Jasper Jones Summary Notes PDF

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This quotes document investigates foundamental themes of the Jasper Jones text, including: Themes, Techniques & Character Analysis....

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Themes & Character Summaries Key Character Relationships: ● Charlie Bucktin w family ● Wesley and Ruth ● Charlie and Jasper ● Charlie and Jeffrey ● Jasper and Jack Lionel (also charlie) ● Charlie and Eliza ● Jasper and Laura ● Laura and her father

The Law & Justice (Power) The justice system plays an integral part of Charlie’s ethos. Charlie is idealistic in his belief that justice is always pursued to the utmost degree; those who commit illegal acts are sanctioned accordingly. However, Jasper - having personally experienced the brutal nature of those in charge - is rather frank in his outlook that the concurrent legal mechanisms are worthless and do not exist to achieve equity. This novel explores illegal transgressions/harmful conduct. This can be found in many instances, including: -

Laura’s sexual abuse and her consequential suicide Jack Lionel’s ‘killing’ of Jasper’s mother Jasper’s petty theft An Lu and Mrs Lu experiencing physical and verbal attacks Eliza committing arson The Sargant assaulting Jasper

In many of these instances the justice system fails to achieve justice. This prompts Charlie to lose faith in it. Eliza’s arson of her family home is the catalyst of this new-found disposition. Charlie describes her illegal conduct as being of an innocuous nature, but in reality, this act was completely illegal and contradicts Charlie’s initial ethos. Hence, Charlie’s perception of justice has changed from being black and white, to analysing the reasoning behind certain conduct.

Quotes 1. ‘His [jasper] word isn’t worth shit’ - pg 18 charlie -

Like Tom Robinson, race dictates guilt. Like Tom Robinson and Mayella, Jasper’s relationship w Laura is stealth and forbidden

2. ‘They’ll be a fucken court date before there’s a funeral’ - jasper pg 23 3. ‘No way. Specially the police. Because they are gonna say it was me’. 4. ‘He must have presumed me to be genuine and fair. Like Atticus Finch: dignified and reasonable and wise’. Pg 23 charlie 5. Eric Edgar Cooke murder: ‘Was this really why? Are these the ingredients of a murderer’ - pg 107 charlie 6. ‘She [Sue Findlay] screeched the most horrible words , the nastiest things imaginable.’ ‘Nobody took her [Mrs Lu] by the shoulders.’ ‘People looked on , watching like they [an family] were some kind of exhibit’ ‘Nobody talked about what had just happened’ - charlie pg 168 (incident where mrs an is subject to a physical attack of being burned). 7. ‘’Maybe we really did do the wrong thing for the right reasons’. Pg 169 (Charlie starting to question morality of committing crimes) 8. ‘Who am I going to report it to anyway?’ - pg 178 jasper (police brutality and racism) 9. Jasper Jones ‘is held and threatened and belted for days, but somehow those monsters [who bashed An] will arouse no suspicion’. - pg 276 10. ‘Eliza might be less concerned with what’s right, less concerned about uncovering the truth, than she is about ensuring that she and Jasper Jones, and maybe her father, too, are meted out the penance that she feels they each deserve’. - Charlie (what is just?) 284 11. ‘The secret [sexual abuse] has stayed with the Wisharts’ - pg 374 charlie (justification for arson)

Generalisations & World of the Text (Note* racism is connected to this!) Corrigan is a causative town where rumours lay dormant, and everyone is aware of everyone else's private business. Points of difference and hints of impropriety are the subject of gossip. Charlie explains how economically, the town of Corrigan is rather equivalent as most residents are employed at the local mine. Instead, class is based on baseless ‘social currency’. Hence, characters, most notably Ruth Bucktin (Charlie’s mother), develop a need to fortify and project a

falsified image. Ruth Bucktin’s hamartia, is her ostentatious personality, resulting in her having to constantly cover up her inner flaws and relationship breakdowns. Moreover, this mentality of having to homogenize in the community exacerbates the toxicity of Corrigan: Jeffrey will never be able to fit in because of his ethnic background, Charlie will never fit in because of his intellect, Jasper will never fit in because of his race and upbringing. Ultimately, the community’s discreet denouncement of individuality, results in a situation where the truth is stifled, leading to dire consequences. Some instances of this include: -

Ruth engaging in an affair Laura having to have a relationship with Jasper in stealth Jack Lionel being ostracized from society. Laura’s mother's inability to report her husband. Jasper and Charlie having to lie about the death of Laura.

