimidating kid, there is no denying that; but that’s just it. He is good at intimidation but when the time comes, he is not strong enough to fight physically. The fight with John Williams shows that.
The basic idea here is that just because Push and John Williams are not the same type of manipulator, it does not mean that they both do not do it. You can be a bully and do it in different ways. As previously stated, bullies can manipulate people into doing good just as easily as doing bad.
Trey Cole
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
2 February 2012
Title Here
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. They can be large and strong, skinny and cunning, rude, nasty, or any combination of these prior traits. While many people might accuse bullies of being inhumane and cruel, bullies tend to have one particular skill mastered: being in complete control of others while holding onto their pride. The main character, Push, in the short story, “A Poetic for Bullies” by Stanly Elkin, is a perfect example of that.
Push is not the biggest of people in the world. He does not overwhelm his prey with strength nor does he ever target women. He targets people that are loved. When a new kid comes to the school that Push attends, instinctively Push wants to give this kid a hard time. However, Push realizes that not only will the new kid, John Williams, entertain Push’s attempts to bully him, but John Williams has also managed to hold complete jurisdiction over the other classmates with positive reinforcement. Naturally, Push has a huge problem with this. At the end of the story, Push confronts John Williams and a physical altercation arises. Push ends up losing in a fight to John Williams but Push finds solace in this. Not only has he broken John Williams by making him fight; Push also realizes that John Williams will never have control over Push.
Bullies are quite prideful creatures and Push starts and ends the story with his pride still intact.
Alyssa Downey
ReplyDeleteDr. Chappell
Intro to Fiction
3 February, 2012
Angels and Demons
In “A Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the main character, Push, puts on a hard exterior in order to be tough and intimidating. This behavior is encouraged by Eugene, a boy who follows Push around like a sidekick. He pushes Push to say mean things to others and to show no mercy. This all changes when Push meets a new student named John Williams. In Push’s eyes, John is perfect. He is attractive and well put-together, and encourages kids to do the impossible in order to make themselves feel better. Push cannot bring himself to make fun of John, and meanwhile, Eugene is trying to get Push to say something hurtful. Push is in a situation where he has an angel on one shoulder, John, and a devil on the other, Eugene. Push’s struggle between these two characters is a physical representation of his conflict with himself.
Push wants to be hard. He uses no physical violence, so he goes straight to verbal abuse. Push knows where it hurts. Eugene allows him and wants him to be bad. He whispers cruel ideas into Push’s ear, like in the cartoons with the devil on the shoulder. Push wants to act tough and mean, but inside his head, he admires people who help others and are liked by others. However, Push has been a bully for so long that it has become a comfort zone to him. By changing who he is, he does not know if people will forgive him and treat him the same way they treat John.
John is the angel on Push’s shoulder who is manipulating him to be like him. It is not directly, but by his actions towards others, John is making Push envious. John is the push that is making Push want to change. Even though he acts tough, Push does have a caring personality. Eugene is an outcast who drools all over himself, and Push makes sure he drinks enough water and does not choke in his own saliva. The way people react to John is god-like. They go to him for self-improvement, and he is flawless. Push envies this. He wants to be like John and have people go to him for comfort. However, he has Eugene on the other side pulling him back.
Both Eugene and John manipulate Push to go to one side or the other. Push is torn between these two decisions because he wants to be both sides. Being a bully is familiar, yet being caring and nice is fulfilling. The back and forth conflict with Push and John while Eugene is standing behind Push, is a physical representation of Push’s mental conflict. He is stuck in the middle. It is up to him which side he wants to be pulled into.
Nicole DeFosche
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
EN 106W
3 February 2012
A Poetics for Bullies
In the short story, “A Poetics for Bullies” written by Stanley Elkin, the story is first introduced with the main character, Push. Push is a bully who only is a “pusher”. Push says “I’m a pusher, no hitter, no belter; an aggressor of marginal violence, I hate real force.)” After reading this, it made me wonder what kind of bully is Push? When the word “bully” comes to my mind, I think of a physical person who loves to fight others. When Push said he wasn’t physical, it made me think if he was a real bully or just someone who thought he was “big and tough”. Push describes the type of people he doesn’t like. He says “What I hate are new kids and sissies, dumb kids and smart kids, rich kids, poor kids, kids who wear glasses, talk funny, show off, patrol boys and wise guys and kids who pass pencils and water the plants- and cripples, especially cripples. I love nobody.” After I read this, it made me think if he doesn’t like all these types of people and just “pushed” people, why doesn’t he physically hurt them, but one of Push’s specialties was mimicking people. He always liked and enjoyed mimicking people.
