Introductory activities
Narrative organises and shapes our understanding of the world. Through vicarious experiences with texts, students can test their perceptions of the world against those represented in literature. In the following learning sequences, students will analyse and experiment with the key concepts of context, genre, character, and point of view, reflecting on how they operate in – and how they influence readers’ responses to – texts.
Central to this study is the exploration of Craig Silvey’s Jasper Jones as an example of the bildungsroman genre (i.e. a coming-of-age story featuring a character who moves from innocence to knowledge). Silvey’s narrative is driven by a protagonist who is responsive to, and inseparable from, the social world around him. Students will examine whether there are any connections between their worlds and values and those depicted in the text.
The activities in this resource are designed to introduce key concepts through a close study of the novel. These will be directly transferable to other related texts. Note that while the resource is presented as a complete unit of study spanning five or six weeks, it contains a broad range of learning activities and tasks that you can adapt to suit your own contexts/needs.
Context
In this learning sequence, students will consider how texts are aesthetic and cultural constructions shaped by the contexts of both author and reader. They will see how the author has crafted a text that offers a particular perspective on historical, cultural, and literary contexts. When responding to a text, students are always aware of the author’s presence. Responding to Jasper Jones specifically, they will draw on contextual knowledge (both historical and contemporary) as well as intertextual connections.
The following activities will encourage students to reflect on how texts portray certain social values.
The White Australia policy
Introduce the concept of context by alerting students to the White Australia policy adopted by various Australian governments between 1901 and 1973. Introducing Jasper Jones through this lens will familiarise students with the prevailing attitudes and policies that were part of Australian cultural life in the 1960s. The attitudes suggested by the White Australia policy can be drawn on later in considering the characterisation of Jeffrey Lu and his family. One arresting exercise is to have students undertake a sample dictation test from this period (instructions are available here).
Having completed the test, students can discuss their view of its suitability. Point out some of the conditions: one full reading, pausing for a few seconds after every couple of words, and only three mistakes allowed. Some suggested discussion starters include:
- How do composers use language to establish authority and position responders?
- Speculate on why the passage about the swagman would have been used for a dictation test in Australia, and what values are implied.
- Examine how language is used to position those taking the test.
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Now read the poem ‘Be Good, Little Migrants’ by Uyen Loewald, which appears in Growing Up Asian in Australia (pp. 225–226) and Growing Up in Australia (pp. 156–157). Discuss how the poet conveys the experiences of new Australian migrants, and reflect on the expectation for them to discard their existing cultural identities. This discussion can foreshadow the changing aspects and expectations of Australian identity over time.
For more contextual information and activities on the White Australia policy, refer to the ABC Education Digibook on this topic.
Protest and social change
Invite students to discuss any pins or badges they have encountered that represent contemporary social debates (e.g. climate change, disability advocacy, rethinking 26 January). Present some more historical examples such as:
- Women’s suffrage (1905)
- White Australia policy (1906)
- Anti-conscription (1917)
- World peace (1950)
- Aboriginal land rights (1975–1985)
You can find additional badges at the Museum of Australian Democracy’s Wear Your Colours website. In reviewing these pins/badges, students can identify and discuss:
- the subject matter
- the linguistic and visual choices
- the use of inclusive or polarising language
- the values represented and whether students agree with these
- what the pins/badges say about the world we live in
Jasper Jones is set in a small country town in Western Australia in the mid-1960s. This was a period of burgeoning cultural change and questioning in Australia. Divide students into groups and allocate each group a pin/badge from the list above. Have them determine the focus of the protest and whether it is still relevant today. They can also consider:
- the questions these pins/badges raise about Australian cultural values
- how their values as readers influence their responses to texts
Students could then choose TWO badges and update them for today’s context. The nature of the alteration will depend on the student’s point of view and how they wish to position the responder in relation to the cause. Students should also include a justification that accounts for how their choices address the context (words, layout, colour, size); whether they have observed much change regarding the social issues; and whether (and why) they have chosen to use inclusive OR polarising language.
The changing role of women
The characterisation of adults in Jasper Jones is a key area for exploration. In this activity, students will explore the changing role of women in 1960s Australia in preparation for reflecting on the character of Ruth Bucktin.
Start by discussing how advertising operates as a mirror to our lives. Then show students this 1970 Victoria Bitter advertisement, followed by the 1965 photograph of activists Merle Thornton and Rosalie Bogner. These women chained themselves to the bar at the Regatta Hotel in Brisbane to protest their right to drink alongside men. This moment is also depicted in the first minute of this ABC iview video.
