Proof that Jason Could Never be in Spooks
Throughout Black Swan Green, we see Jason trying to hide aspects of himself to try and fit in with the popular group while simultaneously doing anything to seem cool. However, it’s clear to us as readers that Jason is not really Spooks material and considering that the people involved in Spooks seem like bullies, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For me, there were two moments that stuck out as examples of Jason being too nice for Spooks: the situation with Dean and the situation with Ross’s wallet.
When Dean got hurt, it was clear to Jason that going back would lead to inevitable exclusion from Spooks. This would be a huge issue for Jason since he was constantly afraid of being uncovered as the school stammerer. Turning away from a position in Spooks would have meant that the Spooks members would bully him, and if they ever found out about his stammer, Jason would become an even larger target. However, when Jason realized that “if I’d fallen through Mr. Blake’s greenhouse and not Moran, Moran wouldn’t be abandoning me to that psycho” (140), he went back for Dean. I was really glad that he did this since by doing that, he managed to keep his one true friend, but this also showed me that Jason has morals and he wasn’t willing to do everything to be popular, unlike the other kids. Also, this showed that Jason cares about other people and their feelings, making him a good person but not a good Spooks member.
However, what proved to me even more that Jason should not and could not be Spooks material was the situation with Ross. When Dean got hurt, he showed that he cared about his friends, but when Ross lost his wallet, Jason showed that he cared about even his worst enemies. To be honest, I don’t think it was that big of a deal that Jason at first wanted to keep the wallet considering that he thought that it didn’t have a huge sum of money when he found it. Even though the “good” thing to do was to return it, we can’t all be good people all the time, and given what Ross did to Jason, I don’t blame him for his initial instinct. Nonetheless, when Jason found out that the wallet actually contained six hundred pounds and that Ross’s father would beat Ross if he didn’t bring the money home, he returned it and was even able to feel bad for Ross. Despite all the torment that Jason had to endure through Ross, Jason realized that Ross was just a “poor kid” (255) who was a victim of a terrible home life. Obviously, that doesn’t excuse Ross’s actions, but the fact that Jason was able to feel sympathy for his bully convinced me that Jason could never be part of the Spooks, and I’m really glad that he gave up trying to be popular.
Overall, I think Jason made the right decisions, and I’m happy with the way he developed throughout the story.
I definitely agree with everything you said in this post. Reading about Jason's attempt to join the Spooks was a two-sided experience - on the one hand, I was glad that Jason was able to experience the feeling of fitting in (albeit for a short time), but on the other hand, Jason tried to be a part of the worst group of characters in the book. I think that even though being excluded from the Spooks was devastating for Jason at first, it helped him to understand what truly mattered to him and where his priorities lie. Not to mention, even if Jason had been able to fully join the Spooks, I don't think he would've been able to stay in the group for very long (and he also would have lost his one genuine friend).
ReplyDeleteI think you made an interesting point about the situation with Ross, how Jason managed to have compassion for even his worst enemy by the end of the book. I think this is one of the best ways to highlight the change in Jason when you compare it to his attitude at the beginning of the book. I'm talking about the first scene at the lake, where Jason doesn't seem to care about anyone else's feeling, nor does he care about what is happening in other people's lives, he is instead solely focused on how to maintain his middle ranking social standing. Throughout the book we see Jason start to have more compassion for other people, like Dean and his father's drunken abuse, or Squelch and his uncertain future (which actually ironically happens in the middle of his trial to become a Spook). So with that context it is not surprising that Jason had compassion for Ross Wilcox and decided to return the wallet, just like you said. Really well written blog post!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post and agree that Jason could've never been a Spook. Though Jason undoubtedly cares about social status and fitting in, it's nice how he isn't willing to sacrifice his morals to be cool. The two moments you mentioned, the Spooks initiation and returning the wallet, were in my opinion the most revealing about his character. No matter how badly he wants to be cool, Jason will always put other people first-- even if they wouldn't return the favor.
ReplyDeleteActually I kind of disagree. I think that that incident proved that Jason could be in the Spooks (after all he was so close to being one, it would've been very easy for him to just go along with the others and make the cut) but that he's a strong enough person to decide not to. As we could tell Jason really really wanted to be part of them, and he could pass the tests, and get along with them decently, even if it was an act. I do believe that he would've been capable of running with them since he's clearly smart and socially aware. However he wouldn't have felt good about himself and it would've caused him to hurt other people, so his conscious choice to refuse the group shows how good of a person he is. I only disagree on the idea that he was incapable of being a Spook. I think he did have the ability, but the choice not to was the important part
ReplyDeleteI wonder what would have happened had Dean not been hurt. Though this was a turning point for Jason, I honestly believe that he was fully committed to joining the Spooks and would have absolutely done so. However, because of his strong moral compass, I'm not sure Jason would be happy as a Spook, even if it meant social acceptance.
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