## Book Card | Key | Value | | :----------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Title (EN)** | The Fan Club | | **Author** | Maynard, Rona | | **Year** | 1966 | | **Type** | short story | | **Genre** | Coming of Age | | **Genre (Save the Cat)** | Rite of Passage | | **Tropes** | The Outsider, The "In" Crowd, Peer Pressure Makes You Evil, The Scapegoat, Sadistic Teacher, Downer Ending, Hypocrite, Kick the Dog, Becoming the Mask, Alpha Bitch | --- ## Review: The Fan Club "The Fan Club" by Rona Maynard is a sharp short story in the **Young Adult (Contemporary/Realistic)** genre that explores the cruel social dynamics of an American high school. The story follows Laura, an intelligent but isolated student who despises the conformity of her popular classmates. When she is invited to participate in a cruel prank against Rachel, the school's outcast, Laura faces a moral crossroads that will define her identity. Structurally, the work adheres masterfully to the **Hero's Journey** model but offers a tragic or "inverted" variation. As highlighted in the analysis, a key strength lies in the use of the **Internal Shadow**: the true antagonist is not just the group of bullies, but Laura's own desperate need for approval. However, a structural weakness is the absence of a true **Positive Mentor**; the lack of a moral guide makes Laura's fall seem almost inevitable, partially diminishing the weight of her individual responsibility in the tragic finale. The use of narrative tropes is mixed. While it relies on conventional figures like the "Alpha Bitch" (the manipulative popular girl) and the clumsy outcast, the story excels in its use of the **Peer Pressure Makes You Evil** trope. The author avoids preachy moralizing: Laura's transformation into a hypocrite is handled with chilling realism, culminating in a **Downer Ending** that leaves the reader shaken. Recommended for an audience of **adolescents (12-16 years old)**, particularly in educational settings for discussions on ethics and bullying, and for readers who appreciate introspective psychological short fiction in the vein of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." --- ## Structural Analysis (Hero's Journey & Archetypes) > [!INFO]- (click to expand) > # Structural Analysis: The Fan Club > ## Logline > An intelligent, outcast high school girl who despises the cruelty of the popular crowd faces a moral choice when invited to join a cruel prank against the school's most bullied student, ultimately betraying her own principles to gain acceptance. > ## Brief Summary > Laura is a student who feels superior and alienated from the popular "In Crowd," whom she views as shallow and cruel. One day, Rachel Horton, a clumsy and ostracized girl, tries to befriend her, praising a poem Laura wrote. Laura reluctantly accepts a dinner invitation, though she feels embarrassed by the association. During English class, Laura gives a passionate speech about civil rights and prejudice, gaining the teacher's approval but facing veiled mockery from the popular kids. Subsequently, Rachel attempts to give a speech about shells but is humiliated by the teacher for her disorganization and mocked by the class. At the end of the lesson, the popular group reveals they have created an ironic "Fan Club" to mock Rachel. Diane, the ringleader, offers Laura a membership card. Under psychological pressure, Laura betrays her ideals, pins on the card, and joins in the mocking applause against Rachel. > ## Archetypes and Characters > | **Archetype** | **Corresponding Character(s)** | **Brief Description** | > | ---------------------- | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | > | **Hero** | Laura | A protagonist who begins feeling morally superior but faces a test of integrity which she fails. A tragic anti-hero. | > | **Mentor** | (Absent / Ideal) | No physical mentor. The "Mentor" is the ideal of integrity Laura preaches in her speech, but fails to embody. | > | **Threshold Guardian** | Diane Goddard | Represents access to the "special world" of popularity. She blocks Laura's entry until Laura accepts the group's rules. | > | **Herald** | Rachel Horton | Rachel's dinner invitation is the call to adventure (or rather, the moral test) forcing Laura to define where she stands. | > | **Shapeshifter** | Diane Goddard | Initially appears as a cold enemy, then feigns being "friendly" and inclusive to seduce Laura to the dark side. | > | **Shadow** | Social Pressure / Herself | The external Shadow is the group (the mob). The internal Shadow is Laura's desperate need for acceptance that subverts her morals. | > | **Ally** | Rachel Horton (Potential) | Rachel offers herself as an ally, but Laura rejects her at the decisive moment. | > | **Trickster** | The "In" Crowd | They create the "Fan Club" as a cruel joke, subverting order and Rachel's dignity. | > ## The Hero's Journey Stages > | **Journey Stage** | **Event(s) in the Story** | > | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | > | **1. The Ordinary World** | Laura at school, feeling isolated and judging the "clods" (the popular crowd) with contempt. Rainy, gray atmosphere. | > | **2. The Call to Adventure** | Rachel stops Laura in the hall, compliments her