The School Bully vs. The A-Student | Short Film "Paulie"

The Shorts Network

22 Feb 202111:05

Summary

TLDRPolly, a nine-year-old seventh grader, navigates academic and social challenges at school. She faces bullying from Tony, who forces her to eat dirt, but she stands her ground. Polly is determined to advance to eighth grade and dreams of attending Stanford. Despite accusations of cheating and plagiarism against Tony, Polly's persistence and intelligence shine through. The story highlights the pressures of academic success, the value of integrity, and the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. Ultimately, Polly's journey is one of self-discovery and determination.

Takeaways

😄 Polly is a smart and determined nine-year-old who is petitioning to skip ahead to the eighth grade.
😅 Tony, another student, bullies Polly and threatens to punch her, showing a conflict between the two.
🏫 Polly aspires to go to Stanford, highlighting her academic ambition.
🎓 Tony wins a school essay contest, but Polly accuses him of cheating, believing he plagiarized the essay.
📚 Polly gathers evidence by trying to determine if a library book related to Tony’s essay is missing, suspecting dishonesty.
🤔 The vice principal dismisses Polly’s accusation, assuming Tony wrote the essay himself.
🍰 At Tony’s home, Polly confronts him, and Tony admits he didn’t want to write the essay but cheated due to pressure.
🎉 Polly and Tony reach a resolution, with Tony apologizing, and they share a cake together with his family.
🏆 Another student, TJ Merriweather Colby, is announced as the new top scorer and captain of the Math Olympics.
👦 Polly, despite her young age, interacts with older students and navigates complex social dynamics at school.

Q & A

Who is Polly, and what is her current academic situation?
-Polly is a nine-year-old student in the seventh grade. She is currently petitioning to skip ahead to the eighth grade.
Why does Polly want to skip a grade?
-Polly wants to skip a grade because the faster she advances, the sooner she can leave and pursue her goal of attending Stanford.
What accusation does Polly make against Tony?
-Polly accuses Tony of plagiarizing the essay he submitted for the Stanford Fellows Essay Contest.
How does Vice Principal Burger respond to Polly's accusation?
-Vice Principal Burger dismisses Polly's accusation, suggesting that Polly should accept that other students, like Tony, are also capable of academic success. He tells Polly she owes Tony an apology.
What evidence does Polly try to use to prove Tony plagiarized the essay?
-Polly suggests checking the library's records to see what books Tony has checked out. She believes the missing book will reveal that Tony copied his essay.
What interaction occurs between Polly and Tony regarding the essay contest?
-Polly confronts Tony, asking him if he cheated on the essay. Tony initially denies it but later admits that he didn't want to write the essay and that their teacher, Ms. Gilbert, made them do it.
Why does Tony say he cheated on the essay contest?
-Tony says he cheated because he didn't want to write the essay in the first place, and Ms. Gilbert forced them to do it. He also questions why Polly cares so much about the contest, as she has won numerous awards before.
How does Tony’s mother react to the situation?
-Tony's mother doesn't seem aware of the cheating and offers cake to Polly when she visits. She’s focused on serving the kids and ensuring they are comfortable, suggesting juice instead of milk.
How does Polly's attitude toward Tony change by the end of their conversation?
-Polly apologizes to Tony after reading his essay and realizing it was well-written. She softens her stance and accepts Tony's offer of cake, signaling a resolution between them.
Who is announced as the new top scorer and captain for next year's Math Olympics?
-The new top scorer and next year's Math Olympics captain is Thomas 'TJ' Merriweather Colby.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Polly Faces Challenges at School

Polly, a 9-year-old student in the seventh grade, is petitioning to skip to the eighth grade. Despite her aspirations to attend Stanford, she faces challenges from a classmate named Tony, who threatens to punch her. The scene shifts to a school event where Tony wins an essay contest, but Polly accuses him of cheating. The Vice Principal dismisses her claims, defending Tony's academic ability. The situation escalates as Polly tries to prove her case by implying Tony plagiarized his essay using library books.

