Bystander

Griffin Connelly appears charming and empathetic, but his façade hides an angry, hurt young man. In Chapter 12, Griffin is described as “the group leader, the alpha dog. Depending upon his mood, he could be friendly and funny or dark and distant” (70). He uses his charisma and good looks to assume leadership of a clique at school and exerts power via abuse and theft.

Griffin’s behavior mirrors his father’s own physical abuse. Eric learns about Griffin’s dysfunctional family life when the latter shows up at school with a black eye. Griffin’s friend Cody informs Eric that Griffin’s father is likely responsible, as he has a drinking problem. It’s no coincidence that Griffin subjects David Hallenback to a vicious “Pretzel” after this incident. Griffin’s father bullies him, and Griffin perpetuates the cycle of violence by bullying those weaker than him.

David Hallenback (often referred to as “Hallenback”) is a skinny, weak boy with a high-pitched voice who lacks self-confidence and desperately wants other students to accept him. In Chapter 6, Hallenback is described as having a “pale, freckled face,” “curly hair,” and a “wounded, wary expression” (33). Hallenback is a target of Griffin and his friends’ bullying: He is sprayed with ketchup, slammed against lockers, and assaulted on the playground. He never fights back or seeks adult intervention because he does not want to be regarded as “a rat” (120) and still seeks acceptance from Griffin.

When Eric sees how Griffin’s group treats Hallenback, he reaches out to him and tries to help. However, instead of seizing the opportunity to befriend Eric, Hallenback aligns himself with Griffin; he then lures Eric to be beaten up at the pet cemetery. After Cody beats up Eric, Hallenback says to the latter, “You think you are so much better than me, don’t you? [...] Now you know what it’s like!” (143) and kicks him in the stomach. This incident illustrates how bullying is a socially contagious issue. Hallenback, a target of bullying, transforms into a bully himself out of a desperate desire to fit in.a

Mary O’Malley first appears as a member of Griffin’s clique but later becomes the first student at Belmont Central Middle School to challenge its bullying culture. She reports the perpetrators of a cyberbullying prank to the school’s resource officer. Her actions cause other girls to ostracize her, but she faces their wrath with humor. After Mary and Eric are shunned in the cafeteria, the latter comments that other students will talk about them sitting together; Mary responds, “Let ’em. [...] I’m so tired of what other people think” (161). It’s clear that Mary has taken English teacher Mr. Scofield’s anti-bullying message to heart: She chooses to think for herself.

Eric befriends Mary, and she helps him with his plan to get even with Griffin. This friendship also has an element of middle school romance. Early in the novel, Mary tells Griffin that she finds Eric attractive; Eric later describes Mary as having an “unfussy, natural beauty” (69). Since Mary was once close to Griffin (the two possibly being more than friends), a love triangle may be one of the reasons why the latter turns against Eric.