Also in the short story, another character by the name of John William was introduced. John is the new kid in town and he’s prefect. The author describes him as a perfect kid. When Push talked about and described John, he said “he was a prince, I tell you.” John was so perfect to Push that he didn’t even know how to make fun or how to mimic John. Towards the end of the story, John starts to fight Push, hopefully knocking some sense into him. John just really wanted to get through to Push and make him a better person. He thought by fighting him, it would give him a glimpse of what it feels like to be bullied, but hopefully for him to like John as well. John’s plan backfired on him and he didn’t end up liking him.
Brie Brown
ReplyDeleteProf. Chappell
ENG 106W-01
3 February 2012
John Williams, The Manipulator
In today’s society, bullying takes place every day. A bully is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. In the American Short Story, “A Poetics for Bullies,” it is clear that the character Push is the main bully. However, it also shows how devious and bully-like the character John Williams is. John Williams is no hero.
In the story, Push is the bully who mentally manipulates other boys and makes them feel bad. He essentially belittles them. When his friend Eugene tells him about this new kid John Williams, he does not really care much about the situation until he sees how perfect and how he’s, as Push describes him, “a prince” (Elkin 178). But is John Williams really a prince-like guy? Is he really god-like? It is all an act to get everyone on his side rather than having people be afraid of Push. Throughout the story, John Williams wins everyone over with his intricate stories and helping people better themselves. Yes, it is good that he helped all those people, but it is a little too good to be true. When someone transfers to a new school, he or she does not become popular the way John Williams had right away.
When Eugene heard about John Williams, at first he was very against him and extremely loyal to his good friend Push. However, something changed in the next few days. The audience understands this when Push asks Eugene about John Williams’s whereabouts. Eugene changes his opinion about him because John Williams knew of a doctor that could help him with his drooling problem. It is a little fishy is it not? John Williams knew that Eugene and Push were friends. One way get some sort of revenge on someone who doe not like another person, is by being nice and trying to be friends with their friend. Although John Williams appears to be helping people, he orders them to do things and tells people what to do. He even tells Frank what and whatnot to eat.
John Williams is a bully in disguise. One day, John Williams makes a trip to Push’s house and does not exactly leave him alone and stays outside of his house for a long period of time. Bothering Push so much that Push is on the verge of tears and choking. He even feels like he is in some kind of danger where he is double locking the doors. That in itself is a sign of how he does not feel safe. Towards the end of the story, Push has the idea that if he punches John Williams, then people will see his true colors. When John Williams is punched he smiles, and when Push tries to kick him John Williams grabs his foot and forces him hard to the ground. Then when Push tries to walk away, John Williams stops him and punches him. This does not sound very heroic. Then he says, “Sic semper tyrannus” (Elkin 188) which translates to “you were always a tyrant”. In other famous instances, that quote is used by villains throughout history and other literature pieces. For example, in Julius Caesar, Brutus said it, as did John Wilkes Booth after assassinating President Lincoln. In the story, John Williams show how bad he is when he does not “turn the other cheek” after Push punched him. Heroes do not punch someone back unless it is completely necessary, or life threatening.
In conclusion, John Williams is no hero, but is just as devious if not more than Push. Although Push wanted to get to John Williams mentally, John Williams eventually got to Push very physically. In the end, John Williams publicly humiliates Push and beats him up just like any other bully would. John Williams is no hero and he is no better than any ordinary bully. He manipulated others to get what he wanted, which was to get people to follow him and disregard Push.
Tami Corsi
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
Intro to Fiction 106W
Self Fulfilling Manipulation
Administrators biggest question for the most part about school children is, what causes someone to become a bully? What is the reason that makes them so manipulative? The reason that most educators refuse to face is that there is a self fulfillment in manipulation. Mostly everybody likes to feel they are the smartest, the wittiest, and verbally cunning. Push, at the beginning of "A Poetics For Bullies" is the only one in the school operating on that specific brain wave.
Push convinced the audience that physical violence was not his style. The whole guide, or poetics is on how to have "slight of mouth" (Elkin) This talent is something that is not easily practiced and mainly very uncommon. This is why most schools have one main verbal bully while the rest are followers. Push has a need for power over others. This is where choosing words and phrases wisely comes in handy for a bully. There are power in words. Words move nations, break walls, and break trust. All of this is done through the power of carefully chosen phrases. Push is a master in the art of persuasion. He was able to persuade Eugine that drinking hot water was good for him just as he is able to convince himself that all he is doing is telling people the truth about themselves. The power fulfills Push's needs.
