Jasper Jones †to what extent is the novel quintessentially Australian Essay

To what extent is the fresh quintessenti participator Australian?Jasper J unrivalleds is an Australian falsehood by Craig Silvey that explores issues prominent in the authors 1960s context. fare in the fictional mining town of Corrigan, the fable is a bildungsroman by-line Charlie Bucktin as he is awakened to the harsh reality of human nature. The novel addresses the main themes of righteousness, justice and reliance, but these universal human issues are swarthy by an Australian background signal, reflective of Silveys contemporary context.The issues of pietism and moral philosophy have always been fundamental to the human struggle, but Silvey explores these themes by dint of uniquely Australian concerns, namely the plight of the outcasts, in the treatment of indigenous Australians and immigrants. The setting of the novel, a small town where people are ignorant and bigoted, is exercise of the same issues in the wider Australian context. It is made clear to Jasper that T his town, they think Im a bloody sensual. due to his half-Aboriginal heritage.The animal metaphor and affectional language highlights Corrigans non-tolerance towards racial differences, while the first person linear perspective depicts the damaging effect this has upon an outcast individual. This is reinforced by the treatment of early(a) characters such as the An family Go back to Hanoi, rats. The repeat of derogatory animal metaphor and the aggressive tone reveals the prevalent racism. Charlie himself is also bullied for using lecture that are too clever. Silveys portrayal of Corrigan is representative of the morality of his own society. In this racist and anti-intellectual Australian context, outcasts are single out and beaten down.The theme of justice is closely linked to that of morality in a town with corrupted value, can justice ever be impartial? Charlies moral conflict over whether or not to report Laura Wisharts body explores the idea of moral relativity. He is awa ke(predicate) that All that matters is the fact of this girls death and the towns imagination. The collective town is characterised as an anthropomorphic entity with skewed set forcing innocent boys to act as if guilty. I feel I am caught in a rip, being dragged out further and deeper against my will. The use of the parableconveys the boys helplessness to enact justice in the face of the towns imagination.The body itself is a symbol of the novels anchor moral dilemmas. In disposing of Lauras body, Charlie explicitly says that Im committing a crime. He knows that helping Jasper is the right thing to do, but the use of the record book crime, and all it connotes, illustrates how morality can be contrary to traditional justice. The issues of morality and justice explored are unquestionably universal in nature, but the novels particular setting and situation renders it a striking rendering on quintessentially Australian concerns.The value of trust and loyalty is also one that is co mmon to all human experience, and it is this that defines Charlie and Jaspers relationship which is forged at the beginning of the novel by the crisis of finding Lauras body. Trust me. You got to trust me. Like I trust you. Jaspers pleading tone and the repetition of the highly emotive word trust, begging Charlie to help him news leak the injustice of being wrongfully persecuted, cements trust as a key value in the novel. With this trust, Charlie is able to look beyond Jaspers laundry and form a bond with him, despite the towns cast out stereotyping. He states that I am the ally of Jasper Jones, and helps him despite his conflicted morals.The word ally suggests that despite not knowing Jasper very well, they share a plebeian trust and dependence. The relationship in the midst of the boys is reminiscent of the loyalty and comradeship between soldiers, bonded by trial. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, these values were highly important to the Australian ethnic identity i n Silveys context.Through Charlies coming of age, Silveys Jasper Jones presents a compelling insight into the duality of morality and the human values of loyalty and justice. Though these are undeniably universal in nature, Silvey explores these issues through the lens of his own Australian context, to give a novel which is quintessentially Australian and yet fundamentally human.