Discuss with the class:
- What do you notice about the representations of men and women in the advertisement and the photograph?
- If we assume that the advertisement is a mirror to Australian domestic life in the late 1960s, what was society like?
- How do you think people felt? What values are suggested?
- What patterns of representation do you see?
- What might happen when you reverse these patterns?
Have students work in small groups to create a script, advertisement, OR roleplay that interrogates the assumptions in these texts. For example, what if men were being excluded from the sale of some item?
Context, character, and point of view
NOTE: All page references are drawn from Allen & Unwin’s 2010 edition of Jasper Jones.
This sequence introduces students to Charlie Bucktin and Jasper Jones using an extract from the novel; a poem by American writer Stephen Crane; and an artwork by Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidinji, and Gugu Yimithirr artist Vernon Ah Kee. This last piece is an intertextual artwork that uses text, specifically in the language of the coloniser, to reveal the underlying racism in Australian society.
Display Stephen Crane’s poem ‘In the Desert’ and have students write down the specific pictures the poem brought to their mind on their first reading. By actively applying their imagination, they will see that engaging with a poem involves making representations of the text based on their own disposition and experience.
Have students describe what they imagined in a class discussion. They could mention the place, the time of day, or who/what they thought the creature was. Have them describe how the creature appeared and behaved.
Ask students what they felt when they imagined the poem. They might comment on the emotions of the creature. They will also likely comment on how they responded to the poem and what they imagined when they read it. These discussions will draw out interpretations of the poet’s tone and attitude, and commentary on the symbolism of the heart.
Next, display Vernon Ah Kee’s artwork ‘becauseitisbitter’ and discuss how the artist has chosen to represent the poem. Discussion points may include:
- the bold font and black and white colour scheme
- the change in the title (do students think this shifts the meaning of the poem?)
- the effect of compressing the words, with no spaces, and how this influences the act of reading
Now turn to p. 51 of Jasper Jones and read the following extract:
I turn to Jasper. He looks exhausted. And it occurs to me that there is no break in this for him, there’s no comfort, nowhere he can go and lie down and be looked after. Not anymore. If he had anywhere in this world, it’s the place we’ve just come from; the place that has just broken his heart and put him at risk. He’s right: shit has been taken from him his whole life.
He looks done in and drunk, but he arches his back with a jolt, projecting that toughness again.
Consider this alongside Ah Kee’s artwork and have students identify the resonances between the two texts.
Provide students with a definition of point of view (see p. 26 of the English Textual Concepts and Processes booklet, which is p. 14 in the overall document) and how it operates in narrative. Mention that point of view involves understanding that the author engineers what we see and how we relate to a situation, to characters, or to ideas in the text. In Jasper Jones, point of view is expressed through the narrator, Charlie; because we are invited to adopt his point of view, readers might align themselves with his character. It is important that students understand that Charlie is the narrator but NOT the author of the text.
Ask students to explain Charlie’s view of Jasper on p. 51. Have them identify and discuss how language is used to present Charlie’s perspective. Consider the emphatic use of ‘no’; the emotional rhythm of the syntax; the absence of ‘place’ for Jasper; and how, together, these are means by which Silvey positions the responder to have empathy for Jasper.
Southern Gothic tradition
Silvey has stated that his interest in the Southern Gothic was one of the influences on Jasper Jones. Have students research elements of this genre (Melbourne Theatre Company has a useful explainer) and note how the texts often portray rural settings that may seem idyllic, but are actually built on social and historical repressions that create a sense of alienation for particular groups (i.e. places where injustice is often institutionalised). These repressions often include racism, slavery, and the patriarchy. Southern Gothic texts aim to tell the ‘whole story’ rather than just the story of the dominant social and cultural groups. They often substitute the supernatural with real people living in a realistic gothic horror situation, exploring the tropes of corrupt authorities, death, and destruction. The Southern Gothic also explores ‘the other’ – those existing on the borders of society.
Binary oppositions
Explain the concept of a binary opposition (related terms that are opposite in meaning). Have students complete the following table to identify the binary opposites and make some notes based on their initial response to Jasper Jones and any cultural expectations evident in the text.
| Binary opposite 1 | Binary opposite 2 | Cultural expectations in the text |
| white | black | |
| included | ||
| female | ||
| rich | ||
| mind | ||
| insider |
Personal response on reading the text
Questions and comments while reading the text
As students read Jasper Jones, have them record their questions, comments, and reflections using a collaborative tool like Google Docs, Padlet, or similar. Having a shared record of thoughts expressed is particularly helpful when encountering new ideas. The intention is for students to feel challenged by what they read, and to want to question aspects of the text and reflect more broadly. This record can be revisited at any point in the unit.