John Williams also has a need for power even though it is completely opposite of Push'es methods. John needs to feel like he is helping others, even if that means giving them a false hope. He does not care that what he said may not work and in the long run hurt someone. As long as he gets the rush of having control over someones feeling, John is happy.
Push and John are very similar in the aspect that they both needs to be mentally above everybody else. Administrators do not understand the complex minds of students like Push and John; they only see the effect an unchallenged brain has on other developing, impressionable minds. Both Push and John take the most self fulfillment out of knowing no adult will ever be able to truly figure them out.
Victoria Weiss
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106 W
3 February 2012
A Poetics for Bullies Response
I found that this piece of literature had a very unique style of writing. The story automatically catches you in with the way the story is written with its style of dialogue and tone. Throughout the story the main character, Push, suffers through finding himself through others in a negative way. In "A Poetics for Bullies", Elkin studies the way of the bully and all the torment and jealously that Push goes through. He goes on about how he hates everyone who is tall, who has more money, who doesn't have money, the kids that wear glasses and much more (173) however, he secretly wants to be all these things. For instance: when John becomes a bigger part of the story, Push becomes intimidated and threatened by his social standing. Everyone wants to meet this new John kid, the teachers and children all enjoy his company, and to Push he was the one person who he couldn't control. Unlike Eugene, who he could make do almost anything for attention, John did not need it. This drove Push mad with frustration and jealousy. He detested that John was getting so much attention from the other boys at school because of his kinds ways of trying to help all of them. When John tries to help Eugene to a doctor because of his saliva problem, Push looses a little bit more control from him and really starts to envy John Williams. Throughout the story, Push shows that he tries to maintain control over the students but finds that instead he wants to be more like John. Examples show that he wants to even be him.
Stephanie Sereday
ReplyDeleteIntro to Fiction
Professor Chappell
“A Poetics for Bullies”
Response to “A Poetics for Bullies”
"A Poetics for Bullies." A hand guide for bullies? Maybe. Maybe this
short story by Stanley Elkin can be taken as an example for bullies
everywhere. Grow, the message says. This is a story of one bullies external as well as internal conflict with himself and others.
The main character, Push, isn’t your average bully from the very beginning. “Do you know what makes me cry? The Declaration of Independence. "All men are created equal." That's beautiful.” This quote was said by Push in the first paragraph of the story. Right away this tells us that Push doesn’t fit the stereotype that all bullies are dumb and heartless. This quote shows that not only is Push insightful, but compassionate as well.
Through out the story, Push behaves as a normal bully would: pushing kids, picking on them, pointing out flaws, and humiliating them. As the story progresses, John Williams is introduced. He is the antagonist and Push’s external conflict. John Williams is the new kid in school and begins to help
the other kids with their flaws and insecurities. These are the same insecurities that Push fed off of. This make Push furious, especially when he couldn’t imitate John. “It was true. I sounded nothing like him. I could imitate only defects, only flaws.” Push had realized that John was too perfect to bully. Now with their new mentor, the kids began to polish their flaws and become impervious to Push’s antics. This is where Push’s internal conflict becomes obvious. He is powerless now and strives to prove that John Williams is no hero, but a bully just like him. It was Push’s place to “help” these kids in realizing their imperfections. John Williams took that away from him. Push ultimately fails at discrediting John, but he learns that he can push through. “I push through,” he pushes through his own insecurities, through his own defects, and grows.
Christopher Harrison
ReplyDelete2/2/2012
Mr. Bolster
Writing 106
A Poetics for Bullies Reaction
Stanley Elkin’s A Poetics for Bullies takes the audience inside the mind of the menacing bully, Push. Push shares his thoughts on why he bullies and torments others, what fuels him to do so, and the feelings he gets from having people under his control. Elkin most notably grabs the attention of the audience through his work of irony throughout the story. Elkin’s use of irony in A Poetic for Bullies really takes the reader in a new direction from any other story they have read in the past. The portrayal of the protagonist and the meaning behind this story introduce a much more broad perspective of American literature.