05:09

😶 Polly Confronts Tony’s Cheating

Polly continues her investigation into Tony's alleged cheating. She seeks help from a peer to check if a book is missing in the library, suspecting Tony plagiarized his essay. Polly confronts Tony at his home, where they share an awkward moment over cake offered by Tony's mother. Despite the tension, Polly softens after reading Tony's essay and realizing it was well-written. The story ends with an announcement at school, where another student, TJ Merriweather Colby, is named the top scorer and the captain of next year's Math Olympics. Polly reflects on her school life and the challenges she faces with peers.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Polly

Polly is a central character in the video, a nine-year-old girl who is academically gifted and petitioning to skip ahead to the eighth grade. Her ambition to get into Stanford and her determination drive much of the plot, especially in her confrontation with Tony regarding his plagiarism.

💡Tony

Tony is another key character in the script. He is accused by Polly of plagiarizing his essay for the Stanford Fellows Essay Contest. Tony's deceit becomes a major plot point, as Polly tries to prove that Tony cheated, leading to conflict between the characters.

💡Stanford Fellows Essay Contest

The essay contest is a significant event in the script, representing academic achievement. Tony wins the contest, which causes Polly to accuse him of plagiarism, sparking the central conflict of the story. Winning this contest is symbolic of academic excellence, which is important to both Tony and Polly.

💡Plagiarism

Plagiarism, or copying someone else's work without proper credit, is a key concept in the video. Polly accuses Tony of plagiarizing his essay, which he denies. This issue underscores the themes of honesty, academic integrity, and competition within the narrative.

💡Vice Principal Burger

Vice Principal Burger is an authority figure in the school and plays a role in mediating the conflict between Polly and Tony. He represents the institutional figure who upholds school rules and fairness, especially when Polly accuses Tony of cheating.

💡Dewey Decimal System

The Dewey Decimal System is mentioned when Polly suggests using it to find missing library books, hinting at her investigative nature. This reference is part of her attempt to prove that Tony did not check out the necessary books to write his essay, contributing to her effort to expose his plagiarism.

💡Skipping a grade

Polly is petitioning to skip ahead to the eighth grade, showing her exceptional academic abilities. This concept represents her desire to advance faster than her peers, aligning with her goal of attending Stanford and her general ambition.

💡Math Olympics

The Math Olympics is introduced toward the end of the script when the top scorer, TJ Merriweather Colby, is announced as the new team captain. This academic competition ties into the broader theme of academic achievement and excellence that permeates the video.

💡Cake

Cake is a recurring symbol in the script, representing a reward or celebration. Tony's family offers Polly cake, and Tony contrasts Polly’s frequent academic awards with his rare opportunity to enjoy such a celebration, illustrating the difference in their home lives and motivations.

💡Library

The library serves as a location in the video where Polly discovers evidence against Tony. It’s also a symbolic space of knowledge and learning, where Polly tries to gather proof of Tony's academic dishonesty by investigating whether he checked out books relevant to his essay.

Highlights

Polly refuses to eat dirt or get punched by Tony.

Polly is nine years old and in seventh grade, petitioning to skip to eighth grade.

Tony threatens to punch Polly in the stomach anyway.

Polly mentions her plan to go to Stanford after skipping grades.

Polly impresses someone who praises her with 'Good job, Polly.'

The capital of India is New Delhi, mentioned during a school announcement.

Tony wins the Stanford Fellows essay contest, but Polly accuses him of cheating.

Polly insists Tony plagiarized his essay, pointing out inconsistencies in his writing.

Vice Principal Burger dismisses Polly's accusation, stating other students can also succeed academically.

Polly confronts Tony, demanding he admits to copying his essay.

Tony admits he didn't want to write the essay, implying external pressure from Miss Gilbert.

Polly reads Tony's essay and acknowledges it was actually good, offering an apology.

The Math Olympics captain, TJ Merriweather Colby, is announced, marking another school achievement.

TJ, a new student, is asked about his age and confirms he's nine years old.

Polly reassures TJ not to worry about the mean kids at school.