poetry, and invites her to dinner. This is Laura's opportunity to act with empathy. | > | **3. Refusal of the Call** | Laura hesitates ("Laura thought of the narrow, dirty street..."), feels repulsion for Rachel's awkwardness, but finally accepts falsely ("faking enthusiasm"). An internal refusal. | > | **4. Meeting the Mentor** | Absent in classic form. Laura consults her own conscience and intellect while preparing the civil rights speech, but it is an intellectual guide, not a moral one. | > | **5. Crossing the First Threshold** | The beginning of the English class. Laura enters the public arena where the confrontation will take place. | > | **6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies** | Laura's speech: she passes the intellectual test speaking about prejudice. She sees the enemies (Diane, Steve) snickering. Rachel tries to be an ally but fails in her speech. | > | **7. Approach to the Inmost Cave** | The moment Rachel is humiliated by the teacher and the group prepares the final prank. Tension rises. | > | **8. The Ordeal** | The reveal of the "Hortensky Fan Club." Diane offers the badge to Laura. This is the moment of truth: integrity or conformity? | > | **9. The Reward** | (False Reward) Acceptance by Diane and the group. Laura is included in the magic circle with an "intimate" tone. | > | **10. The Road Back** | There is no return to the ordinary world of "superior" solitude. Laura is now in the new world of cruel conformity. | > | **11. The Resurrection** | (Inverted) Laura does not resurrect as a transformed hero, but dies morally. "Her hands trembled." She transforms into one of the "clods" she despised. | > | **12. Return with the Elixir** | (Toxic Elixir) Laura claps. The elixir is belonging to the group, but the price is her soul. The ending cements her fall. | ## Structural Analysis (Save the Cat!) > [!INFO]- (click to expand) > # Structural Analysis: The Fan Club > ## Logline > In an oppressive high school, a lonely, intellectual girl must choose between defending a bullied classmate or joining the popular clique she despises, ultimately sacrificing her moral integrity to gain social acceptance. > ## The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (BS2) > | **Beat** | **Story Event** | **Critical Notes** | > | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | > | **1. Opening Image** | Monday morning, raining. Laura is burdened with books, sighing with boredom, observing the popular crowd ("clods") with contempt, feeling isolated and superior. | Effective: immediately establishes the somber tone, Laura's isolation, and the "Us vs. Them" conflict. | > | **2. Theme Stated** | Laura asks why they are so cruel. Later, in her speech, she explicitly states: "One person's misfortune is everyone's responsibility... We must defend the natural dignity of people." | Very strong. The theme is stated by the protagonist herself, who ironically will be the one to betray it in the finale. | > | **3. Set-Up** | We see the school dynamic. Laura gets A's, writes poetry, but is alone. Rachel Horton is shown as awkward and pathetic, and we see how the group treats her. | Clearly defines the _status quo_ and social hierarchies. | > | **4. Catalyst** | Rachel stops Laura in the hall. Not only does she speak to her, but she invites her to dinner. | Breaks Laura's isolation. Forces her to interact with someone "lower" than her on the social ladder. | > | **5. Debate** | Laura hesitates. She thinks of Rachel's poor neighborhood, feels repulsion, but says yes ("faking enthusiasm"). | The debate is internal: does Laura want to be kind or keep her distance? She chooses a hypocritical middle ground. | > | **6. Break into Two** | Laura enters the algebra room and then the English room. She notices Diane and Terri are "cooking up something." | Laura enters the "extraordinary world" of the classroom where the public confrontation will occur. | > | **7. B Story** | The relationship between Laura and Rachel. Rachel sees Laura as an idol/friend, while Laura sees Rachel as an embarrassing burden. | This relational line is the emotional heart that will be betrayed in the finale. | > | **8. Fun and Games** | The speeches in class. Laura gives her "high road" speech on civil rights. Students snicker, but she feels virtuous. Miss Merrill approves. | Ironic contrast between the noble content of Laura's speech and the petty reality of the classroom. | > | **9. Midpoint** | Rachel begins her speech. It's a disaster ("False Defeat" for humanity, victory for the bullies). Steve insults her aloud. | The stakes are raised: the cruelty is no longer just whispered, it is public. | > | **10. Bad Guys Close In** | The teacher (Miss Merrill), instead of defending Rachel, harshly scolds her for disorganization. The giggling increases. | Miss Merrill reveals herself as an institutional "villain," removing any protection for Rachel. | > | **11. All Is Lost** | Rachel looks for the shell but can't find it. Total panic. The class explodes in sarcastic, cruel applause. Reveal of the "Hortensky Fan Club" cards. | The moment of maximum cruelty. Rachel's humiliation is complete and organized. | > | **12. Dark Night of the Soul** | Diane offers the Fan Club card to Laura. Laura looks