Students can also undertake a reading log as they progress through Jasper Jones and track their response to Charlie’s point of view in the text. This will serve as a particularly rich resource for later reflection in the Close Study section.
Personal connections with own experience
Students should review the Racism. No Way! timeline with a particular focus on the 1960s. Reinforce the harmful impacts of discrimination and racism, both in Jasper Jones and in our own society. If appropriate, students could write in their journals about a time when they felt they had to be courageous in the face of opposition. What did this look and feel like? Some students may be willing to share their ideas, but do not insist on this. Be mindful of your class context and modify or omit this activity according to your students’ needs.
Black Inc. has been publishing its Growing Up series since 2008 (Reading Australia resources are available for Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, Growing Up Disabled in Australia, and Growing Up in Country Australia). Introduce some of these books and read some extracts to the class. Discuss the point of view being presented and analyse the writer’s language. Then have students compose a personal reflection based on their own experiences as a young person growing up in Australia.
Identification with characters and situations
Ask students to reflect on which Jasper Jones character they most identify with and why. Give them 10 minutes to prepare a one-minute speech in which they name the character and explain their reasoning. They must use ONE quote or example from the novel to support their thinking. The speech should be informal, and the prescribed time limit will allow all students to share their ideas in a single lesson.
Later, set up four stations around the classroom. These will contain specific prompts and questions based on Jasper Jones (see below). They are designed to aid reflection and identification with the characters and their circumstances. Students will move between the stations in small groups, making notes based on their discussions.
- What was the most surprising thing about Jasper Jones?
- What moment in the novel made you most uncomfortable?
- Choose ONE character and share the time(s) when you were most proud of them for something they did or said.
- Identify ONE moment in the novel where you laughed/smiled/felt a warm ‘glow’.
Reflection on completion of the text
Have students complete a written reflection on how they felt upon finishing the novel. They might also include their thoughts on its significance and ongoing success, considering its adaptations (film and play) and many translations. Do students recognise and appreciate this ongoing celebration of Jasper Jones based on their reading? Silvey’s website has some excellent content in relation to this.
As a class, discuss the feelings readers can experience when they finish a text. Debrief about some of these and identify the mood that comes from completing a text. Students could journal about their own feelings and mood now that they have finished reading Jasper Jones.
Outline of key elements of the text
Plot
Zoom out and in
Zoom out to explore ‘big picture’ thinking by dividing the class in half. Have each group decide on the top 10 plot elements in Jasper Jones. Invite the two groups to share their lists. What is similar? What is different?
Now divide the class into quarters. Each group must compose a five-sentence plot overview of Jasper Jones. After sharing with the class, discuss what each group included and excluded from their overview.
Finally, have each student write their own six-word summary of Jasper Jones. Six-word stories are a well-known synthesis and summary tool. Zoom in on the detail by sharing the summaries, then creating posters to reflect the key ideas that students identified.
Character
The main characters in Jasper Jones are Jasper Jones, Charlie Bucktin, Jeffrey Lu, Eliza Wishart, and Mad Jack Lionel. Consider how these and other characters in the novel speak to different elements of small-town Corrigan. Also consider the nature of point of view: the characters are seen through Charlie’s eyes and portrayed via his first-person narrative voice.
You could assist students’ understanding by writing the main characters’ names on separate sheets of paper and displaying them around the classroom. As new information is revealed in the text, they could add it (along with important quotes) to the relevant character’s page. Students could also create posters to represent the characters, incorporating descriptions and key ideas/quotes from the novel.
Themes
There are various themes (big ideas) in Jasper Jones that are relevant to the Australian Gothic and bildungsroman genres. Students could select a few from the list below and map them according to the novel’s plot, character, and context. In their discussion and consideration of these, students should seek to identify relevant examples and explain their significance.
Themes for exploration include:
- appearances and perceptions
- innocence and guilt
- coming of age (bildungsroman)
- identity and personal voice
- courage and fear
- strength of character and personal growth
- racism, stereotyping, and prejudice
- deception and honesty
- escapism
Synthesising activity
Conversations that curate context
Revise with students the conventions of dialogue and conversation, including how these are structured and presented.
