Shattering Glass

“Simon Glass was easy to hate. I never knew exactly why, there was too much to pick from. I guess, really, we each hated him for a different reason, but we didn’t realize it until the day we killed him.”

This is the opening line of the novel, and it sets up the premise of things to come; that is, the knowledge that Simon Glass will die in the end. In this way, the overall story is about finding out how and why Simon Glass was murdered.

“Looks-wise, Rob wasn’t lacking, but that wasn’t the whole story. He wore confidence like the rest of us wore favorite sweatshirts. Magnetism like Rob’s can’t be earned. When he walked into a room, there was a jolt and all eyes turned his way.” 

This description of Rob reveals why he is continually able to get his way, whether with his peers or his teachers. Throughout the novel, everyone Rob encounters ends up caving to his will, except for Simon.

“Lance leaned over and grabbed the exposed elastic band of Glass’s underwear. He stretched it out, then released. The band snapped against Simon’s crack just as the bell shrieked. As the crowd moved on, one or two of them took a swipe at Simon’s pens, scattering them to the far end of the Commons. Lance picked up the calculator’s plastic back and flipped it with a backhanded Frisbee toss into a garbage can.” 

This moment illustrates Lance’s bullying while also revealing that in the beginning of the novel, Simon is constantly picked on because he’s considered the most unpopular guy at B’Vale. This is also an important moment because it’s what makes Rob come up with his plan to turn things upside down, by making Lance the least popular and Simon the most popular.