Quotes 1. ‘Jasper Jones has a terrible reputation in Corrigan’ ‘He’s the rotten model’ - pg 6/7 (charlie) Jasper is the catalyst of ‘poor attitude and aptitude’, he is the scapegoat because of the colour of his skin. 2.

‘Corrigan is a town whose social currency is sport’ - pg 8 charlie

3. ‘He [Jasper] has no reason to lie. He has no reputation to protect.’ pg 55 Charlie 4. ‘I think Jasper speaks the whole truth in a town of liars’. Pg 56 charlie 5. ‘Fuck off, Cunt Eyes’. Pg 77 (racism) 6. ‘Their message is simple: Don’t be too clever’. Pg 76 7. ‘The folks … barrack for him [Jasper Jones] like he was one of their own… but once the game is over, the pattern returns’. Pg 79 charlie 8. ‘Shars yer tits!’ - pg 82 (sexism) 9. ‘It’s crystal clear to everyone except my father that she hates Corrigan’ pg 127 Charlie 10. ‘ A cave full of bats could see that she’s [Ruth} bitterly unhappy here’. Pg 128 charlie 11. ‘She’s [ruth] bitter and irritable … one day she might not come back at all’ - pg 129

charlie 12. ‘Some of my family got killed’ - jeffrey pg 151 13. ‘Jasper Jones navigates this world and comes out on top despite the shitty hands he gets dealt over and over’. (poker analogy) charlie pg 182 14. Ruth there are things in this world that you don’t think I know, but I do’. - Wesley (foreshadowing) pg 213 (affair/hiding secrets) 15. ‘ unconfirmed sources and personal accounts and neighbourhood testimonies … wound around each other so tightly they seemed destined to strangle and obscure the real truth’. - pg 316 charlie (rumours) 16. ‘The whole town would know everything (about Ruth’s affair). In an instant she’d stripped her name of whatever careful varnish she’d glossed it with for so many years’. - Charlie pg 370

Racism, Scapegoating & Culpability In the 1960s, the White Australia policy was rife, creating a homogenous society where differences were an anomaly. The Corrigan society repudiates racial difference, as a direct result of lacking education and cultural diversity. A byproduct of this, is the constant scapegoating of both Jasper Jones and the Lu family, as their differences provide a means of targeting. Again, this emanates from sheer ignorance, which is evident when An Lu is assaulted by vengant miners who got laid off. Instead of being reflective these men were ignorant, with fellow neighbour Harry Rawlings highlighting that ‘ It’s not his fault [they] pissed away [their] job’. Additionally, another consequence of this ingrained racism is the fact that it creates an environment where Jasper and the Lu family are unable to make mistakes (a natural human inclination), as they are already subject to intense scrutiny and mistakes would fuel a greater reasoning for racism. Comparatively, both Jeffrey and Jasper have to earn the respect of their peers, through heroic performances on the sporting field. This is not a real mitigation of racism as one is only considered valuable if they are of worth, rather than being considered valuable for inherently being a human being. Notably, one of the most prominent flaws within the Corrigan folk, is their tolerance of racism and harassment. Racist people are present in every society, however Corrigan fails to address this phenomenon, with many opting to remain bystanders, as illustrated by the attack on Mrs Lu at the Mining Hall and the racist cricket coach.

Quotes

1. ‘Corrigan is a town whose social currency is sport’ - pg 8 charlie 2. ‘My father is a e and reasonable man, but those words (half-caste) had him snapping his cutlery’. - charlie pg 7 -

Charlie’s father acts in a similar way to Atticus when Scout says the n-word.

