Social Norm In David Mitchell's Black Swan Green

Black Swan Green, by David Mitchell, chronicles a year in the life of Jason Taylor, an average teenager who struggles with issues common in the stages of adolescence. However, the way Mitchell describes Jason’s thoughts reveals a unique character. Jason struggles with a speech impediment that he keeps a secret out of fear that it will ruin his average place in the social hierarchy. Hangman, Unborn Twin, and Maggot are characters that embody Jason’s insecurities and reflect how he sees himself. The stress of dealing with societal norms influence his view of himself, and his maturity develops when he breaks away from the stencil of expectations he has drawn for himself.
Because, Hangman, Unborn Twin, and Maggot are voices that express Jason’s

thoughts, they are insightful of his growing maturity. The three characters give Jason a difficult time because they show how his insecurities have an effect on his ability to interact and express himself. At first, Jason’s insecurities are because of his low social status. He worries about how Hangman will ruin his social standing. He specifically addresses his fear regarding Hangman when he has to recite a poem to the class: “I’d rather kill Hangman that way then let him kill me tomorrow morning” (28). His immaturity shows because he would rather cause serious harm to himself instead of accepting Hangman. Unborn Twin represents the person Jason believes he should have been. He makes condescending comments towards Jason like “I should have been born...not you, you cow” (37). Unborn Twin illustrates Jason’s unwillingness to be himself due to his lack of assurance; this is what leads Jason to make immature and unwise decisions. Maggot is the embodiment of Jason’s bullies and arguably the worst part of himself. During his lowest point in the novel, Jason is mocked by his fellow classmates and called a “Maggot”. Even Unborn Twin mocks him, saying “once a Maggot...always a Maggot” (211). The way Jason uses Maggot to describe himself reflects an unstable view of himself in which he cannot be responsible or embrace his true self. In these moments of self-doubt, his suicidal thoughts resurface when Unborn Twin says to “hang [himself]” (211). Jason’s immaturity fosters from his habit of literally interpreting everything said to him without understanding the context or the intention behind it.

Hangman, Unborn Twin, and Maggot combined represent the expectations Jason has for himself. Overcoming and ignoring these expectations allows him to take control of himself. When Jason is being bullied, however, he forgets and allows himself to be controlled by bullies to a point where he doesn’t know himself anymore. He says, “I don’t see the real Jason Taylor much these days, ‘cept for when we’re writing a poem, or occasionally in a mirror, or just before sleep” (234). This inner conflict is caused by the many different sides and pretentious fronts he puts up to avoid being labeled as different. Jason’s many different self expectations pressure him into creating different figments of his imagination that eventually control him; this leads to him not knowing who he really is underneath his false layers. He describes this struggle himself when playing the Game of Life, “being two players at once is no fun” (15). Jason seems to understand what it means to be “two players at once” but doesn’t realize that it applies to him until he talks to Mrs. Gretton. Jason eventually

takes control of himself and does what is best for himself to end his bullying.

He is able to bring the situation to the attention of the principal and prove that he can stand up for himself. The most important part of Jason’s growth is when he stands up to Unborn Twin and later realizes what causes his stammer while talking to Mrs. Gretton. Although he doesn't understand the importance of it at the time, the moment when he says to Unborn Twin, “no bloody way” shows his capability to defy expectations (268). Jason actively defies one of his ‘voices’ for the first time; this marks a turning point where he acknowledges that he must be the one to make decisions for himself. Jason also shows his understanding of expectations in society because he notices when gypsies come to Black Swan Green that, “The villagers wanted the gypsies to be gross, so the grossness of what they’re not

acts as a stencil for what they are” (227). However, he doesn’t realize how much of an influence expectations have on his life until he talks to Mrs. Gretton. He says, “S’pose it isn’t Hangman who causes it? S’pose it’s the other person? The other person’s expectations….S’pose what triggers the stammer’s the stress of hearing the fuse going ssssssss?”, and recognizes that to prevent the fuse from going off he can’t set impossible expectations for himself and has to reach a “state of not caring” about others’ expectations (289). In this moment, Jason captures his progress from someone who lacks self-confidence and awareness into someone who understands himself as a person.
Overcoming expectations and learning to accept himself is a hard task for Jason, but his ability to do so shows a maturity that was not present at the beginning of the novel. While he used to focus his energy on maintaining a facade to meet societal demands, he now becomes more aware of real-life consequences and the value of being himself. Although it takes some traumatizing events for him to realize this, moments like when he stood up to Unborn Twin for the first time show a sense of budding responsibility and acknowledgment. Instead of hiding behind labels he places on himself, Jason takes charge of his own life. This transitional stage of adolescence is often underestimated for the impact it can have on lives. Through Jason Taylor, Mitchell proves that a fundamental part of individual development is the acceptance and understanding of one’s limits.