Celia Behind Me Essay, Research Paper

Celia Behind me

In her story, Celia Behind Me , Isabel Huggan writes about the subject that all of us can relate to: Pressure to fit in and be accepted. The main character, Elizabeth, struggles with her own insecurity and position within the group of kids. The result of her insecurity is frustration she expresses on Celia.

Elizabeth s position within the group of those kids was unstable. She makes herself believe that she is a part of the group. They go home together and they pick on Celia together. That makes her believe she belongs to the group. She was once characterized as Sucky (292) for sucking her finger in kindergarten. and had sucked my thumb so openly in kindergarten that Sucky had stuck with me all the way to Grade 3 where I now balanced at a hazardous point, (292). Fear from being teased empowers her to pick on Celia with the rest of the kids.

Part of Elizabeth s frustration comes from the fact that Celia represents much of what Elizabeth doesn’t like about herself. She would be happy if Celia reminded her of some better-looking person. But that s not the case. Her conscious reminds her of similarities between two of them. I was kind of chunky and wore glasses too, (292). She struggles with her fear of becoming the next Celia. “For I knew, deep in my wretched heart, that were it not for Celia I was next in line for humiliation” (292).

Her position within the group is unidentified. She just walks home with the rest of the group. After one incident Elizabeth realizes that her place in the group is not secure enough. She was reminded of her previous status. Suckybabies can t have sweets either. Di-a–beet-ics and Suck-y-ba-bies can t eat chocolate (293). The kids put her in the same group as Celia. Her worst fear becomes true and she could be picked on again.

Some people do not choose the way how to achieve something. Some of them don t even realize that they might have hurt somebody. Does the goal excuse the way? I think not. Elizabeth is a nice example of it. Her violence becomes the result of frustration. Anyway that incident makes her to get know her dark side; the side she never new existed. She made me discover a darkness far more frightening than the echoing culvert, far more enduring than her smooth, pink face (295).