Vlerke vir almal (Marion Erskine) Chapter 16 Summary
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WHAT HAPPENED, IN 50 WORDS:
Chapter 16: The Schmetterling initiative gains global recognition, causing Dewald to caution his friends about privacy. A fight with Aldi leads to a suspension. Discovering Cyberbully Yolandi in Nicola's old messages deepens Dewald's grief. Beesbal outs Aldi's deeds against Dewald's mother in Schmetterling, instigating revenge harassment against Aldi.
FULL SUMMARY:
In Chapter 16, Dewald and his father share a morning newspaper article that highlights the global success of the Schmetterling initiative. The anti-bullying app is celebrated worldwide, with its origin traced back to Johannesburg, the home city of Dewald and the Schmetterling team. While Dewald celebrates privately, he cautions his friends Beesbal, Nomaswazi, and Karlien that their identities must remain hidden for their safety. Boasting 25,000 members globally, Schmetterling has a significant impact on cyberbullying victims. However, Dewald’s day is marred by an altercation with Aldi, who mocks him, leading to a physical fight. Both students are suspended for a week by the principal, Mr. Bosman, despite Mr. Visser's plea. Feeling immense guilt, Dewald debates sharing Aldi’s father's alleged involvement in his mother's job loss but refrains. Amid his home confinement, he discovers Nicola's sealed laptop. While apprehensive, Dewald unlocks it, intending to locate their favorite Irish band's songs. Continuing Chapter 16 of "Vlerke vir almal", in the second piece, Dewald overcomes his fear and opens Nicola's laptop, using a password related to his nickname, Schmetterling. On the laptop wallpaper, he encounters an image of a butterfly, the Keiser Swaelstert, South Africa's largest butterfly. As he navigates to her files, he's taken aback by a conversation thread with a person named Yolandi. Yolandi's text messages reflect an aggressive language and bullying behavior towards Nicola, adding a distressing facet to Nicola's death. As Dewald reads the conversation, he comprehends that Yolandi and Nicola had an internet-based relationship. Yolandi's accusations of Nicola using her and her subsequent threat, wishing Nicola dead, leaves a searing impact on Dewald. He reconnects this to Nicola's suicide, solidifying the notion that this distressing discourse incited Nicolai's untimely decision. In this profound moment of realization, Dewald is interrupted by a message from Yolandi, shocked to think that Nicola is at last online. Responding as Nicola, Dewald informs Yolandi about Nicola's tragic end, leaving Yolandi under the impression that her harsh last messages resulted in Nicola's death. Overwhelmed with grief, Dewald shuts Nicola's laptop and rushes to meet his school psychologist, Mr. Visser. Dewald's traumatic discovery further emphasizes the dangers of cyberbullying, adding a poignant perspective to the narrative and strengthening Dewald's commitment to his anti-bullying initiative, Schmetterling. The ultimate impact of the online conversation on Nicola's fate additionally underscores the disturbing realities of cyberbullying on adolescents' mental health. Continuing Chapter 16 of the novel "Vlerke vir almal", Dewald finds an effective technique to manage his stuttering; he listens to music and speaks at the same time. This works wonders unless the music ceases where his stuttering automatically resumes. Dewald's parents need to shout at him to hear over the music, though his mother is thrilled that the technique helps. Dewald continues his sessions with Mr. Visser exploring his feelings around Nicola's death. He looks forward to school resumption Monday and plans to ask Karlien to be his girlfriend during their hangout that evening. As his mother now has more free time after losing her job (possibly due to Aldi's dad), they plan to organize their messy garage. While Dewald is engrossed in his chores, he gets a worrying call from Nomaswazi. She questions when he last visited the Schmetterling forum. Dewald, distracted with recent events, admits it's been a week since his last visit. Nomaswazi delivers shocking news; one of their friends, Beesbal, has disclosed on the forum that Aldi is responsible for Dewald's mother losing her job. This revelation stirs a dramatic reaction in the Schmetterling community. Supporters begin harassing Aldi with Egging her house, prank calls, and other abuses. Nomaswazi mentions people throwing paint buckets in Aldi's swimming pool. Nomaswazi also reveals that Beesbal gave Aldi's phone number and address on the forum. She has tried reaching Beesbal but received a terse response about exacting revenge for what Aldi did. Dewald promises to address the situation, realizing this backlash against Aldi goes against the ideals of Schmetterling, meant to hinder bullying not propagate it.
WHAT HAPPENED, IN 50 WORDS:
Hoofstuk 16: Dewald se ma verloor haar werk, hy verdenk Aldi se inmenging. Hy skakel skool met konflik met Aldi, bevorder vriendskap met Karlien, en onthul pynlike waarhede op Nicola se rekenaar. Werk met Visser en voorsien 'n nuwe benadering tot sy stameling. Dewald begin verantwoordelik optree as leier van Schmetterling.