Push, the main character of A Poetic for Bullies, is portrayed as the protagonist. Usually, when the average person thinks of the word protagonist they imagine the character who is struggling to overcome the conflict in the story for good intentions. However, Push breaks the mold of this cliché interpretation by being a merciless raging bully to the other children around him. The conflict he faces in this story is when a new kid, Johnny who is, as Push describes, “perfect” steals his victims away from him and offers them nothing but advice and stories about where they came from.
Johnny would be describes as the antagonist in this story because he is the obstacle, the conflict, in the protagonist’s, Push, way. Johnny is the exact opposite as Push. Push likes to torment others and make them miserable, Johnny likes to help others and offer them hope. Push later discovers that he is even incapable of bullying Johnny. Johnny coming into the story and creating a conflict between him and Push makes Push realize that what he does is for good. Push gives attention to the kids who don’t get it from anywhere else. Just because Johnny does the same thing, but in a different approach, does not make it any better than Push’s method. This is how Elkin uses irony to make his point across in this piece of literature.
Zach Westfall
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
Intro to Fiction
25 January 2012
Poetics for bullies
Poetics for bullies is about a bully named “push” and how a new kid name John Williams changes the views of the people “push” bullied. Push isn’t like the common bully you would think of the beat up someone for their lunch money. Push is more of a mental bully that using words to make other people do what he wants. With Eugene he made him drink hot water by telling him if he didn’t he would get dehydrated and that hot water evaporates and gets into your glands quicker, in doing so forces Eugene to drink hot water. Push doesn’t like other people he hates everyone when john arrives he tries to bully him. John isn’t like the other he doesn’t fall for the simple mind tricks push uses. John is like push in some way like how it makes other do what he wants but he does it by helping them and changing them for the better. Push doesn’t like this because if john helps them he can’t bully them for their flaws. Push likes to pick on the little things while john helps them with their insecurities. Near the end of the story push plans to fight john in doing this he believes he will change the views of the other kids towards john. Push thinks that if john fights him this will change the views of the kids so that he also is a bully. “If he fights me he fails. He fails if he fights me.” What push is saying I that is john fights push the kid will view him as another bully and lose the respect they had for him. When push fights john push is quickly dropped and as john stands on top of him about to throw a punch he stops and put out a hand to help push up. Pushes plan fails him because john did the unexpected and instead of beating him up like push wanted to reacted than controlled him and helped push up.
Love
ReplyDeletePoetics is defined as a study of a literary work or a guideline that relates dramatic theory. The underlining concept within its definition is aesthetics, or the mastery of a skill to a point of beauty. Stanley Elkin utilizes this concept in his short story “A Poetics for Bullies” where the main protagonist Push delves into the art of being a bully. His characterization, as well as his art, truly takes form when conflicted by a character named John Williams, the antagonist of the story, who embodies everything Push is not. One of the many underlying themes of this characterization is love and how it shows contrastingly between the two characters.
In the opening paragraph of the story, Push defines his art of bullying in a bold sentence. “I love nobody loved.” (173) He gives therefore, a definition of hate, which is a crucial component in his characterization. Hate, in Push’s terms, is the love that nobody loves: another form of love. He elaborates his definition by giving an example of the red-haired kid that he bullied and that his reasons for bullying were actually because of his desire of the red hair. Even in the interaction between Eugene Kraft and Push, Push isn’t out to get Eugene but tries to take care of Eugene’s drooling problem, in a “tough love” kind of expression. Push’s form of love is actually expressed by his bullying.
When visiting the house of John Williams, his arch-nemesis, Push whispers into John’s ear “lover”. (183) Push is telling John that he is a lover, defined by conventional terms. Since Push is a hater, another type of lover, he expresses his hostilities towards John. With the appearance of John Williams, the attention that Push once had is shifted towards John. The love that Push gave is rejected as the love that John gives is accepted.
In the final paragraphs of the story, Push solidifies his will to continue being a bully. He will pursue the form of love that he has been giving. He will not be reconciled, or halve his hate. (190) Even though the attention of his friends is shifting away, Push will move on and will not compromise to John William’s form of love. This characterization of Push, in terms two different forms of love, provides a better sight on the inner workings and the beautiful art of being a bully.
Chris Reagan
ReplyDeleteENG 106
Mr. Bolster
2/2/12
Looking into Push
The reader has the opportunity of following a young boy who plays the role of bully rather than victim in the story, A Poetics For Bullies. Throughout the story, Push explains how his bullying works, and he continues to bully other students. However, when a an impressive boy named John Williams appears, the kids stop paying attention to Push because of how nice Williams is to everyone. Push's main reason for being angry, is because he is someone who thrives off of other peoples insecurities; he also refuses to recognize and let go of his own.
