8.3 KiB
#hs/lit
Through the selective use of imagery and figurative language, Black Swan Green shows the reader that being your true self and showing who you truly are brings freedom and meaning to life. One of the places where we can see this in the text is in the chapter “Bridle Path” when Jason takes a walk in more rural parts of his village. There are several different events in this chapter, including moments where Jason is in the company of other kids his age, and times where he is not. On page 74, Jason describes two boys who are about to fight with “Grant Burch’s got an inch or two over Ross Wilcox, but Ross Wilcox is knucklier.” When Jason is with other boys his age, he doesn’t use much figurative language to describe the events taking place. There is much more of a focus on dialogue and concise descriptions, which helps to show the reader how Jason presents himself in these situations. This writing style is juxtaposed later when Jason is wandering along the bridle path with only a friend along with him who he feels more comfortable around. He describes his surroundings with language like “The Christmas-tree plantation was dark as eclipses and whiffed of bleach.” (pg. 77) and “Petaled stars and dandelion comets streak the green universe” (pg. 80). During these moments in the story, the author uses a much greater variety of writing techniques such as imagery, similes, and metaphors to illustrate the thoughts in Jason’s mind. This represents Jason opening up more and revealing a different side of his personality. Many of these new ways of writing are often used in poetry, which is one of Jason’s hobbies that he doesn’t want anyone else to know about. By revealing Jason’s ability to effectively and figuratively describe his surroundings, the author is showing us how revealing who you truly are brings meaning and happiness to life. These moments where Jason can fully be himself are also where he is the happiest as we can see on page 80: “Moran and I got to the barn at the far side, dizzy with intergalactic travel. I was laughing more than Moran.” In many of the other situations in this book where Jason is in the company of more kids his age, he would instead be overthinking how to appear cool and fit in with them. In this chapter a more genuine side of Jason is revealed, which brings him the freedom to say and think what he wants without having to worry about what others think.
Another place where we can see ere this theme is developed is in the chapter “Solarium.” In this chapter, we are introduced to the character Madame Crommelynck who Jason visits and discusses his poetry with. These visits are another time in this book where Jason feels more comfortable revealing a truer side of himself. He uses language such as “A Jules Verne hi-fi, all silvery knobs and dials” and “Jealous and sweet, this music was, sobbing and gorgeous, muddy and crystal” (pg. 152). When discussing his poetry, Madame Crommelynck is able to bring Jason out of his shell and get him to talk much more truthfully about himself than most other characters in this book. There are also many revelations that Jason has in this section of the book, which occur when he thinks and discusses more about his true thoughts and ambitions. By the end of the chapter, Madame Crommelynck disappears and leaves Jason, but she still plays an important role in this novel. Her conversations with Jason reveal more about his character to the reader, and this is one of a few times in the story where Jason seems happy and excited about his future. He describes translating the French novel with “The weird thing is, doing the translation didn’t feel like hours, not once I got going” (pg. 163). This is one of the many interactions in this chapter that give us deeper insight into what Jason truly thinks and enjoys doing, since for much of the book we can only see glimpses through his carefully managed exterior. Enjoying translating a book from French is not something that the other characters that know Jason in the book would expect him to enjoy, and this chapter helps to convey the idea that when pursuing things that you truly enjoy, they will have more meaning. With Jason’s descriptions of Madame Crommelynck and her house that are lacking from many other parts of the book, David Mitchell shows the reader some of Jason’s deeper feelings and what he enjoys doing.
| Question | Relevant Quotes or Page & Paragraph's |
|---|---|
| It seems like there are some characters in Black Swan Green such as Moran or Madame Crommelynck that Jason is able to open up around. Do you think that there are any that he fully opens up to, or does he always still have some walls up? | “Moran and I got to the barn at the far side, dizzy with intergalactic travel. I was laughing more that Moran ‘cause Moran’s dry trainer wasn’t dry anymore” (pg. 80) |
| Especially in the chapter “spooks” it seems like the character of “maggot” suggests to Jason some of the more mean things he can do to fit in with the other boys. Is this just a way for the author to separate some of Jason’s thoughts within his head, or does maggot represent something deeper? | “Making us wait might be some sort of secret test. If Moran gives up, pointed out Maggot, you’ll look a better Spook. ‘Go home, if you think so.’” (pg. 131) “If I’d fallen through Mr. Blake’s greenhouse and not Moran, Moran wouldn’t be abandoning me to that psycho. He just wouldn’t. Keep your fat trap shut, ordered Maggot.” (pg. 140) |
| It is referenced several times in the text that Jason is in the middle of the social hierarchy of boys his age. Why do you think the author chose to put him in the middle and not at the bottom? How does the way Jason consider the kids “below” him mirror the way kids “above” him consider Jason? | “It’s all ranks, being a boy, like the army. If I called Gilbert Swinyard just “Swinyard,” he’d kick my face in. Or if I called Moron “Dean” in front of everyone, it’d damage my own standing. So you’ve got to watch out.” (pg. 5) |
| In the last few chapters (5-7) there has been little mention of Jason’s speech impediment, hangman. Do you think this is an intentional choice by the author, and if so, what might it mean? |