3. ‘He’s [jeffrey] is ruthlessly bullied and belted about by the boys at school [due to Vietnamese background]’ - pg 9 4. ‘Chuck, your a fucking Communist’. Jeffrey pg 67 (internalised racism) 5. ‘If he [cricket coach] could watch this with a thin grin, what else could he watch?’ - pg 84 Charlie 6. ‘[A world] That makes a decent person feel rubbish all his life because he’s poorer and browner and motherless.’’ Charlie pg 161 7. ‘The town was looking for an excuse’. Pg 170 Charlie 8. ‘I had to make things work when I could. Soon as you can walk and talk, you start makin your own luck.’ - jasper jones 9. ‘People were pissed… all these parents were crowding round the umpires and coaches trying to get someone else in’. - Jeffrey pg 218 (racism) 10. ‘Some people got laid off at the mine … people are harassing my dad about it all the time’. - Jeffrey pg 222 (scapegoat) 11. The ball hits Jeffrey on the shoulder and ‘i can hear the Corrigan team laughing from the boundary’. - pg 235 12. ‘Sorry means you feel the pulse of other people’s pain’. - pg 263 charlie (empathy for others) 13. ‘Red rat! Fucking red rat!’ pg 267 14. ‘James Trent! You’re a bloody bloody disgrace.’ pg 268 Maggie Sparman (neighbour) 15. ‘He’s (An Lu) involved. He’s red.’

16. ‘ It’s not his fault you pissed away your job’ - pg 269 Harry Rawlings (neighbour’s do support An) 17. ‘Jefrey Lu was a hero today and when he got to the top they dragged him back to the bottom’. - pg 276 charlie 18. ‘I could drop Jasper right in it and run away, make him the scapegoat again’. - Charlie pg 344 19. ‘Jasper Jones fell out of the world and nobody noticed’. Pg 394 charlie 20. ‘He probably killed that young girl. Go back to Hanoi, rats.’ -Harry Rowlings pg 215 in pdf

Courage & Fear Throughout the entirety of the novel, Charlie is in a state of trepidation. Whether it’s from fearing his relationship with Eliza, stressing over the deposition of Laura’s corpse, fearing the wrath of his mother, being terrified of insects or being frightened of the imposing bully Warick Trent, Charlie fretting over a given issue remains a constant. This is in stark contrast, to Jasper’s disposition. Jasper, being abandoned by his father, has been forced to fend against the cruelties of the world around him. Hence, Jasper radiates toughness which comforts Charlie. Charlie constantly strives to emulate Jasper’s mantra. Charlie believes that it is his femininity which is withholding him from achieving this fearlessness. However, as the narrative progresses Charlie gains an insight into the fallibility of Jasper’s fearlessness, since Charlie is able to decipher that Jasper sought his support due to internalised fear. This is recurrent amongst other characters in the novel, with Wesley being the most notable example. Wesley is compared to Atticus Finch in his righteous nature, however he is unable to actualise his beliefs due underlying fear. Silvey demonstrates that one has to muster courage in order for this to be overcome. Wesley needed to demonstrate courage when defending An Lu, as did Charlie when meeting Jack Lionel and to a certain extent Eliza had to demonstrate courage when seeking retribution for her sister. Additionally, this inability to display courage is illustrated to be a contributing factor to the cultural determinants of Corrigan. Not all the townsfolk are racist and discriminatory, however some just lack the ability to stand up and denounce this behaviour.

Quotes 1. ‘To sit safe in the womb of my room. But this is Jasper Jones, and he has come to me’ pg 3 [Charlie] 2. ‘The application of this pany footwear, is my first display of girliness’. Pg 3 -

Sort of a paradox because the reason Jasper comes to Charlie is because of Charlie’s mental stability.

