Jasper Jones free essay sample

He discovers that Corrigan has small town morality and relies solely on rumour, Corrigan is also a very racist town and are quick to judge the Lu family, who are Vietnamese, and Jasper Jones, who is half indigenous. He later discovers that Corrigan is hypocrisy and award the prestigious jobs to the most undeserving people. From the moment Jasper Jones knocked on Charlies’ window, Charlie discovers everything he thought was right and wrong, was no longer as black and white as he thought. The first time Jasper knocks on Charlies’ window, after Charlie is shown Laura’s body, Charlie is shocked to find Jasper all bruised and beaten up. But what shocked him most, was that it wasn’t just a regular beating, it was the local Sharif and the mayor, Laura’s father, who had physically abused Jasper. This would be the first time Charlie questions his thoughts of right and wrong. We will write a custom essay sample on Jasper Jones or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Charlies’ indecision and confusion is shown through the metaphor of a snowdome : â€Å"How strange and abandoned and unsettled I am. Like a snowdome paperweight that’s been shaken†¦ Everything in my world that was steady and sure and sturdy has been shaken out of place, and now its drifting and swirling back down in a confetti of debris. Even though Charlie is confused, he has a gut feeling that helps lead the way, â€Å"They asked me if I’d been with Jasper Jones/I was terrified, nut something kicked in me. I discovered a gift for lies. † As Charlie moves from innocence to experience, he recognises Corrigan for what it truly is, and discovers the obvious display of small town morality. This is demonstrated when Corrigan’s lack of tolerance and understanding lead to the myth that forms around Mad Jack Lionel, â€Å"But as the myth grows in girth, so too does our fear of the mad killer hidden in his home. This is evident also, when Charlie co mments that, â€Å"It’s hard to understand. The folks who watch Jasper play, who barrack for him like he was one of their own, are the same ones who might cut their eyes at him should he walk their way a few hours after the game. † He recognises the same quality in the town when his is surprised that the town’s people are supporting Jeffrey Lu because he is winning the cricket game for them, which Charlie recognises is different from their normal behaviour when they obviously reject him. When Charlie is drawn into the tragedy he discovers the racial prejudice that is present in Corrigan. This is evident when Jeffrey’s cricket skills are not recognised as he is from Vietnam, â€Å"Jeffrey’s parents are Vietnamese, so he’s ruthlessly bullied and belted around by the boys at school†¦ But he takes it all astonishingly well, which has always eased my guilt given that I’m never brave enough to intervene. Jeffrey is unflappable. † The towns racism is also shown towards the Lu family when their garden is destroyed, â€Å"Something is happening outside Jeffrey’s house†¦ I see four men destroying An Lu’s garden†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The town of Corrigan is not only racist towards the Lu family, but they are also racist towards Jasper Jones, the half-cast. Jasper Jones has a terrible reputation in Corrigan. He’s a Thief, a Thug, a Truant. He’s lazy and unreliable. He’s a feral and an orphan, or as good as†¦ Jasper Jones is the example of where poor aptitude and attitude will lead. † When Charlie is confronted by Jasper Jones injuries, he is exposed to the essential hypocrisy of the town’s people. This is demonstrated when Jasper admits the truth about Laura’s dad, the Shire President, â€Å"Mate Laura’s old man is the worst out of the whole lot/But†¦ But he’s the shire president/It’s just†¦ it’s hard for me to believe, is all. It is also evident when Jasper confesses who had beaten him up to Charlie, â€Å"So who has done this to your face then? /Sarge. The local constabulary. Charlie. † It is not only the prestigious people in the town who show hypocrisy, but also Charlie’s mother. His mother disciplines him and tells him to never tell lies or be untruthful when she is having an affair. She tells Charlie not to sneak out when she is in fact sneaking out herself and lies about where she is going. Clearly Charlie changes during the course of the novel. He changes from a young man, secure in the knowledge of what is right and wrong, to a mature adolescent who has a new perspective on the town of Corrigan. As Jasper Jones forces Charlie to look at things from a new perspective, he discovers a whole new attitude of what life in Corrigan really is, and as he navigates the small town morality, racism and hypocrisy, he changes his perspective, and ultimately, who he is as a person. Silvey’s metaphor of the snowdome is proven correct, as he goes from a young man, to confused, and the coming out as a mature adolescent.