The Shape Of A Girl Analysis

The school bus in the Shape of A Girl takes the students from one place to another. Although, it has a much deeper meaning based on what happens on the way there. Throughout the play, the school bus takes an important role in symbolizing silence.

The school bus provides a setting in which girls and boys are segregated and where some of the more emotional events in the play take place. When we think of a school bus, we think of a social place for both boys and girls. A stereotypical setting would be the loud and rambunctious boys and the back and the quiet, sweet, well-behaved girls at the front of the bus. Although, in the negative environment in the Shape of A Girl, that is not the case. Bradie even says it herself, “While you boys in the back were slugging it out, we were in the

In the Shape of a Girl, it does that for Bradie when she has her own personal emergency. Towards the end of the book, Bradie feels very emotional from the incident she sees between Adrienne and Sophie in the girls bathroom. She watched as “Sophie’s head is turning, twisting away from Adrienne and turning toward me. Bradie please.” (MacLeod 55). She feels so guilty and angry at herself for walking away and not trying to help her. But, part of her also feels as though it’s Sophie’s own fault for not standing up for herself. Bradie feels this way and tells herself this to make her feel better about how she hasn't spoke up against the bullying. When she gets to the bus, she pukes over the emergency exit on the bus. She didn’t puke because she had the flu or ate something bad at lunch, the puke represents her emotions. Over the years, she has witnessed the awful bullying and feels terrible. The guilt has only built and built over the years. Somehow, it needs to come out one way or another. She has tried to hold it in but Bradie is in a state of disaster, and she can’t hold her silence any