School Trip

Much like in the earlier books of the series, bullying is a recurring motif throughout School Trip. Andy embodies the classic bully archetype, constantly tormenting his classmates to assert dominance. His primary target is Ramon, whom he makes fun of for his lower socioeconomic status and ethnic background. For instance, when the students receive envelopes of euros from their families, Andy teases Ramon by pointing out the thickness of his own envelope: “Good thing they didn’t mix up my envelope with yours, Ramon” (96).

Bullying is shown to have a lasting effect on its victims. In Chapter 8, Ramon confronts Andy and reveals his lasting trauma: “Well, I didn’t forget! And neither did a lot of the other kids […] I’m always going to be the pudgy Latino kid who everyone thinks is Mexican” (186). Despite Andy finding amusement in his actions, the consequences for Ramon are profound—he even missed three weeks of school due to fear. Craft therefore conveys the message that bullying others is never acceptable, as the impact can linger throughout their lives. Bullying is also shown to be closely intertwined with racism in the story. Andy mocks Ramon for being Latino by calling him “Jamón [.