As Harper Lee said, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Novels construct relatable characters and create an effective plot that progresses through the evolution of the central characters. Craig Silvey's 2009 novel Jasper Jones is the perfect example of a novel that requires the audience to view the world from their perspective to understand the plot better. Jasper Jones depicts the story of young Charles 'Charlie' Bucktin and how his world was flipped upside down after the titular character Jasper Jones appeared at his window on one fateful night. The pair must work together to find Laura Wishart's supposed murderer and make sure that …show more content…
Jasper Jones takes place in a small Australian town called Corrigan in the 1960s. Australia in the 1960s was when citizens rallied together to give Indigenous Australians the rights and recognition they deserved. Many believe this sudden uproar to recognise Indigenous Australians to be influenced by the American Civil Rights Movement. The American Civil Rights Movement was a movement that aimed to end the racial segregation and discrimination of African Americans. In Corrigan, many citizens are unprogressive and live with the small-town mentality. This causes them to point fingers at Jasper Jones because of his Aboriginal heritage, as it was believed at that time that Aboriginals were wild and animalistic. However, there are a few characters, such as the protagonist Charlie, who are progressive and have learnt to see characters like Jasper as a person without letting the stereotype of Aboriginals interfere with their judgement. Moreover, the novel was produced in 2009, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave the "Sorry Speech" to Indigenous Australians. Many see this as a step forward. However, some felt the speech did nothing, as it is not right to force your apologies onto someone and assume everything will turn out all right. Knowledge of Australia during the 1960s and Australia during the time of production enables a reader to connect more with a character and view the story from their perspective. The novel's main character, Charles 'Charlie' Bucktin, is a typical character of the Bildungsroman genre and serves as a tool for Silvey as he is a relatable character who helps the audience grow alongside him. The novel Jasper Jones can be seen as Charlie's attempt to clear his mind and make sense of his frightening experiences since he ran into Jasper Jones. Charlie's innocence in the beginning is highlighted when he describes the audience, "This is the first
In the following novel, “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez. The author captures the reader’s interest quickly by the first paragraph. Lopez talks about this mysterious man he encounters on the street, but ends up losing him the minute he looks away. Lopez also teaches his readers that to not judge a book by its cover, because it may surprise the reader of the story it has within.
“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (Moore, 2011). This quote perfectly describes the book The Other Wes Moore. This book was a story about two people who have the same name and grew up in similar environments, but had very different lives. The author of the book, Mr. Moore, became successful and was given the opportunity to receive “one of the most prestigious academic awards for students in the world” (Moore, 2011). On the other side of the spectrum, the other Wes Moore “will spend every day until his death behind bars for an armed robbery that left a police officer and a father of five dead” (Moore, 2011). Mr. Moore decided to contact the
All three authors recognize that difference constructs discrimination. The concept of othering (Hall 1997) and Anglo dominance presented by Moreton-Robinson (2015) help understand Judith Butler’s findings as to why oppression and exclusion cannot be reduced completely. It is same fear of the ‘other’ and white dominance in Australia that keep Australian institutions from reaching integration and equality—film being one these institutions. The filmmakers of The Sapphires attempt to tell the Aboriginal narrative. The scenes mentioned in the previous paragraphs, educate a diverse audience about Aboriginal discrimination in Australia in the 1960s. However, even though the filmmakers reveal some truths of Aboriginal discrimination, they do it in a way which the Aboriginal narrative is suppressed and Anglo dominance is maintained. “The Sapphires” plot is not centered on Aboriginal discrimination, rather a story of how four Aboriginal girls learn about love and friendship. Aboriginal discrimination in the 1960s forms only a small part of the journey to entertain American Troops in Vietnam. By presenting a musical comedy-drama film, the filmmakers sugar coat Australia’s dark past. The movie also ends on a good note. Cousin Kay who at some point rejected her Aboriginal roots, overcomes her prejudice and gets more in touch with the Aboriginal culture by partaking in an Aboriginal ceremony. By the end of the film the audience barely recalls the discrimination scenes and only remembers a happy ending. This is dangerous, as the film deceives its white Australian audience to believe that racial inequality in Australia is an issue of the past not the present. Therefore, promoting the idea that the Australia does not continue to privilege white people over Aboriginals
In the 1960’swhen the novel is set, black people were shunned and despised, and since he is a half-caste, Jones is immediately rejected. Also, because of his aboriginal relations, he is blamed for all wrongdoings in Corrigan (the town in which the novel takes place). The fact that he is an outcast attracts Charlie Bucktin to him as he is seen as an outsider too, due to him being more intellectual than sporty in a town where athleticism is highly valued. Charlie idealizes Jasper and his way of life and he seems to find a lot that they have in common as rejects- even though he doesn’t have to experience any form of racial prejudice nor any financial difficulties, and he doesn’t have to live on the streets. This goes to show that even people that look as though they fit in on the outside, may feel marginalised within society. Throughout the novel Silvey makes it clear that racism towards Jasper and to other characters is prejudicial and simply a result of people’s ignorance and their lack of empathy and understanding. These
Charles Perkins was an Australian Aboriginal Activist who experienced firsthand the poor living standards and treatment of Aboriginals as he lived in aboriginal reserve until 10 then in a boy’s home (Anon., 2013). He was a well know national fi...
