Having now read a good portion of Black Swan Green, I've noticed something peculiar, but interesting, about David Mitchell's writing and the set up of the novel. Perhaps this may be a bit reaching, but to me the novel reads more like a compilation of short stories rather than a book with a cohesive & progressive plot. Sure, it can be read this way. It is, after all, considered a novel and not a book of short stories, but somehow Mitchell writes each chapter in such an intricate and conclusive way, even though they end with cliff hangers, that makes me study each chapter with a microscopic lens. I find myself writing notes & summaries at the end of every episode because they each explicitly explore a theme and/or plot that is not necessarily followed up in the next chapter. At first I found this to be very obnoxious, but now, more and more, I see it as a brilliant craft move by the author. This maneuver really makes me question not only the validity of the novel, but also of the main character, Jason. Why did Mitchell choose to tell the story in this way, in a way that makes his protagonist less and less reliable?
It may be too early to say, but I feel as if this novel will end in a very anti-climactic way. Right now I'm expecting a surprising twist in the end, but I get the sense I won't be happy with the ending. It's the experience I go through while reading each chapter, I get really immersed in them, only to be left wanting in the end. Maybe this is Mitchell's way of saying, it's not about the whole, it's about the pieces that make the whole.
I would definitely consider teaching this book to my future high school students, or even 8th graders, if they are as proficient as the ones I am working with now for my student teaching placement. However, I don't think I'd have them read the whole book. I would pull out certain chapters and teach them individually. For instance, I could see myself devoting a lesson to each of these five chapters.
By focusing on "Hangman," the students can examine the difficulties of having a speech impediment through Jason's perspective and how he copes with his stammer, as well as how the people treat him because of this problem. In "Relatives," there is an emphasis on family relationships, this fake, pretentious interaction between the Taylor and Lamb family. There is also this idea of idolization, how Jason idolizes his cousin, Hugo, which turns out to be more of a problematic, destructive situation for Jason rather than a positive one. "Bridle Path" is an adventure chapter. While on this path, Jason is exploring nature --- the woods that envelope his town, but also his sexual nature as a young boy. He meets Dawn Madden in the woods and they have this sort of cat and mouse interaction that demonstrates Jason's feelings for Dawn and Dawn's neurotic personality. There is also the instance where Jason witnesses Tom Yew and Debbie Crombie having sex in the woods. The students can explore how it feels to be privy to a secret moment, the uncomfortable nature of it and possible emotional consequences.
"Rocks" is a very clever chapter. The title is completely fitting because this chapter delves into all of the things in Jason's life that are on the rocks, his parent's marriage, the war, even Tom Yew's death spilla pain and negativity throughout Black Swan Green. All but his sister, Julia's relationship with her boyfriend, Ewan, has a looming sad and/or dangerous quality to it. And the symbolic nature of the rocks/landscape/pond that Jason's mom insists on having, how it screws her in the end really amazed me. "Spooks" is a chapter about fitting in. Jason and his friend, Moran, are invited to become part of a secret gang called Spooks. When they try out and Jason succeeds, but Moran doesn't, he's left to choose between being part of the "in crowd" or standing up for his friend. Then there's also this thematic debate between being a local vs. a townie. Jason and his family are not and are never going to be considered locals because they settled in Black Swan Green after the war started. No matter how hard they try they'll always be considered townies. So, there's a great lesson here on what it means to be categorized. How far would one go to fit in?
I'm really enjoying taking apart each chapter, but I'm still hoping for a more cohesive conclusion...
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