at Rachel ("red, frightened face") and then Diane ("mocking smile"). Her hands tremble. | The moment of stasis and terror before the final choice. Laura realizes they weren't out to get her, but she must choose whether to join them. | > | **13. Break into Three** | Laura takes the card. | The decision is made. She has chosen social survival over morality. | > | **14. Finale** | Laura pins the card to her sweater. Diane speaks to her in an intimate tone ("She's a creep, isn't she?"). Laura enters the group. | Negative moral climax. The physical action of pinning the card seals the pact with the devil. | > | **15. Final Image** | Laura claps along with the others. | Mirror of the opening: she is no longer alone and "superior," she is part of the indistinct, cruel mass. She has lost her individuality. | ## Narrative Trope Analysis > [!NOTE]- (click to expand) > # Narrative Trope Analysis: The Fan Club > ### The Outsider > 🔗 Card: [The Outsider](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/The%20Outsider.md) > - **Definition:** A character defined by their lack of belonging to the dominant social group. > - **Description and Context:** Laura begins the story defining herself through her exclusion from the group, which she rationalizes as intellectual superiority. > ### The "In" Crowd > 🔗 Card: [The 'In' Crowd](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/The%20'In'%20Crowd.md) > - **Definition:** An elite social group that defines norms and uses exclusion to maintain power. > - **Description and Context:** Diane, Terri, Steve, and others are portrayed as a monolithic entity ("all alike"), dressing alike, judging and mocking anyone who is different. > ### Peer Pressure Makes You Evil > 🔗 Card: [Peer Pressure Makes You Evil](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Peer%20Pressure%20Makes%20You%20Evil.md) > - **Definition:** A character commits reprehensible actions to conform to group expectations. > - **Description and Context:** This is the central theme. Laura, who knows what is right (as proven by her speech), yields to pressure to avoid being ostracized and becomes complicit in the cruelty. > ### The Scapegoat > 🔗 Card: [The Scapegoat](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/The%20Scapegoat.md) > - **Definition:** A character unjustly blamed, punished, or ostracized to unite a larger group. > - **Description and Context:** Rachel Horton serves as the glue for the popular group; their group identity is reinforced by collectively mocking her through the "Fan Club." > ### Sadistic Teacher > 🔗 Card: [Sadistic Teacher](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Sadistic%20Teacher.md) > - **Definition:** A teacher who is cruel, uncaring, or abuses their authority by humiliating students. > - **Description and Context:** Miss Merrill does not intervene against the blatant bullying; instead, she heaps misery on Rachel in her moment of greatest vulnerability, criticizing her for lack of organization rather than helping her. > ### Downer Ending > 🔗 Card: [Downer Ending](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Downer%20Ending.md) > - **Definition:** A narrative ending that is tragic, pessimistic, or depressing, where the hero fails morally or suffers a defeat. > - **Description and Context:** Laura betrays her principles and joins the bullies, destroying her moral integrity. There is no redemption, only sad conformity. > ### Alpha Bitch > 🔗 Card: [Alpha Bitch](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Alpha%20Bitch.md) > - **Definition:** The female leader of the popular clique, often rich, beautiful, and cruel, who dominates the school social hierarchy. > - **Description and Context:** Diane Goddard perfectly embodies this trope: blonde, sleek, manipulative, she is the queen bee who orchestrates Rachel's humiliation and seduces Laura into the group. > ### Hypocrite > 🔗 Card: [Hypocrite](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Hypocrite.md) > - **Definition:** A character who criticizes others for flaws they possess themselves or commits actions that directly contradict their words. > - **Description and Context:** The story's dramatic irony relies on this. Laura gives a solemn speech about not turning a blind eye to injustice, and minutes later does exactly what she condemned. > ### Kick the Dog > 🔗 Card: [Kick the Dog](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Kick%20the%20Dog.md) > - **Definition:** A moment where a character commits an act of gratuitous cruelty toward someone defenseless, establishing their villainous nature. > - **Description and Context:** The creation of the "Hortensky Fan Club" and the sarcastic applause while Rachel desperately searches for her shell is an act of pure, gratuitous evil by the group. > ### Becoming the Mask > 🔗 Card: [Becoming the Mask](THE%20HERO'S%20ATLAS/TROPES/Becoming%20the%20Mask.md) > - **Definition:** A character pretends to be something they are not, until the pretense becomes their new reality. > - **Description and Context:** Laura feigns enthusiasm with Rachel, but eventually puts on the "mask" (the badge) of the bully. By clapping, she ceases to be the critical observer and becomes an integral part of the cruel crowd.