Saturday, October 2, 2010

[3] rocks, spooks

What kind of community, what kind of society, is Jason operating within?  What traits are valued?  How does one advance?  At the beginning of the novel, our narrator seems content to be an average kid-- he’s not called by his first name but he hasn’t acquired any unpleasant nicknames; he hangs out with people who won’t get him mocked, he scrupulously avoids any of the myriad things arbitrarily labeled “gay,” even if he doesn’t understand why they’re so bad or exactly what all the innuendo signifies.  

In these chapters, though, we see him making an effort to become better liked by those around him... and the motivation, I think, is Dawn Madden.  Jason’s claim to fame is a stunt involving a roll of thread, a long-distance variation on ding-dong-ditching.  So, we’re starting to get a picture here: to be popular, he should be brave, he should be innovative, he should be a little on the cruel side.  Obedience to his social betters is a big deal, too-- and disobedience, however covert, towards their enemies is definitely rewarded.  
This doesn’t seem out of line with the militaristic theme in the early chapters, and I find it kind of an interesting parallel to the overtly military side of the plot: Tom Yew, who we’re given to understand was a bit of a rebel in his school days, is the pride of the town by the time he’s killed in action.  He was a bad student, but evidently a good sailor, and I suspect the qualities which made him so popular among the boys did help him succeed in the Navy.  He might not be questioning authority as much, but the way he refers in his letter to the locals where he’s stationed suggests, to me, that he’s still got a bullying streak.  
I’m curious to see how (or maybe even if) being a Spook changes Jason; he seemed relatively content in his unremarkable position earlier in the novel, and in some ways he doesn’t seem like the type to be one of the cool kids.  I feel like this could be an interesting discussion- how well do we know Jason, what is he really like, how aware is he of his motivations?  I’m definitely curious to read on and see how this pans out.  
Another discussion topic could be his more philosophical thoughts; his dialogue isn’t always interesting, but Jason’s inner monologue is peppered with strange, often morbid asides.  Sometimes they’re brilliantly observant: “War’s an auction where whoever can pay the most in damage and still be standing wins.” (105)  “War may be an auction for countries.  For soldiers it’s a lottery.” (109)  This could be a good segue into considering the historical context of the novel, if one wanted to do so.  I don’t know much about the Falklands Conflict, but the subplot is certainly comprehensible without that background knowledge.  Still, for those interested in doing interdisciplinary work, it seems like it could be useful.  
Structurally, I’m really enjoying the complexity.  Cliffhanger chapter endings abound, foreshadowing is heavy without being heavy-handed.  The unexplained sudden inclusion of a newspaper cutout reading GOTCHA! made me jump a bit, just because it was unexpected; but in context of his scrapbook it makes perfect sense, a trick I rather liked.  
And, one last note-- I’m enjoying the shifting relationship between Jason and his sister, the way their dynamic is changing long with their parents’.  I’m curious to see how much she knows-- or at least, what she’s guessed-- about the root causes of their parents’ “rough patch,” and how all of these relationships will evolve.

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