3. ‘I was born without speed or courage’ - [Charlie] pg 4 4. ‘Something about being in his [jasper] bubble is reassuring’ - charlie pg 6 5. ‘I’m shrieking. Like a girl’. - pg 16 charlie 6. ‘I need you to help me. I dunno what else to do’ - jasper pg 22 7. ‘I feel robbed, but i don’t feel cheated by Jasper Jones’. - pg 41 charlie (loss of innocence) 8. ‘If i’m in Jasper Jones’s corner, it’s going to be okay’. Pg 52 charlie 9. Batman is the best superhero because ‘he’s just a guy. He is fallible. And unlike superman, he requires courage’. Pg 70 charlie (symbolism) 10. ‘He [Wesley] should have been a lawyer, like Atticus Finch. But he’d have to stand up for something then’. - pg 136 charlie 11. ‘I wonder how much I should really stake in Jasper and his assertions’ - pg 189 charlie (change in dynamic) 12. ‘I’m bubbling like a girl… if he [jasper] was here to see this, I’d die’. - charlie pg 206 13. ‘I had to be even-handed and logical, like Atticus, like my dad’. Pg 259 charlie 14. ‘I’ve been wrong about him’. - pg 270 charlie speaking about his father’s heroic actions. 15. ‘It occurs to me that maybe Jasper Jones is afraid, and it ratchets my anxiety’. - pg 300 charlie responding to walking into Mad Jack Lionel. 16. ‘Jasper Jones sounds like a child. Like a bleating, scared, hurt kid. And I feel betrayed’. pg 308 charlie 17. ‘It seemed strange that I was ever afraid of him [Jack Lionel]’ ‘Mad Jack Lionel isn’t a criminal. He’s probably not even mad. He’s just old and sad and poor and lonely’. - pg 318 charlie

Loss of Innocence & Personal Growth (Uncovering the Truth Jasper Jones is fundamentally a novel surrounding a coming-of-age narrative, where the prominent main characters are forced - as a direct result of adversary - to evolve into mature young adults (Charlie, Jeffrey, Eliza & Jasper Jones). As an audience, Charlie’s loss of innocence is most notable, given that he is both the narrator and protagonist. Charlie morphs from a naive and brittle child, to a calculated and an inviolable young adult. This can be most directly attributed to Charlie’s exposure to new predicaments and the ensuing changes of ideals required to overcome these. Charlie’s contact with Jasper exposes him to the pleasures of alcohol and cigarettes, which he only resorts to as a means of comfort. From this experience alone, his perception on habitual alcohol consumption changes, as he is able to realize why it is that humans can source enjoyment from the beverage. Likewise, Charlie becomes engrossed in the fallibility and convoluted nature of human beings. His dumping of Laura’s corpse, awakens Charlie, to the notion that human cruelties (murder and rape) are not foriegn within the concurrent world around him. Like Atticus, Charlie endeavours to “climb into [other’s] skin and walk around in it.” This is exemplified by Charlie’s strenuous research of murderers, where he aspires to uncover the sourcery of human intent. Through this exposure he grows more and more disillusioned, by the character’s of his parents, as Charlie is able to gain an insight into the flawed nature of their relationship. This reaches its apex when confronting his mother, when she is caught having an affair.Another example of Charlie being able to decipher one’s character is when befriending Jack Lionel. Irrespective of this, Charlie still struggles to empathize with the motivation behind some characters' actions, and this is simply beca

Quotes 1. ‘There is something emboldering about being awake when the rest of the world is sleeping’ - pg 4 [charlie] -

Displays innocence. This is the thought of a young person.

2. ‘And it happens like that. Like when you first realise that there is no such thing as magic’. - pg 18 charlie (loss of innocence) 3. ‘She [laura] folds and crumples...like a bag of wet bones’ - pg 33 charlie (graphic imagery) 4. ‘We are monsters’- pg 40 charlie

