Awkward

Peppi, the protagonist, makes a big mistake that launches the main conflict of the graphic novel. Though Peppi struggles with the best way to apologize, she never considers not apologizing for what she did. The graphic novel emphasizes the importance of owning up to mistakes and apologizing for the hurt they cause, even when the person who made the mistake didn’t hurt anyone on purpose.

Weeks after Peppi shoved Jaime, she says that it “still makes me burn” (7), colorfully describing feeling ashamed of her behavior. This feeling is exaggerated by the fact that she notices that everyone “either ignores [Jaime] or makes fun of him” (9). Isolation and bullying are two common experiences in primary and secondary school, and they can have negative effects on those who experience them. Knowing that she hurt someone who is already being tormented haunts Peppi.

Peppi knows that she must apologize to Jaime for both her sake and his. Her mistake doesn’t reflect her character. She is a nice and thoughtful person who wants to make amends and have people feel included. She also knows that her mistake hurt Jaime, who was laughed at as she ran away. Jaime’s mom spurs Peppi into action: She doesn’t judge Peppi for her mistake, but she smiles when Peppi says how sorry she is and redirects Peppi to tell Jaime that.