With the end of
the book behind us, there is no doubt that Jason went through some major
changes – one of the major changes being his perception on masculinity and the
ways in which it influences his day to day public life. In the beginning of the
book, we see Jason hyper-aware of what people think about him, his masculinity,
and what that means in terms of his popularity in social standings. This is
evident through his constant stray from anything or any activity that can be
seen as “gay”, thus, showing any sensitivity. By adopting this lifestyle, Jason
lives with many aspects of his life under the table. His poetry, his stammer,
trips to the movies with his mom, etc. are all concealed in order to keep this
reputation.
To contrast the
Jason at the beginning of the novel, we see a new character who isn’t afraid to
be his ‘Own Boy’. Someone who is sensitive, says words like beautiful, all
while maintaining a cool and somewhat sporty vibe thanks to the aide of Julia. Rather
than having to plot to prove his masculinity – either by withholding his true
life, or explicitly planning how to become favorable in front of the bros – Jason is content in being
himself, making moves only to satisfy himself rather than the groups, as well
as introducing life to the Jason that only the reader has seen. This
development is interesting but comes at the perfect time as he is about to
enter the new chapter of life – being 14, a new school, more life without
Julia, and life living with only his mother.
While the book
only covers a year of Jason’s life, a lot happens, and a lot changes.
Personally, 13 and 14 where the years when both my character and maturity rapidly
developed. There were definitely parts of my life that I tried to push away
from the spotlight but now recall and tell stories about. While Jason’s life hasn’t
necessarily been easy, you see him get stronger as well as more developed,
closer to the concept of Coming of Age… Its hard to say goodbye to him, I just
want to know how he turns out.
I noticed the changes in Jason as well. I think that the other more popular boys bullying Jason had a lot to do with his change in character because at that point, what else is there for him lose since he's not pining for popularity anymore. I guess that means all the suffering Jason had to endure turned out for the better in the end.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there are a lot of clear indicators that Jason has substantially changed. I also want to know how he turns out. I bet that at Cheltenham, Jason tries to act extra "hard," and he gets good at not giving a toss, but he realizes that isn't who he is, and eventually settles in another year later. I don't feel as though he's even close to fully mature yet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Jason is a lot more comfortable accepting parts of himself that are considered "gay" to others. He receives little negative backlash from what we know so far, so his acceptance of these traits is solidified because he no longer has to fear his secrets getting out.
ReplyDeleteit WAS really difficult to say goodbye to Jason and this book!! I shed a little tear when I finished the novel, not gonna lie. I love your point about all the "gay" stuff in this book, especially; when we were first starting the early chapters, Molly and I had a running list of everything Jason called gay -- hats, walking certain ways, poetry, not kicking flowers, etc. etc. But, now that you mention it, I suppose the list stopped somewhere along the path, because it hasn't been updated in a few chapters which, I think, says a lot about Jason's maturity. Of course, he learns a ton and moves away from that mentality, but I also think just the fact that he stops acknowledging it altogether in the narration of this novel says so much about him -- it's not even really a concern anymore for him!
ReplyDeleteIn this aspect I think that Jason's story has given us one of the most fruitful coming of age experiences, as he is able to find himself and not give a toss about what anyone else thinks.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Jason has come to terms with his poetry and otherwise "softness" within himself, but I don't think he feels ready yet to reveal himself as Eliot Bolivar or begin publicly discussing Boromir's death in the Lord of the Rings. He will still hide his poetry and Lord of the Rings posters from his peers, but at least he will be okay with himself at home.
ReplyDeleteI think looking at masculinity and identity in young boys in an interesting topic in general. As a female, it wasn't something I was trying to figure out, but I saw through my brothers how much pressure there is to be manly and shy away from female things. Seeing Jason struggle with this is definitely interesting. At the beginning of the novel he wants to be that manly brute, but over time he embraces more of his "fem" side.
ReplyDeleteI also felt the ending was kind of a cliffhanger, after a really long journey. I wanted to know how he did. Wasn't the author going to write a sequel or is that for another book? Anyways, I think with maturity comes with a sense of individuality and confidence in yourself.
ReplyDelete