Students are to compose a dialogue between Charlie and a character of their own creation who lives in Perth, Western Australia in the 1960s. This character should have a similar age and background to Charlie. The conversation should focus on life and society in Corrigan, and the similarities or differences to life and society in the capital city in the same era. To prepare for this task, show students the short film ‘Life In Australia: Perth’. This is part of a series produced by the Australian government during the 1960s; more films from around the country are available from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
With this film as a stimulus, the dialogue should draw out other aspects of the context that shaped Jasper Jones, including the White Australia policy, fears of communism, gender roles, the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the Vietnam War.
Students should plan their responses prior to writing. Once their dialogues have been written and edited, they could recite them with help from a peer (incorporating optional props, costumes, and set). Alternatively, students could record their conversations (video or audio) and present them to the class.
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The writer’s craft
Character and characterisation
Revise the concept of character (see p. 8 of the English Textual Concepts and Processes booklet, which is p. 5 in the overall document). Come back to the point that textual representations of character are fictional constructs.
Discuss the concept of stereotypes. What are they and how have they been used in literature and in life? Depending on their maturity, you may be able to explore a few examples of stereotypes that students might be aware of. This should only be done in a whole class context so that you can supervise the conversation and ensure no harmful comments are made. Modify or omit this discussion as needed.
Guide the conversation to the nature of stereotypes in Jasper Jones. How do we see Silvey use stereotypes as part of his approach to characterisation, and what purpose does this approach serve?
Students could read the first few pages of the novel (pp. 1–9) and answer the following questions:
- What aspects of stereotyping do we see early in the novel?
- Take note of Charlie’s shoes and his attempts to appear masculine; Jasper’s reputation; the portrait of Corrigan as a sporting town; and so on.
- How does this help Silvey achieve his purpose?
They can then complete a values sort activity:
- Select TWO characters from the novel: one that you consider the most admirable, and one that you consider the least admirable.
- List THREE virtues and THREE vices for each character.
- Discuss your lists with a partner.
- Pick ONE vice for each character. Can you invert the vice to make it a virtue? How closely does the new virtue align with your own, and Charlie’s, values?
- How does context influence our responses?
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Charlie
Discuss Charlie’s importance to the bildungsroman (coming-of-age) elements of the novel. Students could consider the way language is used to position Charlie as being in awe of Jasper (e.g. on p. 10: ‘I stick close behind, like a loyal and leashless dog’). Once his innocence is established, his first moment of realisation soon follows (p. 18):
And it happens like that. Like when you first realise there is no such thing as magic. Or that nothing actually answers your prayers, or really even listens … when you’re disarmed by a shard of knowing.
As per the previous discussion, Charlie exhibits some stereotypical traits. There are references to him being weedy, bookish, bespectacled, bad at sport, and pubescent. His excursion with Jasper is his first ever transgression and he regrets it intensely (on p. 13: ‘Why would you bring me here? I shouldn’t be here. I have to go back home’). Students could complete a timed writing task that explores how Charlie initially presents as a stereotype, drawing on evidence from the text.
Also investigate the following passages:
- Read Charlie’s interior monologue on p. 23. Undertake close analysis of this passage, including the speech rhythms that reflect the pace and upheaval of the situation. Have students reflect on the use of italics for emphasis, and the anaphora at the beginning of successive sentences.
- Consider the rhythm of the paragraph that runs over pp. 11–12. Trace the use of anaphora and reflect on the relationship between diction and Charlie’s voice in this passage. Have students copy the paragraph into their workbooks and white out the words after the sentence stems ‘I would’ and ‘I would never’. Discuss how this phrasing conveys Charlie’s decision to follow Jasper, both literally and symbolically, and illustrates his transition from innocence to knowledge.
- Read and examine the language on p. 32. Consider the ways in which language is used to represent Charlie’s detachment and heightened anxiety in a moral crisis.
- Read the last few paragraphs on p. 54 as Charlie sits in the bath. How does this self-description and self-reflection contribute to the bildungsroman aspects of the text?
As a class, consider how Silvey characterises Charlie so that he, as the narrator, establishes contact with the audience. Then ask students to use sticky notes to record their responses to the following question:
Do you, as a reader, have respect for Charlie?
Invite students to attach the sticky notes to the board or another class display. They can read each other’s responses and discuss dominant trends and views as a class.
Finally, assist students to analyse Charlie’s stance on the action of the story, the behaviour of different characters, and the influence of place. Are Charlie’s attitudes clear or hidden? Of what does he approve and disapprove? Students should refer to evidence in the text to support their thinking.
