So far, I am still very interested in reading this book. David Mitchell leaves the readers in suspense throughout the entire chapter. What I dislike so far is that Mitchell builds upon a suspenseful scene until it climaxes then you flip the page and it is an entirely new chapter that has nothing to do with the one before. For instance, in chapter one title “January Man,” we learn the Jason has sprained his ankle and is now in the old woman’s house in the woods and it is a possibility that she has died. When it is time to read for the next blog, we are introduced to a new scene and we later learn the Jason had a dream. If I were to teach this novel, I would have students identify imagery and symbols in the text. I would also have them do a quick stop-n-jot to make a prediction about that chapter and the entire novel. As we read each chapter, we will then create a new prediction and compare it to the one before. Most importantly, I will hold a class discussion so that the students understand why Mitchell leaves the audience in suspense after each chapter.
Hangman
In this chapter, we learn more of Jason’s stammering dilemma. Jason is more in tune of what others around him think about him. At this point, I believe that he is insecure about his stammering. His language changes in sense that he identities that he wants to say an “s” word, but changes it due to his inability not to stammer. He refers to his stammering as “hangman.” As a visual reader, I imagine a pole with a stick figure hanging from it and spaces, which is missing letters. This may also foreshadow that Jason my hang himself due to his stammering. Jason is a very funny character. I was amused to find out that he came up with Hangman’s Four Commandments on page 31. As I continue to read throughout this chapter, I learn more of Jason’s reality with death. There are numerous references to death, drowning, and how many minutes of life he has left. Jason also gives reference to not liking the fact of living in reality. While in bed, he says “One hundred and fifty minutes of life left” in reference to not wanting to get out the bed and go to school (36).
Since Jason is the younger sibling, I sense that he is jealous of his older sister Julia who is 18. Jason says, “She’s eighteen, she’s leaving Black Swan Green in a few months, she’s got a boyfriend with a sports car, she gets twice as much pocket money as me, and she can make other people do whatever she wants with words” (36). Jealousy is written all over Jason when he brags about what somebody else has. I sense that he wants to be like his sister or have what she wants. In order to understand this jealousy, I went back to my personal experiences and examined my sister and I privileges. Although she always had more than I did, I realized it was like that because she was older and I was not at the age where I was able to get the things she had.
Who is this Unborn Twin? I have concluded that this is Jason’s inner voice. If students ever have any questions as they are reading, I would tell them to quickly jot it down while reading and then ask the class during a whole group discussion. I pondered about this Unborn Twin, until I was able to examine that Jason always mentioned this twin when he talks to his sister. He resents her and probably wished she were never born. If I were to teach this novel, I will tell students to keep in mind all the details and questions they might have and make connections to personal references so that they may understand what it is that is going on in the text. There is also a sex allusion throughout the few chapters I have read. Either Jason is interested in having sex, or he gets a kick out of watching other people have sex. Once again, I will have students predict what might happen with Jason’s interest in sex. Jason might be homophobic. If something is too “girlie” and a guy does it, it is gay. He says, “Boys can’t use umbrellas ‘cause they’re gay” (38).
Relatives
Jason’s family members visit and the family seems to change. They become more of an uptight family that tries to impress the relatives. I learn in a later chapter, that the mom spends extra money on fine and gourmet food to please the outsides which makes the father upset. I am still confused whether Jason smashed the watch in the dream or in real life. Through the family dinner dialogue, Jason admits to himself that he is jealous of Hugo (his cousin). While in the mirror, he says, “I was scanning my face for signs of Hugo” (52).
Mitchell uses such details when describing an action. For example: Mitchell writes, “Alex raised his head ten degrees for a quarter second to say yes” (51). I vividly pictured someone doing this and while I read, I noticed myself raising my head ten degrees to act out the scene. I would ask my students what images come to mind when they read those few word that are very descriptive. In order to make sense of this action, I have to act it out. Tension begins to build again, when Alice (
Bridle Path
Jason gets personal time with Dawn Madden but I am starting to wonder whether he is dreaming or not. We only know of their relationships through earlier conversation and it appears to me that he has not spoken to her in person before. I can only assume that they will have sex because immediately after running into her on the farm, he catches up to Tom Yew (may he R.I.P) and watches him have sex with Debbie Crombie. I am assuming Jason will have sex with Dawn because I read the back of the book for a quick summary and it speaks of the “first.”
Rocks and Spooks
It is now summer time (little did I know the season were changing, but I had to figure this out based on context clues). The mother and father seem to have personal issues going on involving finance and who spends what. The mother always mentions her garden and now “the tulips are black plums, emulsion white, and yolky gold” (103). This symbolizes growth within the family. After the death of Tom Yew, I assume that Debbie Crombie will be pregnant. Typically, men that went off to war left their wives pregnant.
Jason and Dean Moran are invited to join a secret organization. Their task is to run across six backyard gardens. Jason decides to go first and he succeeds while Moran fails at crossing the finish line within 15 minutes. Presumably, one of the homeowners catches Moran. This chapter closes without us knowing, but rather Jason going to the homeowner against the permission of the Spooks.
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