Reality In Black Swan Green

As a bildungsroman, Black Swan Green traces Jason’s maturing through his journey to distinguish and accept reality from appearances, during which he gradually uncovers bits of truth about himself, about the people around him, and about the world. Many characters’ appearances in the book do not reflect who they really are; some characters simply seem unreal; some characters mask their true identity, including Jason Taylor himself, who is constantly trying to reveal only aspects of himself and in search for the right appearance throughout the novel. Many of these characters’ real personas are eventually revealed, because-- in reality--one is not capable of choosing what identity to put on and has no control over who he or she really is. “You …show more content…
For a brief moment, Jason puts himself outside the world of Black Swan Green and speaks to Madame Crommelynck as who he really is, because Madame Crommelynck sees through his fake façades. This seemingly unreal encounter exposed the reality of the world which makes Jason feel increasingly claustrophobic. There is no secrets; there is no pretending; there is only what's real. Jason learns that even some obvious and well-received truth in life could be merely misconception, not reality. “Beauty is not excellence. Beauty is distraction, beauty is cosmetics, beauty is ultimately fatigue.”(147) Jason has clearly achieved some of his greatest epiphanies in the solarium. Not only he starts pouring out feelings of the real Jason Taylor that’s been hiding beneath his appearances--Hangman, Maggot, Unborn Twin or Eliot Bolivar--but he also start to developing and lecturing his ideas. “If you decided that the wanting truth’s more important than hating truth, just tell her you’ve forgiven her even if you haven’t.”(160) Ironically, the pursuer and mentor of truth, who extracts every single bit of truth about Jason out of him, is the one who’s been hiding the very truth about herself, “I always felt they kept themselves to themselves more than was natural.”(165), and she will always stay as an enigma for …show more content…
Maggot, Hangman, Eliot Bolivar or Unborn Twin all come together in defining Jason Taylor. Though Jason’s appearances alter, also visible as his “social rank” fluctuates, as one of the identities becomes dominant, he is actually never meant to be just “one of them”. Unborn Twin strives to be this tough and brave boy, but it’s merely an ideal version of himself that Jason hides inside him. Maggot and Hangman are, perhaps, the antagonists inside Jason, who is shameful, troublesome, and constantly convincing him to “fit in” a group he does not belong to. Eliot Bolivar is a version of the real Jason. He speaks for him, writes for him, pours out his real emotions through poetry. Gradually, Jason comes closer to recognizing that reality does not permit him to be whoever he wants appear as. He is clearly not Unborn Twin. He will never be one of the “popular boys” like Maggot wishes. Hangman will never go away, and Eliot Bolivar will always be an aspect of him that will not be totally revealed. Jason is the combination of these identities, and he is simply not meant to one of those kids, not a part of the bullies, not a part of the “Spooks”, not even a part of the “lepers”. He takes no delight in cruelty. “So here I am, two double-back minutes later, eye to eye with Mr.Blake’s door knocker, cacking myself.” (140) He’s not afraid of the bullies, at least not in the end. “I hadn’t thought