When you look at yourself in the mirror, probably, you are wondering what is human nature, how does it affect us? We all say that men’s nature at birth is good. But the truth is we realize more and more darkness of humanity along with we grow up, and that changes us inattentively. Today, I would like to present human nature base on the transition of Charlie who is the main character in Craig Silvey’s ‘Jasper Jones’.
So, what is Charlie’s transition?
Charlie was innocent, he didn’t have many social experiences. Think back when the first time Charlie saw Laura’s dead body. “Why would you bring me here? I shouldn’t be here. I have to go back home. You have to tell someone about this.” His anxious shows he didn’t want to participate this mess, in part, he’s smart enough to know it would be a trouble, but he’s also full of fear. After Jasper’s persuasion, Charlie decides to help him find the real murderer. Craig Silvey gives us a huge surprise at the beginning of the book, we might think it’s a story about children’s adventure. On the contrary, as things happened, we come to realize it is not just a simple story, it’s more about a horrific thing. When Charlie run into this horrific thing, he is feared. Maybe, it’s more appropriate to
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say this novel just likes a journey to find out about human nature, and it makes Charlie grow up. First, let’s talk about Jasper. Jasper Jones, a half white, half Aboriginal boy in Corrigan. Because of his skin colour, people have racial discrimination to him. When the first time learns of Jasper, we see that he is ……. Jasper has a tough life when he lives under the discrimination. In Charlie’s opinion, Jasper is capable of love, sympathy for others. However, the fact is, Jasper is blamed for almost every crime in Corrigan. As can be seen in Chapter 1, “Listen, Charlie, we can’t tell anyone. No way. Specially the police. Because they are gonna say it was me. Straight up.” The description of his fear, his worried wherein the word ‘straight up’, positions him as a hopeless person who doesn’t trust police; doesn’t trust anyone because of this unfair society. No matter where are you from, who are you, people supposed to equal, just because of skin colour, some of people are labelled. Think about yourself, if your life has been changed because of some titles; if you don’t have rights to enjoy what you supposed to enjoy because of some titles, don’t you feel this society and people give you too much unfair? The point is, we seem to be numb and blind when it comes to others. Maybe, this is why Jasper doesn’t have any hopes to others. Do you know that there are around 40 million children are abused each year? I believe Craig Silvey wants to show us about this social problem, I say this because this is what we’ve seen in this book, “She spat and yelled and flailed her thin arms with all the courage she had left, and he raised his hand and hit her, hard, in the face, which he’d never done. He knocked her down to shut her up. And he swung again, twice…” Laura’s cold father sexually abused her for years, Laura is weak for his father, she needs help and no one wants help her, even her mother. Laura just likes an injured lamp without mother’s care, full of fear and lonely. Love each other, encourage each other, support each other, this is what supposed to do as a family. Your parents should help you to walk farther, fly higher in this world rather than destroy you. What is humanity? Humanity is what people should do and the quality of being human. To go back to what I was saying earlier about Laura’s family. What have Laura’s father done are against moral, it shows more about the darkness of human nature. After so many things happened, we witnessed Charlie’s transition.
He doesn’t lack of encourage anymore, he has overcome his fear and despair. “I have to go. I have to disobey every impulse and leave her for Jasper Jones, for Jack Lionel, for this horrible mess.” We see a different Charlie from his determination. From escape to face up, he shows us more responsible. From helpless to assertive, he comes to realize what he really wants. He knows the dark side of human nature and this unfair and cold world. His innocent, his perfect world has been destroyed by those horrible things; because of these, he knows the part of real world, he knows how the ‘dark’ actually changes this world, his friends, his family, included
himself. Human nature is who we are, what we seem to be and how we feel inside. Author narrates the human nature though these examples which are realized by Charlie. That included what Charlie has seen, what Charlie has done, and what others say to him. Craig Silvey shows the dark side of humanity, that might change people’s thinking and acting, moreover, teenagers need to know about these issues. However, there are still have some positive characters in his novel, such like Jeffery. Even though he’s bullied by others, he keeps it real in this chaotic world, he never changed.
