January Man: A Start and an End
While flipping back through the book, I noticed a peculiar detail -- both the first and the last chapters of Black Swan Green are titled "January Man". As a result, intrigued, I went back to compare the Jason that we knew from the beginning of the story to the very end and it's clear to see that Jason has grown in many ways -- some more noticeable than the rest.
One of the most noticeable ways Jason has grown from the beginning to the end of the novel is his view on the importance of social standings and fitting in. Throughout the novel, we see Jason avoiding certain people or actions simply because they would give him a bad rep amongst his other male peers. Yet, I never really found myself finding this a major fault in Jason just because I empathized and kind of understood him. At his age, it is COMPLETELY normal to ache to fit in and want to be liked and to top it off, if I was threatened with severe bullying and the things that Jason has gone through as the "bottom of the social standings", I would probably be obsessed with fitting in too. On the other hand, Jason's clear dedication and belief in this hierarchy in the beginning of the novel makes his growth and the ending much more satisfying. For starters, we see Jason avoid certain words like "beautiful" or even the French language because it's "gay" to the other boys in his grade but as the novel goes on, Jason's perspective shifts and he embraces this "softer" side that is so despised by his other peers. There's even a moment where he uses the word "beautiful" while talking to Holly Deblin. Another example would be that despite Dean and Jason getting along well and being great friends on their own, Jason literally avoided Dean around the other boys and would call him "Moron" because he was afraid of what it may do to his own social standings. However, gradually throughout the novel, we see him starting to revert to using "Dean" and truly appreciating his friend for who he was as opposed to seeing him as a potential tool/object in the hierarchy.
Secondly, Jason's approach to those popular boys/bullies also definitely changed. I think one of the more memorable scenes where Jason was truly still intimidated and controlled by the social hierarchy and its repercussions was when he refused to snitch or "grass" on the boys in the locker room, despite his own punishment at risk. However, we see an almost direct contrast to this situation when Jason breaks Neal Brose's calculator and confesses/grasses about the whole "acts of intimidation" and extortion scheme that was ongoing. While there is a moment in the latter scene where he worries about what other people were saying or thinking about him, he says, "I, Jason Taylor, am a grass" (262). While there may be some shame that hides behind those words, I also think that it's a moment of affirmation and confidence for Jason to embrace his identity and stand up to the other bullies.
Lastly, another large element in Jason's character growth has been Hangman, or his stammer, which had a strong and continual presence throughout the novel. It's clear from the beginning that Jason is almost at odds or enemies with Hangman. Instead of facing it head-on, he skips around trouble words in hopes that no one would notice his stammer. Hangman also becomes a target for Jason's social/public humiliation which further solidifies feelings of helplessness and hatred for his stammer. Nevertheless, by the end of the story, Jason has learned to embrace Hangman -- instead of completely avoiding the stammer and giving it control, Jason learns to work with it and becomes much more confident/
The traits mentioned above are not all the ways that we've seen Jason grow throughout this novel -- they're simply some of the most notable and moving ones. Seeing these elements of Jason's journey and growth proves for a warm and hopeful finale that I found very enjoyable and satisfying. However, at the same time, the ending of Black Swan Green feels unfinished and leaves me wanting more. I think this is entirely purposeful, especially with the last words where Julia says, "That's because it's not the end" (Mitchell 294). Once again referencing the chapter titles, having "January Man" as the title for both the first and last chapter can be used to emphasize the growth that Jason has gone through, whether it's with his stammer, popularity/social standing, or toxic masculinity. On the other hand, I believe it serves a much more significant purpose -- it signals to the reader a new beginning and adventure for Jason and possibly even more chances at maturing and "coming-of-age". With his parents newly separated and Jason leaving Black Swan Green with a new sense of self and confidence, the story truly begins once again.
It's important to remember, I think, that however "cliche" or conventional Holly Deblin's advice to Jason is ("Don't let dickheads define what you are"), this basic principle is VERY HARD to actually live out, especially when you've just turned 13 and the prevailing social order is so rigid and brutal. It is hard to blame Jason for wanting to be accepted by these guys (or at least not to be stigmatized and harassed by them), even if we can see from the start that it's not good for him to want their acceptance so badly. Dean, for whatever combination of reasons, is not nearly so obsessed with acceptance, and this makes him more free. Jason, over the course of the novel, comes to the revelation that he has to *care less*, a new version of "not giving a toss" that is more Dean Moran than Pluto Noak.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I kind of mentioned this on another post, but it's this affirmation of who he is that leads to a growth in confidence and, ultimately, a huge coming of age moment for him: his first kiss. I think David Mitchell did this on purpose, with a kind of underlying message that the only way to truly succeed in life is to be yourself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the ending is very open and undefined, but I also think the things we've seen Jason go through in this one year at Black Swan Green gives me a lot of hope for Jason's future and the rest of his "coming-of-age". Jason will be getting a new beginning of sorts, but with all the memories and experiences of his time in Black Swan Green. He knows how to deal with his stammer, he pretty much knows how to deal with bullies (both how to withstand it and kind of how to stop it), and he's shown that he's perfectly capable of growing and learning, sometimes even more easily than supposedly "mature adults". He has all of the capabilities and foundation set from his time in Black Swan Green to continue past a great deal future problems. Maybe he'll come across something new that he hasn't seen before and doesn't know how to deal with, but he's shown he can get over that too, and in addition, there's been many hints throughout the book that "adult life" isn't all that different from the things he experiences among the boys at school. It feels like I've just seen Jason find, gather, and learn how to use all these versatile tools that can be applied to many different situations in the rest of his journey.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you pointed out Jason uses the word "beautiful" in front of Holly but then criticizes the word by calling it "gay" in other parts of the book. Every female character in the book has mentored/or guided Jason is some way. Holly Deblin tells Jason not to let jerks dictate his life, Madame Crommelynck tells Jason to live more truthfully, his english teacher talks about secrets and consequences. I think all of these pieces of advice are easier said than done, especially for a bullied 13 year old kid. Jason adopted this advice in his own time and we got to see this amazing progression. I wonder if he will keep this advice in mind at his new school.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Seeing Jason's growth throughout the novel was very special and it was probably the first story we've read where the coming-of-age part was very clear. The novel is very relatable, especially to us high school students who are trying hard to become our own individuals while interconnected in the social web. Social media has made it so that other people's influence on our lives is that much greater and the thoughts that came from contemplating Jason's story were quite refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI noticed a pattern a lot of his changes followed was that his control of his own self-expression increased, as his use of the word "beautiful" shows his willingness to break the social expectations set for him, and breaking out of his stammer also frees him up to express himself more. The same kind of arc where the character gains control over themself also turns up in The Bell Jar, for instance, as Esther doesn't have control over herself while stuck under the "bell jar," but regains it with professional help and friends.
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