FULL SUMMARY:
In hoofstuk 16 ervaar Dewald 'n kombinasie van woede en skok nadat sy ma haar werk verloor, wat hy vermoed is danksy Aldi se vader se inmenging. Hy is bekommerd oor hoe om te bewys dat 'n enkele telefoonoproep tot haar afdanking gelei het. Die volgende oggend vind hy 'n koerantartikel wat openbaar dat 'n app, genaamd "United Wings" - wat ontstaan het deur die bou van Schmetterling, 'n groep tieners teen boelies by Dewald se skool, beskikbaar gemaak is. Dewald deel hierdie nuus met Beesbal, Karlien en Nomaswazi, wat ewe verbaas en opgewonde is oor die impak wat hul projek wêreldwyd gemaak het. Ongelukkigheid breek uit toe Dewald en Aldi se gespanne verhouding 'n fisieke konfrontasie word, wat lei tot hul albei se skorsing vir 'n week deur die skoolhoof, meneer Bosman. Dewald moet wag tot sy ouers arriveer, en gedurende hierdie tyd ontvang hy 'n boodskap van meneer Visser, die skool sielkundige, wat hom uitnooi vir 'n gesprek. Met die skok van die skorsing en 'n bietjie verligting deur sy opbloeiende romanse met Karlien, open Dewald Nicola se laptop wat hy vroeër ontvang het. Hy word egter uitgestel wanneer hy om 'n wagwoord gevra word wat hy nie ken nie. Die hoofstuk eindig op 'n hoë noot van spanning as Dewald homself voorberei om die geheime wat in Nicola se rekenaar verborge is, te ontgrendel. In hierdie deel van hoofstuk 16, ontsluit Dewald 'n kritieke stuk inligting oor Nicola se selfmoord deur haar laptop. Deur verskeie pogings tot 'n wagwoord, bekom hy uiteindelik toegang met die woord "5chm3tt3rl1ng". Daar vind hy 'n gesprek met 'n meisie genaamd Yolandi, vol haatspraak wat aan Nicola gerig was; dit bevat dreigemente om privaat foto's te deel en bitsige afkeuring oor 'n onvervulde belofte vir 'n ontmoeting. Dit blyk dat Yolandi nie besef het dat Nicola nie 'n ryerbewys gehad het nie en dat sy nie tydens Kersfees kon uitkom nie. Na hierdie onthulling breek Dewald in trane uit, aangedryf deur die besef dat hierdie gesprek 'n sleutelrol kon gespeel het in Nicola se besluit om selfmoord te pleeg. Sy emosies oorweldig hom en hy storm uit die huis met Nicola se laptop. Na 'n hoes en pyp suigloop, klop hy aan by die sielkundige, Meneer Visser, se huis. Na 'n kort inleidende uitruiling, bekend Dewald alles aan meneer Visser - van Nicola se laaste gesprek tot sy wroeging oor hoekom sy hom nie in haar laaste ure kon vertrou nie. Die skokkende onthullings lei tot 'n stresvolle en emosionele einde aan hierdie deel van die hoofstuk, maar dit sluit ook af met 'n nota van hoop: Dewald reageer positief op terapeutiese musiek, soos voorgestel deur Meneer Visser. Hy sê vir Dewald om te kyk na "The King's Speech", 'n fliek oor 'n koning wat met 'n lewenslange spraakprobleem gesukkel het. In die derde deel van Hoofstuk 16, het Dewald 'n nuwe terapeutiese tegniek gevind om sy hakkelprobleem te hanteer deur na musiek te luister, gegewe deur Meneer Visser. Dewald sien uit na die einde van sy skorsing en sy naderende tyd saam met Karlien, en beplan om haar te vra om sy meisie te wees. Sy ma was ongelukkig geforseer om werkloos te word en hulle het begin om die garage skoon te maak. Terwyl hy aan die werk was, het Nomaswazi, 'n mede-lid van Schmetterling, hom gekontak om hom in te lig oor 'n probleem wat op die forum ontplooi. Volgens Nomaswazi, het Beesbal persoonlike inligting oor Aldi, insluitend haar adres, op die forum gepos, wat gelei het tot verskeie voorvalle van teistering en wraak deur ander lede van die forum. Dewald was geskok en het belowe om die situasie reg te stel. Dit is 'n pynlike herinnering dat die oorspronklike doel van Schmetterling was om te help, nie om verdere trauma te veroorsaak nie. Dewald se verantwoordelikheid vir die forum word weer beklemtoon en sy besluit om veranderinge te maak. Die derde deel van Hoofstuk 16 eindig met hoop en 'n belofte van verandering, asook die bevestiging van Dewald se bereidheid om op te tree as 'n leier binne sy gemeenskap.