5. ‘I shed my skin like a snake.’ pg 54 charlie responding to his loss of innocence. 6. ‘People can do this [murder] to each other. People really can.’ charlie pg 108 (personal growth) 7. ‘How was it that Gertrude Baniszewski could seduce so many children into committing these acts? How could they turn up, day after day, to do the unspeakable?’ - charlie (chapter 3) 8. ‘I think about Eliza’s manner. So dry and centered. So matter-of-fact amid the panic… Eliza Wishart knows something’. - pg121 charlie (analytical) 9. ‘I’ve got to get brave...I’ve got to take it like a man.’ - pg 204 charlie (getting caught by police, personal growth). 10. ‘I feel the balance between us shift’. Pg 323 charlie (adopts jasper’s demeanor) 11. ‘You dug this hole, you fill it in’. ‘She can’t win anything anymore’. ‘I sound like Jasper Jones’. Pg 324 charlie 12. ‘It’s the knowing. It’s always the knowing that’s the worst. I wish I didn’t have to’. Charlie reading about sexual abuse 13. ‘Only he could have known that, and he held his secrets tight in his fist, in his chest. And there’s always more to know’. - Charlie discussing the motivation of (Edgar Cooke) (limitations of knowledge)

Additional Quotes: [Charlie wanting at act tough] - ‘I pretend it didn’t hurt’ - pg 2 ‘ Rumours all weave wispily … Jack Lionel killed a young woman some years ago’ pg 4 (test of courage is to steal a peach) ‘Corrigan might be luring me towards things that troubled him.’ pg 7, charlie ‘Her head is to the side, like a piece of biblical art’ - pg 12 charlie ‘We never really fooled around… she was strange about that stuff’ - jasper pg 20 (foreshadowing) ‘There’s no avenue for escape...Jasper is my return fare’. Pg 22 charlie

‘This town is crooked and low’ - charlie pg 23 ‘We got to try, Charlie. We got to do that’. Pg 25 jasper -

Like Atticus defend mr robinson

‘This town, they think I’m a bloody animal’ - pg 26 jasper This town ‘stick to what they do and what they bin told’ - pg 30 jasper (similar to Maycomb) ‘It feels like we’ve weathered a storm and we’re sitting among the wreckage’ pg 42 charlie (analogy) “If nobody had stolen his bike, Muhammad Ali wouldn’t have hit anybody’ - Jeffrey pg 85 (resilience) ‘He [Wesley] is usually a little distant in a distracted sort of way’ - pg 100 charlie (foreshadowing) ‘Her [Eliza] tone is strange. Like she’s describing someone else’s family’. Pg 119 charlie Insight into the mother’s character: ‘you filthy boy.’ - pg 127 ruth ‘I do blame her for feeling ashamed of us.’ -129 charlie ‘There’s another part of me that craves her [ruth] approval’. - charlie 132 (complexity of relationship). ‘He [jasper] has to throw the cloak over his heart’ - pg 182 poker ‘I can wade through the dark, but can only see as far as the guttering candle allows me.’ - pg 189 charlie (speaking about his distanced relationships w jasper, eliza and wes) ‘I discovered a gift for lies’. - pg 209 charlie ‘My mother looked like a snake poised to strike’. - Pg 211 charlie ‘I wouldn’t have expected this man to be the monster that he was’. - charlie 211 (sarg) Huge fight between Wesley and Ruth: pgs 212-13 ‘She began screaming at my father worse than ever’. -charlie ‘’She called him a poor parent, a useless husband’. ‘It was just an opportunity for her to be vindictive’. -charlie

‘He volleyed nothing back and took it all in’. ‘ I was left to wonder if he would ever stand up for what he believed to be right’. - charlie talking about Wes (wes get scapegoated). ‘She began blaming Corrigan for everything’. - charlie ‘Now it’s as though he never had another daughter … which must be easy when your drunk all the time’. - Eliza pg 228 ‘They’re screaming on Jeffrey’s behalf. They've got his back, they’re on his side’. - pg 239 Jeffrey must mitigate racism ‘Jeffrey Lu, for the first time in his life, might garner grudging respect’. ‘I can’t imagine the world without her [Eliza] in it’. - charlie pg 252 ‘I don’t think he [Wesley] believed me for a second’. -pg 255 charlie thinks his dad knew he lied to the sarg. ‘I’d embarrassed her the night I was caught’. ‘I was no longer the model child and she was no longer the model mother.’ Pg 261-2 charlie (image)...