The last two chapters of Black Swan Green were definitely quite intense. You have Jason's pent up frustration finally release. We see his inner "smart ass" come out. He has his first kiss. But while all of this is happening, his family is falling apart.
These sections were my favorite part of the whole book. It's very action packed, and as I read, I could vividly imagine everything playing out in a movie. In addition, I think by this point in the book we know Jason very well. We have experienced his insecurities and internal struggles over popularity and ethics. We know how he idolizes his sister, Julia. We've seen both compassionate and asshole versions of Jason (when he brushes off Dean repeatedly as a moron). Since we've basically befriended Jason, we can't help but let out a satisfactory grin when the calculator is crushed. We smile at Jason's exchange with Ms. Lippetts, banter that almost resembles Julia's rhetoric. I couldn't help but feel proud as Jason finds a girl to share his first kiss with- someone who wasn't Dawn Madden. And I felt heartbroken as Jason's dad struggled to explain that he was getting divorced.
Besides the emotions, I felt like there was closure in these two chapters, which I enjoyed. The fact that Jason was finally brave enough to expose his bullies after all this time was extremely satisfying to read. And of course, replacing Dawn with Holly. I think the title, January Man, really brings home the idea of coming full circle.
But I think with this sense of closure comes a new beginning, similar to novels (most notably) like The Bell Jar or Joyce's Portrait. Esther steps over the threshold of the door, her future uncertain. Stephen leaves Ireland to pursue something extremely unpredictable. For Jason, the same type of feeling is present. Who knows if there will be bullies at his new school? How will he deal with his new stepmother? Will he find new friends? Although I hope that Jason's experiences will make him well-equipped for the future, you never know.
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And one of my favorite thing about the final sections is that Jason's narrative witty "smart ass" voice that leads us through the novel finally appears to ALSO become his *real* voice in that he is beginning to able to vocalize things clearly that he did not before (like in class with the Reputations thing)
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing how well David Mitchell was able to pull us in to make us "let out a satisfactory grin" and feel as if we have become another voice inside Jason's head. This makes us get to know Jason's real self instead of the version of himself he is projecting to the world. Therefore, as James said, we know Jason's real voice, so we know he is really confident being himself in the last two chapters. It is heartwarming as readers to observe this transition i his character.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I also really enjoyed the last two chapters. It really felt as if we saw Jason growing, and in relation to coming of age, it really feels like he has succeeded in the journey. Although the end of the novel brought new beginnings, Jason has learned so much throughout the novel that I think he will use for the future.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think jasons experiences throughout this year in bsg have prepared him to go to a new school. A clean slate paired with his new found confidence sets him up to be one of the coolest kids in school, not necessarily popularity-wise, but admirable in the sense that he is true to himself
ReplyDeleteI am always struck by the final three scenes between Jason and his father, in "Goose Fair," "Disco," and "January Man," and I wish we'd had time to touch on these in class. I personally find Michael very sympathetic in these moments, as he's clearly been humbled by the experience, and he's at a total loss for how to talk to Jason about this stuff. Michael isn't a very sympathetic character for most of the novel, in large part because he's always acting out his "dad"/head-of-household/expert persona so strongly. By the end, Jason is able to see that as a performance, and to see his "real dad" as a more insecure, uncertain, troubled guy who isn't nearly as uptight or judgmental as Jason had thought. There's lots of good stuff in these final conversations, building on what we see in "Souvenirs," and I regret that we didn't get to delve into them in class.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the last few chapters of the book. It seems like Jason's guilt over the wallet is the catalyst for his actions, although things were beginning to fall into place already. The last "January Man" chapter carries a strong theme of Jason trying to set things right/take responsibility for his actions (whether or not it's actually his fault), which goes along with his new sense of self-awareness and confidence.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, Jason Taylor actually seems incredibly mature for a thirteen-year-old. For contrast, my thirteen-year-old brother is, as I type this, running around the house flicking the lights on and off and screaming "CHILD PORNOGRAPHY!" at the top of his lungs because it's the most shocking phrase he can think of and he's trying to get a rise out of Mom. So Jason Taylor actually seems quite mature in comparison.
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