Push goes on, playing mind games with people such as Eugene with the saliva problem, Frank the “fat boy,” or Clob who has am acne problem. For a while Push is able to enjoy the fact that he can mess with these kids, convincing them to do dumb things as well as exploiting their insecurities. An example of this occurs when Push tries to convince Eugene he needs water: “Eugene...You're too close to the tap. Lean your head deeper into the sink.”
[Eugene] “It's hot Push.” (176)
Push uses his “gift” of persuasion to place poor Eugene under a very hot faucet. However, Push's sense of control is threatened when Williams offers to help solve Eugene's saliva problem, along with the problems of the many other kids. Push is ultimately stopped when his plans of making John look like a fool are foiled, and even as Williams beats Push in a fight he offers to be friends with him. The truth is that Push hates Williams because not only could he not detect any insecurities, Williams and the other kids had learned to get past them. Push is unwilling to let go of his insecurity: the thought of not having power, and in a way the reader can pity the fact that Push is truly the most insecure of them all.
Kile Coty
ReplyDeleteDr. Chappel
Intro to Fiction
2/3/12
Response to “A Poetics for Bullies”
“A Poetics for Bullies” tells the story of the anti hero. It delves into the psyche of a bully named Push and shows the almost artistic characteristics behind his actions. It’s almost as if he’s creating a manual of how to master mental abuse. He even states that he’s night a fighter but he pushes just enough to make others back down. He brags about how he can imitate any defect that a person has whether it’s a gimp walk or a funny accent, until John Williams is introduced to the story. The more Push is around John Williams the more his world becomes skewed and this drives him crazy. To push this is the one kid he can’t bully and he is so obsessed with finding a flaw in him that it becomes almost an infatuation. Push sees the John Williams even helps the kids Push bullies to better themselves and that’s where push finds the chink in the armor. Push sees that in a sense he and John Williams are no different. They both bend the wills of other people to fit their expectations. Push devises a plan to get into a fight and loose to John Williams but in reality it doesn’t go the way he planned. Instead of making John Williams look bad he just looks pathetic, but where Push wins is in the fact that John Williams can’t have him. John Williams will never make Push change and even though Push is an undesirable person, I think it’s a strong message in the story that for better or for worse no one can change you only you can. This story is a lot deeper than a simple school yard bully versus the kind new kid. It’s an overall message that between the motivations of good and evil you still make the choices of who you want to be yourself.
Morgan Taylor
ReplyDeleteProfessor Michael Chappel
English 106W
2 February 2012
A Fake Bully
In Stanley Elkin’s short story “A Poetics for Bullying” a bully named Push tests the limits and takes advantage of many kids. Within the first sentence we learn right away that Push hates everyone. On the contrary we learn that Push “hates real force”. Push picks on people because he feels different. He is searching for who he really is. The only way he feels good about himself is picking on other kids and being the god of the neighborhood. Push reveals to us that “sometimes I think I’m the only new kid. In a room, the school, the playground, the neighborhood, I get the feeling I’ve just moved in, no one knows me.” (ASSM, 175) Push takes out his loneliness on other kids. A new kid John Williams moves into the neighbor and is very nice to all the other kids. The kids start to stand up to Push because of John Williams motivational words to them. Push tries to mock and even emotionally hurt John Williams but he never breaks. John Williams seems invincible. Push takes it a step further and sucker punches John Williams. As Push walks away John Williams is struck with anger and lunges at Push. Everyone looks at the two boys in awe. Push tries to make John Williams the bad guy, but learns quickly that the kids are happy that Push is finally being bullied himself. John Williams has now taken Push’s spot and he will not let it happen easy. After being embarrassed Push fights back but takes his anger out on Eugene. He makes him choke, rubs his tongue with sand, anything he can do to make Eugene scared and in pain. Suddenly Push feels happiness again. “I will not be reconciled, or halve my hate. It’s what I have, all I can keep.” (ASSM, 190)
Brandon Johnson
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
EN 106 W
2 February 2012
Push V.S John Williams
Usually in many stories the protagonist and antagonist are very much different in their beliefs and what they stand for. Most times the beliefs of protagonist and antagonist are so different that they tend to clash on a regular basis. Even though this is true for the most part in the story “Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin, the Protagonist Push and the Antagonist John Williams share many similar characteristics. Whether or not these two characters are alike has been a very scandalous part of our classroom discussions. In my opinion I think that these two characters do share similar qualities but their intension are what separates them at the end of the story.
