Cut

 

Cut

Self-harm crisis text line: 

https://www.crisistextline.org/topics/self-harm/#what-is-self-harm-1

Author: Patricia McCormick

Title: Cut

Genre: YA Fiction

Bibliographic Data in MLA format: McCormick, Patricia. Cut. PUSH, 2011.

Recommended Grade Level(s): 9-11

Number of Pages: 151

*Brief, concise plot description (no more than one paragraph): 

This novel tells the story of Callie, who is placed in Sea Pines as a rehabilitation center for her struggle with self-harm. In the story, the reader follows her journey to healing as she goes through therapy, makes friends along the way, escapes the facility, and finally reconciles with her father before choosing to go back for treatment. 

Possible Teaching Concerns (may refer back to the text(s) used in class): 

This novel is centered around self-harm and also touches on issues that Callie's friends deal with, such as bulimia, anorexia, other eating disorders, and other mental health crisis. This could be triggering for anyone who deals with this, knows someone who deals with this, has spent any time in an institution, or anyone with trama regarding therepy. 

Personal Reaction to/and/or Evaluation of novel: 

I personally thought this novel was hard to read at times and gave a very realistic depiction of what therapy can feel like to someone not ready for healing. I also thought that the ending made this reading shift from something despairing and hard into something hopeful with a genuine shift to explaining the motivation behind getting better. I think that a lot of these students may be dealing with self-harm or have a peer who is, so I think it is important for students to read this because it can help them understand the rationale behind it and empathize with those who suffer from this. For those who do suffer with self-harm, this can be a good resource that may help people see that there is a path to healing and that they are not alone. 

Canonical work with which to juxtapose this novel & a brief (one paragraph) description of the rationale to connect the 2 works: 

I would connect this novel with The Scarlet Letter, but I would not do so on the basis of self-harm. I think that Cut is very unique in this and I would not want to take away the message of healing from self-harm by trying to attach it to something that does not deal with this since it is a very important topic to address on its own. I would not want to minimize Callie's suffering by saying it is "like" someone else's who does not self-harm because I think that is not fair. However, I would connect Cut to the Scarlet Letter by addressing factors that isolate people from their community. Here would be a good place to talk about stigmatizing and how it impacts those who are given a stigma. For example, the stigma of self-harm and depression is hurtful as is the stigma of sexual activity.