TW: This story features discussion of suicide.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Martin Niemöller
Miniscule pieces of frozen ice fell from the sky, gently being swept about by a frosty wind. Thoughtfully, Jodie regarded the casket ahead of her, the sight reminiscent of the series of events she had witnessed so many months ago. She trudged through the blanket of snow towards the casket, placing a bundle of flowers down next to it, feeling ashamed and heartbroken.
_____
Golden hues of light radiated through the crevices of interlocking branches, shading the gravel path bestrewn with vibrant leaves. Pulling her coat closer to her chest, Jodie felt a desolate twinge in her heart as the cold autumn breeze bid farewell to the sweet summer sun. She was walking home from school when she was met with an unruly sight.
A girl, Jodie, recognized from school as Miranda, was surrounded by a group of people.
“Oh, what's in here?”
They forcibly tore Miranda’s school bag from her grasp; the girl’s belongings were thrown in all directions. Laughter resounded loudly as the group undeniably found pleasure in tyrannizing her. She heard a deep throaty sound and realized only after what it was. A glob of saliva trickled down Miranda's flushed cheeks.
Safely concealed by the overgrown foliage, Jodie’s heart missed a beat. Shaking like a leaf, she thought about interfering but quickly determined not. Besides, Miranda was not even an acquaintance, let alone a friend.
Jodie’s fascination kept her glued in place. Feelings of ambivalence whirled in her stomach, making her more indecisive as the seconds ticked by. When it came down to it Jodie chose to turn and run, fearing for herself more than she did for Miranda.
First, they came for Miranda, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not her friend.
__________
Exactly 3 months later Miranda was found dead in her bathtub by her hysterical mother. The young girl had knowingly slit her wrists and bled to death
__________
The priest said endearing words about Miranda, the girl that killed herself. Though Jodie didn't really start crying until Miranda’s mother’s eulogy. “My daughter was gentle, kind and beautiful, she was smart and funny, so funny. She could make me laugh like no else could.”
Slowly, tears streamed down the older woman's face, her throat closing up. The words sounded progressively more unclear. “I..I…” Jodie imaginged that a great big lump had lodged itself in the back of the woman’s throat, making it almost impossible for words to escape. Again, she tried to speak, yet only choked noises escaped instead. It was the kind of inconsolable sobbing only heard from someone who had lost all hope.
Miranda and her mother looked the same. The brilliant red hair, freckles and tear stained faces. Yes, Jodie had seen Miranda cry, and she had watched. She had done nothing.
Standing there, watching someone break so clearly, Jodie felt ashamed. At school, the dislike of Miranda wasn't necessarily about anything that she did. It was about how no one seemed to like her and because of that, Jodie had decided she didn't either. Everyone did. It was bitter shame, the thought that Jodie could have said something, but chose not to, merely because she was more afraid for herself than Miranda. Jodie was a follower, a bystander.
_____
Life somewhat carried on as normal after that day on the path. Jodie nearly forgot about the incident entirely, the daily mundane stresses of life occupying her mind instead. It was one of the few glances she caught of Miranda, walking down the school halls, that reminded her that there were other people with other problems, likely worse than her own. Still, Jodie said nothing, by reason of, acceptance that the situation did not involve her. Even when someone tripped Miranda in the middle of the school halls, Jodie did not speak out. No one spoke out.
Then they humiliated her in the school halls, and I did not speak out —
Because it was none of my business.
_____
Jodie felt angry. She felt sad, resentful, furious, ashamed, miserable, and angry. She felt angry. It was kind of funny actually, that Miranda’s tormentors were standing right there, meteres away from her dead body. The whole grade was. Why were they all here? They don’t even like her! Sighning in defeat, Jodie realized she was not much better than any of them. She was one of them, a bystander, a bully. Her heart was a ton of bricks, weighed down by the realisation of this.
Jodie found it difficult to fathom the immense isolation that Miranda must have felt as a result of their cruel treatment for months on end. Even more so was imagining the thought of suicide, and how many unkind things had to be done in order for Miranda to kill herself. The scary thing was maybe it wasn't the hate she received that sent her over the edge, but the lack of support. Maybe, just maybe, if Jodie had said something, it would have added meaning to Miranda’s life, even if it was just a little.
_____
“- During this period of fear and destruction many individuals made varying choices. The study of the Holocaust is extremely important due... ” Mr. Jorden came to an abrupt stop and glared at one of the students who had continuously been whispering and giggling things into another’s ear.
A few moments passed before he continued, “It is vital to look at the range of human behaviours during the Holocaust, particularly those who were bystanders -”
Jodie was only half listening. She was looking at a student holding up an Iphone.The girl was taking pictures of the back of Miranda’s head, giggling softly. Feeling Jodie’s stare, the girl taking the pictures glanced up. Her eyebrows raised in unison inviting Jodie to laugh along. Despite herself, the corners of Jodie’s mouth lifted in the brief moment of levity. It was a little funny, at first, until Miranda realized what was happening. Her raven curls sat wildly, almost defying the laws of gravity. Tangled with one of the strands was a chewed piece of strawberry gum.