In addition to Silvey and Lawrence’s examination of racial bias, they also explore gender basis in Australian society. Lawrence questions the viewer with regards to the treatment of Susan’s body, with how would the men have reacted to the situation if it was a male. Lawrence also bring to the attention of the viewer sexist ideology in the town. A similar question is raised with the readers of ‘Jasper Jones’ as Silvey questions the treatment of Laura by Jasper and Charlie. Although, Silvey highlights the importance of the imposing question that if Charlie found Laura without Jasper; how would the town have acted towards Charlie? The comparison between the gender and racial inequality gaps present in these texts demonstrates the progression that has been made between the 1960’s and the mid 2000’s, however makes apparent that the gap is still a prominent issue in contemporary
The idea that indigenous Australian communities are underprivileged and do not receive the same justice that the white community accrues is represented through Jay Swan and his interactions with the corrupt white police officers and the indigenous locals of the town. My empathetic response to the text as a whole was influenced directly by way the text constructs these ideas as well as my knowledge of the way indigenous Australians are represented in the mainstream media and the behaviour of the police force as an institution. These contextual factors and the way Sen has constructed ideas influenced me to empathise with the indigenous
Racism and segregation is a strong recurring theme in the novel Jasper Jones (Silvey 2009). Jasper jones is set in the small remote town of Corrigan in Western Australia during the 1960s. The novel follows the story of Charlie Bucktin, who is the main protagonist. Throughout the novel we see how Charlie develops and “comes of age” as well as see him break new barriers and make new friends. On one fateful night, Charlie meets Jasper Jones. Jasper is a half-caste aboriginal boy who is seen as a nuisance and a troublemaker to the community of Corrigan. Charlie’s best friend Jeffrey is a Vietnamese boy with a strong interest in cricket, however due to the Vietnamese war with Australia at the time he is subject to racism
“One person’s craziness is another person’s reality”- Tim Burton. In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist Guy Montag learns this as the book progresses. In the beginning of the book, he comes across situations that he finds preposterous, like the suggestion of reading books. In the end of the book, those unhinged ideas become his reality. As the book advances, we get glimpses of how Montag’s thoughts of society change. Guy Montag goes through a special character transformation throughout the book, starting as a loyal fireman and ending up as a book-reading rebel.
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey is acknowledged as a murder mystery, but it depicts much more. Its thrilling plot about a 13 year old boy coming of age in a small town has many underlying themes that are still present in today’s society. In fact, the plot fuels the themes and showcases them throughout the book. Themes like racism, hypocrisy, secrets, identity and bullying are constantly glimpsed at in Jasper Jones.
Throughout the text, the white colonists are very racist towards the Aboriginals. Even cattle, horses and white women are placed hierarchically higher in society than the black people. In response to this, Astley constructs all narrations to be written through the eyes of the Laffey family, who are respectful towards Aboriginals, hence not racist, and despise societal ideologies. By making the narration of the text show a biased point of view, readers are provoked to think and feel the same way, foregrounding racism shown in the ideologies of early Australian society, and showing that Aboriginals are real people and should receive the same treatment to that given to white people. “They looked human, they had all your features.” (pg 27) There was, however, one section in the text whose narrative point of view was not given by a character in the Laffey family. This instead was given by a voice of an Aboriginal woman, when the Aboriginal children were being taken away from their families. By giving voice to the Aboriginal society, the reader is able to get a glimpse of their point of view on the matter, which once again shows that society was racist, and Aboriginals were treated harshly.
This stylistic feature is often used throughout Jasper Jones, especially with the use of derogatory language towards minorities, such as Jasper and the Lu family. These terms used against the town's minorities reinforce how toxic the local community is towards people of different races. An example of this is when Charlie discloses to the reader while he is following Jasper into the bush, “Jasper Jones has a terrible reputation in Corrigan. He’s a Thief, a Liar, a Thug, a Truant. He’s lazy and unreliable.
B. (1) For example, he compares Charlie's initial state to that of a mouse in a maze, highlighting his confusion and lack of understanding. As Charlie's intelligence grows, Keyes uses vivid imagery to describe his newfound perceptions, such as comparing his mind to a rapidly expanding universe, capturing the depth and complexity of his thoughts. Daniel Keyes creates a vivid mental picture when Charlie describes his feelings of isolation and alienation by comparing himself to a lone leaf caught in the wind, drifting aimlessly without connection or direction. This imagery effectively conveys Charlie's sense of being adrift and disconnected from those around him. (3) Keyes' unique writing is evident in his use of diary entries, allowing readers to intimately experience the protagonist's inner thoughts and emotions.
In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee invites readers on a journey of self-discovery and moral awakening, as they confront the harsh realities of prejudice and injustice alongside the characters of Scout, Jem, and Atticus
A well-written book helps a reader connect more with the characters and grow up with the characters. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book written by Harper Lee about how two children go through events that will change them and form them as a person, especially Scout. By the end of the book, she has experienced and has become ready for adult situations. Scout grows up by witnessing racism, sexism, and poverty. Most people do not notice racism at such a young age unless they are affected by it.