Analysis Of Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes

Jodi Picoult’s thrilling Nineteen Minutes follows the lives of two teenagers, Peter Houghton and Josie Cormier, who both are succumbed by bullying, either it be family or school. The two sadly face external and internal injuries which come with the harsh action of bullying which can cause people to become reserved or have other reach a breaking point. Peter and Josie relationship may contrast from the ways they were raised but yet strongly share a common case of pain. The issue of bullying led the to a breaking point for which caused them to go pass a point of no return for these teens to find a way to bring an unconventional end to their pain.

Peter past is series of tragic events, having to deal with bullying with no protective interference

Growing up she seemed nearly perfect yet it was only a front, reserving all her emotional turmoil inside. Pressure came in the form of two main figures her mother and her boyfriend Matt Royston. Josie had to make her mother proud which was accomplished “ Many of the accomplishments that Josie’s mother was most proud of … had not been achieved because Josie wanted them so badly herself, but mostly because she was afraid of falling short of perfect.”(pg9). She felt as though popularity is the key to some form of conformity, being on top in the social hierarchy of high school would make her feel good that people liked her. Yet over time for her want of attention would become harmful to her feeling as though people would find who she really was by even creating precautions just incase it ever so happens with the book explaining her possible suicide methods “ It had taken Josie nearly six months to inconspicuously gather only fifteen pills, but she figured if she washed them down with a fifth of vodka, it would do the trick.” (pg 8-9).She felt as though that everything will crumble as if she was like Marie Antoinette with the people coming after but instead she will take matters into her own hands. Matt on the other hand was her source to her popularity, the pair

The relation between Peter and him was noticeable, with Matt bullying him though their school life. Yet the most shocking part is the abuse Matt did to Josie by getting into arguments and hitting her. This would make her love life with Matt toxic feeling as though he is in control of her adding to her pressure of being perfect. On the day of the shooting Peter went into the locker room where Josie and Matt were he was fixed on Matt but it was the scream that made Peter slip having a gun slide to her side. It is at this point Matt trueself is shown, the way his is to Peter and Josie summed up in a moment when Matt says, “ ‘Josie, for christ sake!’... ‘Are you fucking stupid?” Peter would respond to him to “Don’t talk to her like that.”(pg 440). Peter though all this turmoil still stand up for a friend who he generally cares about. Josie in this moment finally is able to let go of all her problems by shooting Matt as well as Peter making the final shot to