Jasper Jones is a 2009 fictional novel by Fremantle-based writer Craig Silvey. Jasper Jones is a novel that deals with so many different issues and themes ranging from truth and lies, to stereotypes and assumptions, to the cruelty of humankind. Silvey’s novel follows the story of young Charlie Bucktin; the protagonist of the novel, a scrawny, socially awkward Caucasian thirteen-year-old living in a reginal mining town called Corrigan in the 1960s; who is late one night startled by his secret visitor, Japer Jones. Jasper Jones is known for his terrible reputation in Corrigan. He is known as a thief, a liar, a thug, a tyrant, as lazy, unreliable, feral, and he is practically an orphan because his dad is never home and always drunk. If something
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Mainly because the reader is shown that story of Japer Jones is very relatable to actual life and real rural towns, moreover almost any reader from a reginal town will be able to relate to the story in more ways than one. Corrigan is the typical model small town from the period the novel was based, predominantly white, Christian, full of gossip, categorised citizens placed into social hierarchy, mostly working class and most notably very racist. Racism within the novel is not only shown through links to Jasper Jones but by also Jeffery Lu and his family. Jeffrey, is Charlie’s best friend and is Vietnamese. Because of his differing ethnicity, he is bullied. Jeffery’s family is assaulted by the public numerous times during the book, examples of this being Jeffery getting tormented on the cricket field despite his extraordinary skill, his mother getting boiling hot tea knocked onto purposely in a room full of people and yet not one single person helped and Jeffery’s fathers pride and joy, his garden being torn to shreds in the middle of the night and him, himself also being beaten badly. One thing that never ceases to amaze readers is the fact that Jeffrey is also composed and always smiling. He does not let the mean comments and rude actions of others get him down or make him ashamed of his culture. Ultimately, at the end his prevailing determination and optimism win him the grudging respect of the Corrigan townspeople however they are unable to ever truly let go and of course Jeffrey continues to deal with racism and discrimination because of their stereotypical views proving hard for them to let
Mainly because the reader is shown that story of Japer Jones is very relatable to actual life and real rural towns, moreover almost any reader from a reginal town will be able to relate to the story in more ways than one. Corrigan is the typical model small town from the period the novel was based, predominantly white, Christian, full of gossip, categorised citizens placed into social hierarchy, mostly working class and most notably very racist. Racism within the novel is not only shown through links to Jasper Jones but by also Jeffery Lu and his family. Jeffrey, is Charlie’s best friend and is Vietnamese. Because of his differing ethnicity, he is bullied. Jeffery’s family is assaulted by the public numerous times during the book, examples of this being Jeffery getting tormented on the cricket field despite his extraordinary skill, his mother getting boiling hot tea knocked onto purposely in a room full of people and yet not one single person helped and Jeffery’s fathers pride and joy, his garden being torn to shreds in the middle of the night and him, himself also being beaten badly. One thing that never ceases to amaze readers is the fact that Jeffrey is also composed and always smiling. He does not let the mean comments and rude actions of others get him down or make him ashamed of his culture. Ultimately, at the end his prevailing determination and optimism win him the grudging respect of the Corrigan townspeople however they are unable to ever truly let go and of course Jeffrey continues to deal with racism and discrimination because of their stereotypical views proving hard for them to let