Kath is… mean, governmental, oppresses, and has a careless attitude
Mean:
"So, Helen, do you play an instrument?” She put such a sneer in her voice that everyone at the table fell silent, waiting to see how this new kid would react.
When Helen spoke, her voice was very quiet. ,”No,” she said, “No instrument. I just sing.”
Kath snorted. "Sing! No choir in this school. Guess you’re out of luck.”
Comment: Kath here is shown as a mean individual who is trying to lower the dignity of Helen, or in this case Mouse. As the story mentions she put a “sneer in her voice”, meaning that that she made it in a mocking way or tone a voice.
Governmental:
1. "What is that Mouse doing at our table?" Kath said loudly, so Helen would know she had already broken one of the most important rules. No one sat at Kath's table without an invitation.
2. Kath stood up then, to signal that the eating part of lunch was over. Everyone else at the table picked up their trays, following her like robots.
3. Helen hesitated, then did what Kath said.
Comments: In the first quote Kath asks what Mouse is doing at the table because no other person in the school sits at the table with her unless they have an invitation from her. However, Mouse is new and doesn’t know those rules. Even so, after stating this question Mouse sits at the table anyways perhaps hoping to gain friendship, to change Kath’s mind. Still, the rule imposed by Kath has not changed, no one can sit at the table without an invitation from her. This shows Katy’s dictator side, her governmental side. She want to rule or dominate people around her.
On the second quote when Kath stood up, everyone else did. The other students copied her like robots or mere infants that don’t know their way through life. This shows Kathe’s influence and dictatorship over the students.
On the third quote we can see that even Helen obeys Kath. Her influence is so powerful that even she proceeds to obey her.
Careless attitude:
"Who made you the queen of the world?” I yelled at Kath in the driveway.
She didn't even bother to get angry. She just gave me a look that made me feel cold all over and said, "It doesn’t matter, does it? I just am, so you better get used to it,” and walked away.
Comment: Kath doesn’t care for her brothers words. She does what she wants and proceeds to do them how she wants them.
Oppresses:
I knew something was up in gym the next day the way Kath and her friends came out of the change room, giggling. Then Amanda asked Ms. Saro to help her find some goal gloves in the storage room. As soon as they disappeared Kath shot a soccer ball at Helen, hard. Helen dodged as Jen opened the gym door behind her. The ball flew out. “Oops,” Jen said. "I think I'll help look for those goal gloves.”
Helen stood near the open door.
"Go get the ball, you klutz," Kath ordered. "It’s getting cold in here.”
Comments: Here we can see the dark nature of Kath. Kath is very disrespectful and mean to Helen. She oppresses Helen, she wants to humiliate her to the extreme.
Mouse is… Honest, has pride in what she does, is respectful and responsible
Honest:
"Who's Robyn, Mouse?” Kath asked.
Helen ducked her head like she’d been hit. “I don’t know.”
"Where'd you get the backpack then?”
Helen kept her head down. "At a garage sale," she said.
Comment: Even if it means getting laughed at Helen doesn’t care, she is honest and tells the truth about her back pack. She doesn’t tell a white lie or tell half the truth. She is brutally honest.
Has pride in what she does:
Voice is good for someone who moves a lot. I guess we won’t move much now that we're in Torbay. The instrument is free and it isn’t hard to move.” She smiled, as if this were an old joke. Then she lifted her chin. “Besides, I'm a very good singer." The pride in her voice made her sound completely different. I was so surprised, I just nodded.
Comment: By the way in which she speaks you can tell that Helen is proud to be a singer. Even though others may not be in favor she trusts her parents judgement and is obedient to them. She isn’t ashamed of her gifts or talents, she know that every person has a unique talent. Even though the story does not specify such a thought, surely she must have had this in mind when she has so much pride in her voice.
