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  • Essay / Themes of adversity and personal growth in Jasper Jones

    Adversity can be a springboard for building an individual's identity. The attitude with which the individual approaches these challenges allows him to mature and change. Adversity forces individuals to be courageous, to discover themselves and to explore the realities around them, thereby inevitably allowing them to become aware of their own perceptions and surroundings, thereby allowing them to grow as individuals. Constantly confronting challenges allows individuals to awaken their intrinsic nature to survive. Challenges also enable the transition from childhood to adulthood, allowing individuals to move beyond the limitations of their existing narrative to discover a new perspective that challenges their pre-existing worldviews. The novel "Jasper Jones" by Craig Silvey explores themes of adversity and personal growth through their characters Charlie Bucktin, Jasper Jones and Jeffrey Lu, constantly placing them in situations where they must confront or assert their social perceptions and existing personal data. . The novel proves the necessity of adversity and how it forces individuals to display courage, thereby allowing them to understand and change their identities and construct new perceptions of their realities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayContinuous confrontation of an obstacle forces individuals to affirm or confront their stereotype, initiating their defense mechanisms to combat or flee, as shown by the characters of Jasper and Jeffrey. Due to the racial stereotypes associated with Jasper, everyone rejects and scapegoats him, he "has a terrible reputation in Corrigan." He is considered a thief, a liar, a thug, a truant,” thus forcing him to exclude himself from the world and wear a mask of masculinity. In Corrigan, "Jasper Jones is able to navigate the world and come out on top, despite being dealt crappy hands over and over again by shutting everyone out and wearing a poker look, like a mask of poker." superhero.” Silvey's repetition of the words "over and over" highlights the constant prejudice Jasper faces in the town, the "mask" hides the inner fear and turmoil Jasper feels in the face of adversity. To survive, Jasper “lives in a bubble, without being disturbed by anyone”. The “bubble” metaphor highlights Jasper’s closed state of mind and his feeling of being trapped. Laura's death forces Jasper to change his mindset to cope. This is why he makes the decision to “leave Corrigan behind for good”. Unlike Jasper, Jeffery's optimistic attitude is the main reason for his resilience, Jeffrey confronts his racial stereotypes of poor athleticism head-on. Silvey demonstrates this through the racial harassment and humiliation Jeffery faces while playing cricket with the local boys, while playing "someone kicks Jeffery's ankle and says, 'f *ck off leave”. Jeffrey stumbles, but continues with his head held high. the use of colloquial language highlights Corrigan's bigotry, transporting the reader into Jeffrey's perspective. "Jeffery is... resilient" in the face of adversity, confronting his racial stereotype of poor athleticism, as evidenced by the fact that "In unison, these boys shouted, 'Shot, Cong!'" this event the shows through the use of his alethclism and his optimism Jeffery was able to take control of his stereotype, and transform his derogatory “nickname” into a term of approval, Jeffrey had the ambition to. to change.