Both quotes show the extent of Charlie’s change throughout the novel. Silvey also uses this element to successfully create empathy from the readers and make the book that much more brilliant.
Character- The main character Charlie is developed in many ways throughout the story. His whole demeanor changed from page one. He actually started smoking in the middle of the book. “When I light it, I didn’t cough. It actually felt soothing. I know that’s bad in a health class kind of way, but it was true.”-pg 102 His personality was different after that. He always tried to be friendly to anyone he met but if you weren’t nice to his friends he didn’t really respect them after that. His dialogue is very similar throughout the whole book. He is very friendly when he talks and tries to be polite. Charlie is trying to make friends and keep them. He succeeds with some coaching from his english teacher who Charlie calls Bill. Bill gave him books to read and graded Charlie’s reports. “He says that I have a great skill at reading and understanding language.”- pg 9-10. A’s showed on Charlie’s report card but Bill gave Charlie different grades. The books Bill gave Charlie changed his mind about a lot of things. Bill developed Charlie through the whole book.
One of Silvey’s major ideas in Jasper Jones is coming of age and identity; in this case, Charlie has been thrown into adulthood and forced to grow out of his immature, fearful self. During the novel Charlie starts to mature, show bravery and stand up for himself. This turn of events occur because Charlie chooses to help Jasper: “But I don’t turn back. I stay. I follow Jasper Jones. And I see it. And everything changes. The world breaks and spins and shakes.” (pg. 12). He made a choice between doing what was right and what he thought was fair. He knew Jasper would be immediately blamed for the death of Laura Wishart.
Through his eyes, we are able to see racism and segregation in the Corrigan community at the time and how Charlie makes sense of all of it. Charlie is still coming of age and through his moral and educational development in the novel Charlie starts to understand what his position is in the community, as well as his relationships with people. Charlie is not subject to racism, but his friends are which enables us to see just how racism worked and how people’s ignorance ignited it. Silvey is using Charlie to teach us to look past labels and to make our own judgment on someone not just by their reputation or appearance.
We can all sympathize with Charlie on the surface, we have all made mistakes that we have to live with. Charlie is attempting to move forward with his life and erase the mistakes of his past. The ghosts of his past torment him repeatedly throughout the story, his child's guardians despise him and his old friends do not understand him.
Human nature has many elements that reveal the growth and personality of a person. In Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief”, the author successfully portrays various aspects of human nature through Hans’ conflicts that originate from the tough reality that he lives in. Elements of human nature can be seen as a result of Hans’ constant struggles with guilt, kindness, and love.
He does not want to live anymore like before and is afraid of losing his daughter forever. In response to Honoria's words that she wants to live with him, "His heart began to beat, he dreamed that it would happen the same." Charlie would be very happy to live with his daughter, Honoria. This means that his daughter for him is one of the most important things in his life. He told his sister that he had changed, "I work, the hell, I lead an exemplary lifestyle with everything." He is ready to end his old way of life for his daughter. He does not attend parties as before and does not meet old friends who love to drink. His words once again prove the seriousness of Charlie's intentions to change his life for the
For Charlie, Ignorance is bliss. He realizes that his so called ? friends? were just using him to entertain their perverse humor. Also, he was also fired from the job that he loved so much because his new intelligence made those around him feel inferior and scared.
He had cut through the screen and was prying the door open when Bill and Glenna Thomas drove up. They took in the ravaged screen door, Charlie’s furious red face, and Jo Ann’s pale frightened one and demanded to know what was going on. So terrified that she could barely speak, Jo Ann mumbled, “Ask Charles.” His version was that she attacked him, and he was only protecting himself. The Thomases didn’t believe him, and Charlie got a whipping. He was adapted to a life of violence and loneliness. He kept to himself and didn’t have any friends. Charlie was an observer; he never got involved or talked to people (twisted minds). He became accustomed to the life of trouble with the law ranging from reform schools and juvenile halls, when he got older he was lacking attention and was in and out of jail constantly and convicted with rape drug use, pimping, stealing, and fraud.