Small hands reached behind her head, tentatively feeling as if her fingers anticipated the sticky knot of pink gum, enclosed around thick curls. Swallowing, Jodie averted her gaze to the board. Only catching sight of the first few sentences, before Mr. Jordan moved on.
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—”
Jodie’s eyes traveled back to Miranda. The girl was holding the strands of hair twisted with gum, desperately tearing at it. From where Jodie was sitting she didn't notice the hot tears that rolled down Miranda’s cheeks. Jodie also didn't notice how the girl's heartbreaking, slowly but surely, she was drowning in her own sea of misery. Regrettably, Jodie didn't care to notice back then. At that exact moment, Jodie had made a decision that she would not get involved, for they could do that to her.
Then they put gum in her hair, and I did not speak out —
Because I thought it was funny.
____
1 year later
____
Jodie had met someone. He was older, charming and authoritative. His towering figure,sweet words and sweat and old spice infused smell rendered her breathless. She was infatuated with him, or more so the idea of him. The idea that a boy was interested in her. Jodie felt like she owned him, that perhaps she had to show him her body, intimate parts of it at that, in order to keep him interested. And so when he asked she delivered.
The relationships they shared had a binary potential ending. Jodie had foolishly hoped for fiery passion, but was left with a burnt out flame. After that, things only escalated. His friends became her enemies and the school halls became a battleground she was too afraid to cross. Lunches were eaten in the solitude of a bathroom stall and nights were spent crying, wishing that someone would speak up for her. Be her friend. Even when a picture of her naked breast was being sent around the school, did no one say anything.
Jodie couldn't stand the whispers, the stares, the judgment. She wanted to end it, and maybe she should.
Then they came for me - and there was no Miranda left to speak for me.
____
RATIONALE
My story, Bystander, is a direct response to the stimulus article where Mellisa Lukeshenko quotes that the job of the artist is to “try and see what others are refusing to see and make it visible in a different way.” Inspired by this quote, I wrote a non-linear creative piece that demands more dialogue about the underrepresentation of bystanderism. Employing the powerful themes of bullying, bystanderism, and suicide, Bystander, follows a high school student, Jodie, who witnesses a fellow classmate getting bullied throughout the course of many months. Jodie remains an active bystander during this time, saying and doing nothing. When this classmate, Miranda, commits suicide, Jodie is faced with immense regret, and questions the difference she could have made by speaking out. Months later, Jodie finds herself in the same situation, contemplating suicide, wishing that there was still a Miranda left to speak out for her. The themes present appeal to the target audience, largely younger adults and teens, as it is in a setting that is relatable and familiar to them. The target audience is further engaged with the themes of bullying and suicide through their own experiences, whether it be being a victim of bullying or witnessing it.
The gripping narrative of Bystander is largely attributed to the non-linear structure, which creates intrigue and strengthens the plot by providing background information in a non-conventional way. In Bystander this is presented through the opening scene, which features the death of someone. This is a common way to build anticipation in non-linear stories. Following the death scene, as a means to create suspense and interest in the known outcome, there are multiple flashbacks that take place, and every other scene would be set in the present throughout Bystander. The poem at the beginning by Martin Niemöller is also a key structural convention of Bystander. Written at the beginning of the story, and integrated into the story itself, the poem paves the way of the story in a sort of foreshadowing manner. This allows the reader to predict that Jodie will find herself in a similar situation to Miranda, as the quzote suggests, “then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Alongside the non- linear format, there are a variety of stylistic conventions in place to further engage the target audience. The device of allegory is a crucial part of the story, wherein there is a darker story hidden beneath the “surface story”. In the case of Bystander, the underlying theme, bystanderism, is explained by showing the consequences of not speaking out for Miranda. However, the darker story is about WW2 and the consequences of not speaking out for the socialists, trade unionists, and the Jews. The device of allegory is utilised in Bystander as it engages the target audience with themes of bullying and suicide. Moreover, there was regular use of imagery to help the reader picture the scene. By using descriptive language such as “golden hues of light” and “bestrewn with vibrant leaves” it helped build the narrative and make the story come to life. To further describe scenes and feelings in the story I incorporated similes and metaphors. To illustrate the fear that Jodie felt I wrote “[she was] shaking like a leaf”, to describe emotional pain I wrote “[she was] shaking like a leaf”, to describe emotional pain I wrote, “slowly but surely, she was drowning in her own sea of misery”. The use of personification was also employed in the story, as Jodie described her heart as “a ton of bricks, weighed down by the realization of this”
Bystander is a short story intended to make the reader view the theme of bystanderism in a different way. By employing the structural conventions of a non-linear narrative the story becomes gripping and engaging. Additionally, the numerous stylistic devices incorporated also contributes to the effectiveness of engaging the target audience.