In both of these
texts, in the novel Break Every Rule, and in the television show Gossip Girl, the
main themes are friendship and jealousy. Jealousy ultimately serves to play a
role in pulling the friendships and relationships apart, Usually with the help
of outsiders, their friendship is almost destroyed, but in the end their
friendships survive because the people involved really care about each other
deep inside. The tensions between characters also serve to highlight the
problems between them, and even give characters an excuse to acknowledge their
issues.
In the novel
Break Every Rule there is a group of boys who have been friends since they were
young children. There is Arno the “It” boy of the group, Jonathan, has an
amazing girlfriend but let’s jealousy get to him, Arno, Jonathans European
stepbrother who is a evil person, and David a classic nerd who gets pushed into
being someone he’s not. They all are fighting over who gets the title of
"Hottest Private School Boy." It becomes even more complicated when
Arno wins and the boys become either jealous of him or are forced to become his
sidekick. When Rob, an outsider who is also Jonathan's European stepbrother
comes to visit, he tries to pull the boys friendship apart. They end up having
serious miscommunication and jealousy issues with each other. Jonathan becomes
jealous of Arno and starts to feel like an outsider He is worried that Flan his
girlfriend is cheating on him with David, David who was kind of a nerd, was
hanging out with Arno and part of Arno’s “In” group; "David was cooler
then me now and Flan would like him better." In the end everyone who
started being friends with Arno when he became “HPSB” forgets about him, he
feels used by the girls who were always around when he was “The cool kid.” Flan
and Jonathan break up, they still love each other but Flan was mad that
Jonathan didn’t trust her and that there were so many miscommunications with
each other. “The last couple of weeks have been like this: full of the
exquisite agony of a thousand little fights and misunderstandings.” Everyone in
the book soon realizes that they all still care deeply about each other and
that Rob and outsiders were trying to pull them apart. The boys soon discover
that all of this wouldn’t have happened if they had communicated with each
other.
Miscommunication
plays a huge role in the troubles of this book. The boys become frustrated with
each other because they feel like the other one is too busy being “Cooler” and
with “Cooler people” than the other one. When Jonathan found David and Flan
whispering he assumed that they were cheating with each other but what also
played a role was his insecurity about not feeling like he was hot and popular
enough. "I couldn't believe he got to meet celebrities and get
photographed and written about. And then I realized that David was cooler than
I was now, Maybe Flan would like him more than me. There was something not
right about that little scene, them whispering out in the hallway." Since
assuming this he starting giving David the cold shoulder "You better drink
this up, and then get out of my apartment as fast as you can." Since
Jonathan was rude to David, he jumped at the opportunity to fight back at Jonathan.
Rob came to David looking to destroy Jonathan his Stepbrother; "David I'm
making this my number one priority, right after the Hot School Boy party. Flan
will be yours again!" Even though David didn't even have feelings for Flan
anymore. David still went along with it because; "Thinking about the way
Jonathan had completely abandoned him, and how he'd asked David to leave his
house that night… well, David felt like this might just be what he
deserved." Really Rob is just trying to tear the boys friendship apart.
"I'm just working on my scrapbook, want to see…" Rob showed Jonathon
a scrapbook of David and Flan together starting at one end of the room and
making their way towards each other; "The pictures kept getting closer and
closer like a horrible flip book… until Flan was sitting on David’s lap” If the
boys would have just sat down and talked about what was happening everything
would have been avoided. Jonathan and David realized that it was a total
miscommunication. They realized that they needed each other and it wasn't worth
fighting over. One of the major miscommunications with David and Jonathan is
When they were at a club Jonathan saw David run out of the room; “If I needed
any more proof that David was really and truly after my girl-then I got it
Friday night, when he ran out of the lounge at 66 Thomson at the very sight of
me and Flan together.” Really what happened was David was upset at Rob for
saying something so rude and so he wouldn’t seem uncool he left the room, and
didn’t see Jonathan and Flan.
