Analysis Of The Red Mighty Culture In 'Backbiters'

Giluli’s identity as a Red Mighty changes throughout the novel Backbiters. In the beginning she’s not overly excited about the Red Mighty culture but loves it anyways. As the novel goes on her loyalty to the Red Mighty’s is questioned very often. In the end she finds a way to be loyal to both The Red Mighty’s and the Pre-evs. Giluli becomes an independent person and can respect the Red Mighty way and the Pre-evs.
In the beginning of the book Gilula's life is like any other 14 year olds. She lives a normal life with her mom and friends Layleea and Harsh. Giluli is an average teenage girl, she is competitive, gushes over boys, love/hate relationship with her mom, and loves to spend time with her best friend(s). Giluli also trusted and respected
As the night came to an end Padrin Kongkassa approached Giluli with a mission. Still in this part of the novel Giluli had a large amount for respect for the Tolv. “One didn’t say no to Padrin Kongkassa” (Glasheen 48). For weeks Giluli was to keep what she was doing with the Tolv a secret, when in fact she couldn’t tell because she didn’t know what she was training for. Throughout her training she is taught how to pivot, separate emotion from thinking and how to peacefully run. “Two seconds later, there was a tap in the middle of my back.” (Glasheen 71) Padrin Kongkass taught Giluli how to pivot, which she later found out that he was teaching her how to be a backbiter. For a long time she went without knowing what her mission was. Giluli went into training doing whatever she was told. This showed the respect and trust she had for the Tolv at the time. Curiosity was killing her but she lived with it and trusted
Giluli goes on a field trip with Layleea for Lakewood-T FIK. The Red Mighty stereotypes are quickly shut down when Layleea bonds with three Pre-ev kids. Layleea messes around with the Pre-evs but she teaches them that Red Mighty’s aren’t bad and they are like any other person. Suddenly at the field trip Tariq -who is in fact not who he says he is- introduced her to the TBI-Territorial Bureau of Investigation.- the Pre-ev government. The TBI told Giluli what the Tolv was having her train for and since she trusted and respected the Tolv she didn’t believe them. “We’re afraid that Kongkassa plans to kill the Doyen” (Glasheen 91). Giluli didn't believe them but as the TBI continued to tell Giluli a bunch of ‘facts’ about the Tolv and she had no way to defend the Tolv because she couldn’t say that it wasn’t true. “I had trusted the leaders of my Nationland blindly because they were in charge, but that didn’t make them right!” (Glasheen 96)Without question Giluli no longer trusted the Tolv and wanted out of the mission. But as she asked the Tolv members all these questions running through her head, she found out the truth. The real reason why they were having her try to kill the Doyen, then without time to think it over; Giluli agreed to the mission and was going to do whatever it took to protect her Nationland. As her plan played out she was hated by all Tolv members for betraying them.