“Sandy Is a Complex Character. How Can She Be Perceived as a Victim, Villain and Hero of Julia Lawrinson’s Bye, Beautiful?”

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In her novel Bye, Beautiful, Julia Lawrinson shows the development and growth of her main character, Sandy Lansing. Sandy is portrayed as a victim, then later shows herself to also be a villain, and finally redeems herself, allowing her to be a hero. Throughout the novel, we see the weak side of Sandy, which shows her to be a victim. We first see how low Sandy’s self-esteem is when her mother, Glad, refers to her older sister Marianne as: “…our smart girl.” pg 18 This leaves Sandy feeling very confused, because she’d always thought that her parents thought of herself and Marianne as equals. “Sandy wasn’t expecting such a comment, and was surprised at the stabbing pain she felt at hearing it.” pg 18 After hearing her mother say this, Sandy feels downcast by her older sister Marianne, and younger brother Lawrence. Sandy is also controlled by the people surrounding her. She is controlled by her father, Frank, by not wanting to put a foot out of line in fear of being punished. She listens and abides by everything that he says, because of the control he has over her and her siblings. “”I want you kids in bed in an hour.” “Yes, Dad,” Sandy and Marianne said at the same time.” pg. 11. She is also victimised in the sense that she is a reliable person, and people like her sister, Marianne, use that to their advantage. “Sandy was Marianne’s insurance,…” pg. 112 When Marianne meets up with Billy at the deli, she takes Sandy along with her, so that if she is questioned about her actions, she could simply say, “But Dad, Sandy was there too.” pg. 112 This makes Sandy a victim because she is forced into doing things, just so that Marianne won’t get in trouble. Sandy is shown as a victim when the people around her expect her to obey, which she does. At times, Sandy shows the emotion inside her, and acts or thinks in ways that show her to be a villain. Sandy’s

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