First, what do you think the significance is for David Mitchell starting the first chapter of the novel January Man and ending it with the same title?

After reading the novel, I understand that it takes us through the life journey of a 13-year-old boy for one year, but his ordeal is not that of a typical teenage boy. Rather, it is atypical and suggests that Jason in my opinion is not living a normal teenage life. Besides his parents divorce ,being bullied by the popular kids in school, and other things, his adventures through the woods, imaginary inner twin, and confusion of reality leaves me to determine that he is undoubtedly weird as I suggested in my first blog.

Knife Grinder

What is the purpose of this chapter like every chapter? Mitchell, start a new chapter, with a new theme, and sometimes-new characters to confuse the reader. He builds suspense up until you turn to the next chapter and you are hit with sadness because he does not continue his climax. How will students feel about this? I think they would be upset. They are reading a “juicy” text and then it crashes and pitfall to absolutely nothing. Students may be completely confused about reading this book from beginning to end. I think that if students do not know that this book is about a typical teenage boy’s life journey and particular events, then they will be lost in the text mainly because it does not continuously read like a regular novel that they are used to. However, it is the teacher’s responsibility to give students an overview of the book so that they are not disengaged. Implementing useful activities in the classroom pertaining to the novel will keep students engaged.

Gypsies? I have still yet to figure out what is the purpose of adding them in the novel. Apparently, this is where Jason begins to accept who he is and identify with others. Jason parents continue to decline with their relationship. At this point, there is no hope for either the mother or father. Will they end in divorce or rekindle their relationship?

Goose Fair

Goose Fair is by far the most interesting chapter thus far. Jason continues to develop, but his maturity level (coming of age) is explicitly delivered here. He returns a wallet to probably the biggest bully in his hometown. Although he hesitates and wants to purchase another Omega Seamaster, he relents and returns the wallet back to Ross Wilcox

Disco

As with any coming of age novel, Jason experiences a first. His first is kissing a girl. Wow! Who would have ever known it would be something simple like this. Nevertheless, to Jason, it is the start of a new beginning. The beginning of no longer being a Maggot.

In my last posting, I suggested that Jason head is getting bloated. I believe that we will no longer think of himself as a maggot and go after Dawn Madden since a bus driver suggested he needs a pretty girl so that others will be jealous. Rather, he does not seek after Ross Wilcox’s girlfriend, but finds a girl of his own. I think he wants Holly to be Dawn. What is confusing about the book is that the back cover suggests the Jason will go after Dawn, but as you read the book, he never really tried to seek her. The only real conversation they ever had was in the farm.

I doubt students will be interested in a book like this, but it is my duty to keep them engaged as much as possible. I would have students write their own narrative about a time frame in their lives from 13-years-old to 14-years-old. I would use the same situations, obstacle, and events that Jason describe and have students create their own. This way, students will continue to predict about what will happen in the text.

January Man

Hannah posted some interesting questions that I also thought about. What does Julia mean by “it’s not the end?” Is she suggesting that something will happen? Is there a part two to the novel? We finally find out about Jason’s father strange behavior. His affair has torn the family apart, which probably sends Jason on this tangent of visiting different aspects of his life. Therefore, Black Swan Green does have swans...Mmmmmm. Interesting to know this because now I feel as if this last chapter could have been the first chapter. The entire novel is summed up without the long drawn out details that surrounds Jason’s life. He takes us on a quick road down memory lane that jogs all the experiences Jason has had throughout the novel.

As Julia said, “it’s not the end.”

My blogging experience:

I have had the pleasure of reading, writing, and commenting on the different blogs that we have posted in the past month. It is interesting to know that we are all reading the same novel, but have different takes on what we comprehend. We have all been an excellent insight to each other’s knowledge of the text and I enjoyed reading the novel and sharing my metacognitive experience about the book.