Six students sit around a table in the front corner of the classroom. Today we are discussing their “choice” books. These students selected Blood Moon and, while they are college students, it is clear that they are a little uncomfortable by the topic of the novel. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Lola says, “I have never seen a book that talked about a girl on her period that wasn’t in a science class.” The other students nod. “I’m not gonna lie; I felt a little embarrassed reading it. Like it was supposed to be private.”
“The phrase, ‘It’s only blood’ stood out to me,” Mark states. “I think that it resonated with me because I didn’t…” He pauses for a while clearly searching for words. “I didn’t know what to think or how to respond or how to get my head around what I would do in that situation.” Three of the other students nod. Carly agrees and then says, “I got mad. I got mad that I was uncomfortable reading about this. I got mad that I had to be reminded that it is only blood. It is a normal, natural thing. Then I got pissed off about how it was used against her.” The students nod and continue their discussion on the novel. They focus on the role of shame and how it is used in the novel to target the characters. They talk about how the anonymity of what can happen online, whether it is posting a meme, trolling someone, or sharing something allows for the worst of people to come out.
“It’s easy to be mean and hateful when you know you won’t get caught.” Lola states.
“Social media can bring out the very worst in people.” Cara adds. The students nod.
“It’s because you can hide and throw your verbal bombs and attacks. Things that you wouldn’t say in person.” Mark continues. “It lets you put up a wall and lob things over while you are safe in your space.”
“You don’t have consequences, not real ones. The only people that feel it are the ones who are attacked.” Carly says quietly. Students not. “Lucy suffered because of the posts and memes. She is the one who cried while others got to laugh and be mean and smug and hateful.”
Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew is a new novel in verse that tells the story of a high school girl, her first sexual experience, her period, her best friend, and a very vicious meme. Frankie, the main character, is a high school girl who loves physics and science; she has a best friend that she trusts and a boy that she is falling for. Then, she has her first sexual experience with the boy and her period starts. They both agree that it is only blood.
But then, a vicious meme goes viral. This meme turns what was an intimate moment between Frankie and her boyfriend into a public spectacle. It makes Frankie’s first sexual experience and her period something mortifying and shameful. The meme weaponizes shame and uses the expectation that Frankie should be ashamed of having sex and having a period to attack her, to publicly shame her.
Frankie’s world implodes. Who told? The boyfriend? The best friend? Who created the meme? The online attacks and online shaming takes on a life of its on. Frankie begins to wonder who she can trust, if her life will ever be normal again. Frankie decides that this will not be her life; she will fight to take her life back. This novel in verse chronicles her taking her the steps to get her life back. It also shows the dangers of online attacks and public shaming. Shame is used to try to control Frankie, to manipulate her, to make her feel inferior. The viral meme makes Frankie’s experience public; part of the threat of public shaming is the idea that it change how people see the person. This shame initially separates her from the people who provide her with support and strength.
The three activities for this novel focus on analyzing specific poems and then creating something in response. Symbolic Difference examines the role of meaningful objects and their symbolic weight in a character’s life. It then asks the students to consider something that has a symbolic meaning for them. The Weaponization of Shame examines the way that shame makes Frankie feel and asks the students to write about a time when they felt shame. Moments in Time focuses on the poem Forever as a counterpoint to the viral meme that tries to destroy Frankie’s life.
Click here for Teaching Resources.
“The phrase, ‘It’s only blood’ stood out to me,” Mark states. “I think that it resonated with me because I didn’t…” He pauses for a while clearly searching for words. “I didn’t know what to think or how to respond or how to get my head around what I would do in that situation.” Three of the other students nod. Carly agrees and then says, “I got mad. I got mad that I was uncomfortable reading about this. I got mad that I had to be reminded that it is only blood. It is a normal, natural thing. Then I got pissed off about how it was used against her.” The students nod and continue their discussion on the novel. They focus on the role of shame and how it is used in the novel to target the characters. They talk about how the anonymity of what can happen online, whether it is posting a meme, trolling someone, or sharing something allows for the worst of people to come out.
“It’s easy to be mean and hateful when you know you won’t get caught.” Lola states.
“Social media can bring out the very worst in people.” Cara adds. The students nod.
“It’s because you can hide and throw your verbal bombs and attacks. Things that you wouldn’t say in person.” Mark continues. “It lets you put up a wall and lob things over while you are safe in your space.”
“You don’t have consequences, not real ones. The only people that feel it are the ones who are attacked.” Carly says quietly. Students not. “Lucy suffered because of the posts and memes. She is the one who cried while others got to laugh and be mean and smug and hateful.”
Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew is a new novel in verse that tells the story of a high school girl, her first sexual experience, her period, her best friend, and a very vicious meme. Frankie, the main character, is a high school girl who loves physics and science; she has a best friend that she trusts and a boy that she is falling for. Then, she has her first sexual experience with the boy and her period starts. They both agree that it is only blood.
But then, a vicious meme goes viral. This meme turns what was an intimate moment between Frankie and her boyfriend into a public spectacle. It makes Frankie’s first sexual experience and her period something mortifying and shameful. The meme weaponizes shame and uses the expectation that Frankie should be ashamed of having sex and having a period to attack her, to publicly shame her.
Frankie’s world implodes. Who told? The boyfriend? The best friend? Who created the meme? The online attacks and online shaming takes on a life of its on. Frankie begins to wonder who she can trust, if her life will ever be normal again. Frankie decides that this will not be her life; she will fight to take her life back. This novel in verse chronicles her taking her the steps to get her life back. It also shows the dangers of online attacks and public shaming. Shame is used to try to control Frankie, to manipulate her, to make her feel inferior. The viral meme makes Frankie’s experience public; part of the threat of public shaming is the idea that it change how people see the person. This shame initially separates her from the people who provide her with support and strength.
The three activities for this novel focus on analyzing specific poems and then creating something in response. Symbolic Difference examines the role of meaningful objects and their symbolic weight in a character’s life. It then asks the students to consider something that has a symbolic meaning for them. The Weaponization of Shame examines the way that shame makes Frankie feel and asks the students to write about a time when they felt shame. Moments in Time focuses on the poem Forever as a counterpoint to the viral meme that tries to destroy Frankie’s life.
Click here for Teaching Resources.
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