... still thinking how long is it going to take for him to stop been punish from his past lifestyle. Still in the end Charlie showed his integrity because he could of flip off and start drinking again but he only had one drink as he promise himself to have every day, and because he wanted to prove to his sister in law that he is not the same person anymore. He tried all that he could to have his daughter to move with him
Charlie writes letters to an unknown “friend” throughout the novel, revealing the loss of his friend Michael Dobson to suicide and the hurt he still feels over the loss of his favorite aunt Helen eight years prior. Charlie is shy, yet witty and curious of the world around him. He starts these letters as a way to cope with starting high school, the thought of doing it alone frightens him. Once he starts high school he connects with his English teacher, bill. Bill realizes...
Charlie struggles with apparent mental illness throughout his letters, but he never explicitly addresses this problem. His friends make him realize that he is different and it is okay to be different from everyone else. This change in perspective gives Charlie new opportunities to experience life from a side he was unfamiliar with. Without these new friends, Charlie would have never dared to try on the things he has. His friends have helped him develop from an antisocial wallflower to an adventurous young man who is both brave and loyal. Transitioning shapes how the individual enters into the workforce, live independently and gain some control over their future
One way he has been showing courage the throughout the book was by keeping the secret of Laura Wishart, and not telling anyone. That alone takes a lot of courage to be able to keep that big of a secret hidden. Another thing that he does that displays courage is when at the start he went with Jasper Jones, and snuck out of his house “This is the first time I’ve ever dared to sneak away from home. The thrill of this, coupled with the fact that Jasper Jones needs my help, already fills the moment with something portentous.” (2, Silvey). The reason why that shows courage is because he would be helping someone who the whole town is against and sneaking out of his household with the cost of being caught after curfew! That is why that takes a lot of courage. Another way Charlie shows courage is by being able to talk to Eliza with the fact of knowing her sister is dead and not telling “Yeah. Well it's less suspicious than pretending to browse outside a bookstore. What's that supposed to mean? She shifts her weight into one leg and tilts her head.” (90, Silvey). Why this shows courage is because Charlie was able to manage a conversation with Eliza, who he liked, and was able to not tell anything about Laura. That takes a lot of courage. Charlie displays courage in. The book as well by standing up to her mother; “And I march off, with her close behind. I don't know what's wrong with me.” (96, Silvey). The reason why this shows courage was because he was able to express how he feels to his mom, which took a lot of
Because of the parties he attends with his new friends he has tried using some drugs. These new friends help Charlie see things with a positive perspective, and to be confident in himself. When his friends move away, Charlie experience isolation and has a mental crisis that leads him to be internalized in a clinic.
The film starts in Uncle Charlie’s house in New Jersey with a close up on Uncle Charlie lying face-up in bed staring blankly at the ceiling motionless. This way of hopeless minded state is imitated by Young Charlie several minutes later when the setting changes to her home in Santa Rosa. She as well is lying in bed motionless and depressed-like staring up at her bedroom ceiling. However, unlike the scene with Uncle Charlie, we get validation of our assumption that to Young Charlie is dealing with the feeling of hopelessness and sadness. During the conversation with her father while she’s lying in bed she says that she has simply given up and ceases to expect anything, but stagnate sadness going forward. Charlie directs this sadness towards the fact that her and her family seem to just go through the motions day in and day out. By both Charlie’s letting their negative surroundings affect their current state of minds they prove Hitchcock’s theory upon happiness to be true. To elaborate on why young Charlie is stuck in this rut due to the negativity surrounding her we can look at what Alan Watts says about accomplishing happiness or self-fulfillment. Watts explains that humans must have assurance of their future in order to sustain happiness for a lengthy period of time and because of this need for assurance, it is impossible to obtain happiness. Watt’s