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Jasper Jones Racism Quotes

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Racism is heavily present during the 1960’s in the fictitious town of Corrigan, Australia. Throughout the novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey the character Jasper Jones is used to demonstrate the presence of racism and discrimination in Australia, with the setting of Corrigan during the 1960’s being used as a representation of a small rural town obsessed with appearances. Silvey uses setting to educate the racism that was present during the 1960’s in Australia through the use of first person narration and characters. Silvey employs first person narration to emphasis the fact that racism arises from ignorance, as the novel is told from the perspective of Charlie Bucktin, a 13 year old boy living in Corrigan. Silvey has chosen to tell the story …show more content…

Many of the adults in the town have very racist ideals, such as the men who destroy An Lu's garden and call him a "red! Fucking! Rat!" Silvey is able to illustrate this encounter through the fearful and innocent eyes of Charlie, which presents the racism that is present in the town of Corrigan to the reader in a very bad light. Charlie's coming of age and being able to see this from his perspective throughout the novel helps the reader to understand the racism and ignorance of the adults in Corrigan, as Silvey says "What I try to address in Jasper Jones is that some folks learn to live as adults, but never quite grow up. They live without that critical filter, still inside that bubble, protecting its thin skin by still subscribing to the same myths that they've always abided by." Throughout the course of the novel, Charlie learns to live outside of that bubble and be accepting of new things, which …show more content…

Silvey presents this idea to the reader through the use of characters throughout the novel. The novel's namesake, Jasper Jones, is "half-caste" and consequently has become a scapegoat for the rest of the town. Because Silvey has chosen to set the novel in the 1960's, Jasper becomes the target of bullying and cruelty, as was the norm during that time in Australia. When Charlie first speaks of Jasper Jones, he mentions that "In families throughout Corrigan, he's the first name to be blamed for all manner of trouble. Whatever the misdemeanor, and no matter how clear their own child's guilt, parents ask immediately: were you with Jasper Jones? And of course, more often that not, their kids will lie. They nod, because Jasper's involvement instantly absolves them. It means they’ve been led astray. They've been waylaid by the devil. And so, as the cases are closed, the message is simple: stay away from Jasper Jones." Jasper tells Charlie that he "ain't protected by shit" which is supported by the fact that Aboriginal people were not counted as part of the population census until 1967, and instead were considered to be part of the flora and fauna, and it is during this time that the novel is set. Another character that Silvey uses to convey the racism that is present in Australia is Charlie's best friend, Jeffrey Lu. "Jeffrey Lu, who I have to say, I wish were my

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