Batman and The Joker is arguably one of the best examples of a Protagonist and Antagonist. Reason being is because Batman is the Hero, and Joker is the villain. These two characters have so many differences that it creates a natural clash between the two characters. But as you read “Poetics for Bullies” you may start to notice that this isn’t your common Good V.s Evil story. Early in the story, Push shows his true colors when it comes to his sinister mind games of torment, and manipulation of Eugene. Playing off his weakness of being gullible and weak hearted, Push bullies Eugene into doing a number of very ridiculous tasks that would be entertainment in the eyes of Push. On the other hand, with John Williams it seems like he has a manipulative quality as well as Push. For instance, in the cafeteria John in a way seems to bully Frank (an overweight kid) out of eating Potatoes and Ice Cream. At first glance it may seem like John may be following in the footsteps of Push. But then he shows concern for him by reminding him that he lost some weight the week before and that he should keep it up. And he even gives him a genuine brotherly hug that made Frank feel like a million bucks. Does that sound like a bully to you?
In many ways both Push and John are very similar and if the fight didn’t go down I think that these two characters would have the makings of being very good friends. Push has the characteristics to be just like John in many ways but his ego gets in the way of him being a positive person. If Push wasn’t so caught in his ways, John and Push wouldn’t be Batman and The Joker but maybe they would be Batman and Robin. As you can see, Push and John have many similarities. But it’s their intensions that separate the good versus evil.
Nicole DeFosche
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
EN 106W
10 February 2012
A Christmas Day Tragedy
In the short story, “The Ledge”, written by Lawrence Sargent Hall, there is a lot of conflict shown. It is very visible to the readers of which conflicts are used, man vs. man and man vs. nature, but the main conflict would have to be man vs. nature. The fisherman in the story is a very confident and strong man. He loves what he does and is very intelligent and hard working. He is a very successful man with all the activities he participates in. He never has a doubt in his mind that he can’t be the best. Usually when he does everything they tend to be “perfect” and nothing goes wrong for the fisherman.
The first kind of conflict that is shown is man vs. man. It wasn’t said and was a physical approach, but the reader can tell there was conflict. The fisherman’s wife in the beginning of the story was explaining how she felt about the trips the fisherman took and how she was worried about her son going this time. She would always be worried and always think about being a widow, but the fisherman doesn’t know how his wife really feels. This just shows the readers how dedicated the fisherman is to his hunting.
The conflict of man vs. nature starts to come into play when the fisherman leaves his house to go on his hunting at sea trip with his son and his nephew. The fisherman explains how the weather has been in the past when he goes on hunting trips. He says “the fisherman had done it often in the fog or at night- he always swore he could go anywhere in the bay blindfolded.” This makes the reader think the fisherman was capable of being able to face mother nature at its worst. In my opinion, it made me think how he was a very intelligent guy and takes pride in what he loves to do. The conflict comes in when the fisherman gets out to sea and things start to go terribly wrong. He doesn’t know what to do towards the end and begins to become helpless. He’s the type of guy who likes things to go in order, but that day the smallest things that would usually go right for the fisherman didn’t go right, for example, his tobacco for his pipe.
Jeff Semenetz
ReplyDeleteProfessor Chappell
English 106W
5/7/12
Sleight of Word
A “Poetics for Bullies” by Stanley Elkin is about a bully in school named Push. He likes to manipulate the children of the playground with words rather than physical force. Push is an interesting character as his name contradicts how he operates. He does not hit people usually; he simply gets inside their heads. The theme of this story was the power of influence through lies and deception is stronger than that of pure physical strength. Push had more power over everyone when he avoided actual violence because he isn’t a strong kid. He is smart though, and has the ability to manipulate the weak through verbal bullying. Push is a tyrant and has little opposition until John Williams arrives. He is essentially the opposite of Push, he has the same abilities, but intends on helping rather than destroying and taming others. Push doesn’t fall until he strays from his verbal talents and hits John Williams. That was the moment he fell and lost his authority as a bully on the playground. He failed to realize he was much better at speaking than fighting, it was something that could have been avoided, but out of frustration he fell victim to the manipulation of John Williams. It comes to show that words can go a lot further than a punch.