Useful (short) quotes
How does the town perceive Jasper?
"a Thief, a Liar, a Thug, a Truant"
Capital letters indicate these are "official" judgments
Where and when is the novel set?
Corrigan, WA
Summer 1965
What gothic trope is associated with the true crime incidents Charlie learns about, as well as with the violent attacks on Laura, Jasper, and the Lus?
Transgression
"a _______ has burst"
"there's a _____ in my _______"
"How could things be so messy and complex outside this quiet_______ of land?"
"I’m still afraid, of course, but something about being in [Jasper's] _______ is reassuring."
Bubble
Which of Jasper's parents is Aboriginal?
A lot of Charlie's sentences during the library scene start with ______.
After the attack on the Lus, he repeatedly starts sentences with ______.
Why
Because
What is significant about the miner's hall?
Represents the community as a whole and the mob mentality they can adopt (eg. scapegoating Jasper, bystanders to Sue Findlay attack).
"Laura Wishart is dead". What Gothic trope does this reflect?
Return of the repressed.
What is the significance of Batman and Superman?
Batman - no actual superpower; human and vulnerable but fighting crime anyway
Superman - alien (could represent Jeffrey's outsider status) but very few vulnerabilities
What is the significance of the Trent family?
They seem to symbolise a lot of the prejudice and harmful attitudes that infect Corrigan.
Warwick is a key antagonist for Charlie and Jeffrey;
James Trent (presumably an older brother) is part of the attack on the Lus.
What is a word Charlie gets beaten up for knowing?
Monosyllabic
Verbosity
(Both represent anti-intellectualism)
What is significant about the oval?
Acceptance of minorities conditional on sporting prowess (Jasper gives back his boots and guernsey; Jeffrey takes ages to get a game even though he's great)
Represents Australian culture.
How does the Wishart home reflect Gothic tropes?
Facade vs reality
Entrapment in the domestic sphere
Where does Charlie see the word "sorry" written in the book?
The tree in the glade (by Eliza), and Jack Lionel's car.
“Sorry” can never entirely repair the damage caused.
What is something Charlie and Eliza have in common?
They both know more than they let on about Laura's death.
Both scared of insects (symbolism).
Both find escape/solace in literature.
"Teeming", "swarming", "thriving hive" are all used to describe insects. Significance?
1. Overwhelmingness
2. Hive mind/pack mentality
What is the significance of An Lu's garden?
(Answers may vary - fear of difference/unknown, the value/beauty of diversity, destructiveness of prejudice, community coming together)
Give an example of the trope of the uncanny in the novel.
The sarge
Childlike imagery re: Laura
Charlie's fantasy of Eliza turning into Laura
(other examples might exist)
Explain the significance of barnacles.
Town of Corrigan.
Charlie clinging to Jasper.
(Also Laura's pregnancy.)
What event changes Charlie's perception of his dad?
(a) defending An Lu's garden
(b) reading Patterson's Curse
What is the significance of the phrase "antipodean snowdome"?
Snowdome metaphor = being sheltered, isolated
antipodean snowdome (refers to ashes from fire) & suggests all of Australia is in this state
How does Charlie's perception of the bush change?
Initially seen in Aus gothic terms - "eerie", "ethereal", "shroud", "loom"
Gradually becomes a place of safety ("island in the bush", "quiet bubble of land", "thick tent")
What is the duality in Southern Gothic texts, and how is it reflected in Jasper Jones?
Idyllic surface concealing nasty realities (in SG, slavery, racism etc)
Relates to "choosing to know"
Give a time insects are mentioned in the novel, and its significance.
Answers may vary.
Identify a character who demonstrates to Charlie that authority figures can't always be trusted
The sarge
Shire President Wishart
Ruth