Arno who was
nominated “Hottest Private School Boy” started acting entitled and as if he was
greater than the other boys; "I don't even want to know, its like I need
an intern to manage my social calendar.” He starts putting the other boys down
and making them feel like he was better than his friends; “He didn’t think that
he was an average guy, but it was hotter to shrug off his new celebrity.”
He hangs around
with 3 girls; Mimi, Sadie and Lizzie. “She was pretty, in the same way the It
Girls were pretty. She had long, straight blond hair with shiny skin two shades
darker than her hair…all the girls seemed plastic and identical.”
The girls follow
Arno everywhere. Arno seems to thinks that they actually like him until, He
figures out that they were having a competition, which one of them could “Hook
up with him most while still on the newsstand.” The day after his party when he
tries to call the girls they didn’t answer. Arno finally realizes that when the
HPSB issues go out so does he; “It was the Hottest Private School Boy issue,
lots of them, wrapped up and put at the curb to be recycled. They hadn’t
escaped the rain.”
At the end of the
book, the boy’s realize that Rob is a terrible and manipulative person who
would do anything for fame and fortune. Jonathan’s mom, who is also Rob’s
stepmom, tells him that Rob set David up to look like he stole her credit card
and Rolodex. but Just as the police came to arrest him one of the officers said
“this is utterly beneath contempt, but at the same time it’s…. very, well, it’s
very impressive”. Just as she said this, Rob couldn’t handle someone else
getting the credit that he burst out that he did it and got arrested instead.
“Yes, it seems he fancied himself something of a party promoter. Rob my
ATM card and my Rolodex, and he took out quite a bit of money to finance his
schemes of nightlife glory.”
Miscommunication plays a big part in this episode of the television show
Gossip girl. The main problem is that Serena thinks that her best friend Blair
is having an affair with her ex boyfriend Dan. She’s insulted that they think
she would be upset if she found out, which, she would be but doesn’t want to
admit. Another problem brewing is that the society women start to gang up on
Lily, Serena’s mother because she under house arrest, for committing fraud and obstruction of justice. It’s
clear that all these problems come have the same theme; they don’t want to talk
about it; "Wait, you want me to TALK to her about my suspicions? That's not
how we DO things on the Upper East Side!"
In the
beginning Serena and Charlie try and find out if Blair and Dan are having an
affair, Which all would have been avoided if they had just asked her straight
out and had more trust in their friendship. Serena assumes that her friends are
together just like Jonathan assumed Flan and David were having an affair.
Serena and Jonathan clearly are using these imaginary affairs as an excuse to
acknowledge the problems in their relationship. When Serena finds out that
Blair has a date with Prince Louise, who she met in Paris. Serena is relieved
but we see that doesn’t last long. At the end of the episode she and Blair have
a falling out. Blair makes a plan to kiss Dan so that Prince Louise doesn’t
have to get sent back. Serena sees this and get upset again. Blair explains why
she did it but Serena doesn’t believe her, Blair says, “You prefer when you’re
the one in the spotlight…. You could have a taste of what its like to be in my
shadow for once.” We see that at the end Serena calls another royal whom she
met in Paris. Clearly she does feel the need to always upstage Blair.
Meanwhile at the
Pink party where Blair and Dan kiss there is another problem brewing. Before
the party Society women stand lily up when they were suppose to come to her
apartment to put gift bags together and then Nate’s mother has the nerve to ask
if she can have the food Lily ordered sent to the new venue. But then Rufus, Lily’s
husband wants to get the Pink party moved to their apartment by using minor
blackmail. Lily is so pleased but meanwhile the society women are whispering
about her and “Toasting to [her] misfortune.” In the end Lily shuts down her
own party by getting the police involved.
What we learn here
is that no matter what, mean people come in many shapes and sizes, with
multiple opinions and ways that they bully. Mean people are everywhere and
anywhere.
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