The Bully by Paul Langan is a novel that follows the life of a young teenager named Ned. The story begins with Ned arriving at his new school and quickly encountering the school's bully, Marcus. Marcus is a physically imposing and aggressive student who seems to take pleasure in picking on Ned and other weaker students. Ned is immediately terrified of Marcus, and he tries his best to avoid him. However, Marcus refuses to leave him alone, and he continues to bully him both physically and emotionally.
The exposition of the novel establishes the setting of the story and introduces the characters of Ned and Marcus. The author uses descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of Ned's new school and the atmosphere of fear and tension that exists there due to Marcus's bullying. The author also provides insight into Ned's character, portraying him as a shy, kind-hearted boy who is struggling to fit in. The bullying that Ned endures creates a sense of conflict and foreshadows the challenges and struggles that he will face throughout the course of the novel.