jasper jones 16pt large print edition craig silvey

Silvey employs a stream of consciousness when detailing Laura’s abuse, coupled with the repetition of the running on of words, “Thisiswhathappened,” this elucidates that Charlie cannot contain the secret and he needs to reveal it quickly. The symbol of the brick also exposes how he is anchored by the knowledge. I’d never had this awful brick in my stomach.” Charlie’s bedroom is a symbol for comfort and security, his leaving has thrown him into the deep end, referring to the drowning metaphor.

Once Charlie learns what really happened on the night of Laura’s murder he still feels equally distressed, believing that if he had not followed Jasper Jones, he “would have stayed safe in my room…None the wiser. He constantly feels anxious due to this, expressed in the recurring motif of insects – “There are insects crawling on my shoulders,” the insects being representative of his omnipresent anxiety and danger. Deaf and drowning.” The drowning metaphor reveals Charlie’s powerlessness, shock and distress at the discovery. Charlie grapples with his knowledge about Laura Wishart’s death, evident from the moment he learns of Laura’s fate, declaring that “I feel like I’m underwater. Silvey underlines that learning the truth can cause regret – it can formulate a negative outlook of the world and becomes a burden. Silvey illustrates that a critical part of the human condition is our response to a disclosed truth. Scared, lost and unhappy….she begins to cry.” The simile of the child suggests that Charlie is the adult now, and that once the truth is out there, Ruth can no longer hide behind her ‘motherly’ appearance. It also signifies a role reversal – Charlie is now powerful and Ruth is defenseless, reinforced when Charlie thinks “she looks like a child.

The imperative indicates a progress of Charlie’s bildungsroman journey, he gains the maturity to defend himself. Charlie’s defiance is Ruth’s punishment for her secret, conveyed in “No! You dug this hole, you fill it in.” The italics blames Ruth and prevents her from avoiding the truth. However, Charlie responds assertively, stating “but I feel calm.” The disjunction of “but” signals a change in Charlie’s behaviour and contrasts Ruth’s reaction. It highlights that her initial reaction to confrontation is defensive, revealing her hypocritical nature. According to him, “she keeps shrieking spitfire questions, just filling up this space with her stupid outrage,” the imagery illuminating Ruth’s hostility. When Charlie discovers Ruth’s affair, her response is aggressive. Silvey suggests that people’s response to a disclosed truth can empower or diminish their supremacy, creating a clearer comprehension of their true, human nature.

Jasper jones 16pt large print edition craig silvey