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Jasper
Have students analyse the characterisation of Jasper as the ‘other’. Note how he is marginalised and used as a scapegoat by others in Corrigan. Jasper knows this; he is more knowing than Charlie. Discuss Jasper’s awareness using p. 18 as a point of reference:
[The police are] gonna come here, see that it’s my place, they’ll see her face, they’ll see she’s bin knocked around, they’ll see that it’s my rope. … They’ll charge me and put me away, mate. No questions.
Jasper’s dialogue is full of active verbs, slang, and colloquialisms. He also proves to be stoic, strategic, and careful: the complete opposite of how Corrigan perceives him. This is not a tearaway individual! What is Silvey communicating about this important character?
Spend time reflecting on the role of place in the novel, and how this connects to characterisation. The clearing is Jasper’s own place; it has a special significance for him (p. 15). How does this juxtapose with the first sentence on p. 17? What does the transformation of this space mean for Jasper?
Jasper may be an ‘outsider’ in Corrigan, but he is extremely insightful. Review his comments about the townspeople on p. 30 (below) and consider how they relate to the concept of context (see p. 14 of the English Textual Concepts and Processes booklet, which is p. 8 in the overall document):
‘See, everyone here’s afraid of something and nuthin. This town, that’s how they live, and they don’t even know it. They stick to what they know, what they bin told. They don’t unnerstand that it’s just a choice you make. … I mean, I know people have always bin afraid of me. Kids specially, but old people too. Wary. They reckon I’m just half an animal with half a vote. That I’m no good. And I always used to think, why? They don’t even know me. Nobody does. It never made sense. But then I realised, that’s exactly why. That’s all it is. It’s so stupid, Charlie. But it means I don’t hate them anymore.’
Then ask students to contrast this passage with Charlie’s reflection on p. 55:
But aside from that, I trust him. I really do. And not because I have to. I think he’s probably the most honest person in this town. He has no reason to lie. He has no reputation to protect. Last night I never suspected him of pulling the wool. Not once. The way he talks to you, it’s like he’s incapable of being deceitful. He says things with such conviction that you’re sure he believes them to be true. It’s just a feeling you get.
Explore how this example demonstrates Charlie’s intuition, and how this differs from the behaviours and preconceptions of the adults in his life. You can also discuss how this connects to the conventions of bildungsroman novels.
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Laura Wishart
Analyse Charlie’s description of Laura upon seeing her in the clearing for the first time (p. 12). The diction of ‘surrendered’ foreshadows the resolution surrounding Laura’s death. Key details that paint a backstory can be found at the bottom of p. 27, when Jasper talks about Laura’s father. This personal perspective of a violent tyrant at home serves as a juxtaposition to Pete Wishart’s public profile, which is one of authority and respectability.
Discuss how Silvey has used characterisation to position a key character who is already deceased.
Read and reflect on the ways that Jasper recalls his time with Laura (p. 43). What does this reveal about Laura’s character?
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Wesley Bucktin
Charlie’s father, Wesley Bucktin, is a teacher of literature. This ideological approach causes him to be less grounded in the real world, and more likely to escape to story worlds when his real world is imploding.
Have students consider why Silvey depicts Wesley’s stories as self-affirming when there is a need for instruction/philosophy/guidance from him as Charlie’s father. This influences and directs his relationship with his son, particularly Charlie’s ability to process what he is going through.
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Point of view
Revisit the concept of point of view (see p. 26 of the English Textual Concepts and Processes booklet, which is p. 14 in the overall document).
Undertake a close study of point of view by considering the ‘angle of vision’, a concept by Susan Sniader Lanser (1981) that relates to the speaker’s relationship to the message being sent. In Jasper Jones, this can apply to adult hypocrisy. Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm (Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements) suggest considering the concept of authority (i.e. Charlie’s authority on the topic of adult hypocrisy) on the following continuums:
| < | fully involved | to | uninvolved | > |
| < | omniscient | to | humanly limited | > |
| < | completely reliable | to | unreliable | > |
Give students whiteboard markers and ask them to indicate where they think Charlie would be on each of these three scales. Alternatively, students can vote with their feet by standing up and moving along the continuum. They need to be able to justify their choices; in doing so, they may persuade others to change their positions and thinking.
Discuss the fact that the fictional worldview of a narrator determines the boundaries of the fictional world. As Jasper Jones is told from Charlie’s point of view, this affects the distance and pace at which the text moves. This is known as focalisation: the way a narrator positions a character in relation to the action. Encourage students to consider narrative intention when analysing Jasper Jones, noting Silvey’s lyricism of mind through Charlie (as he relates purely to himself). This is recognisable for adolescents in their own thinking, and reflects bildungsroman conventions.
The reader sees/hears multiple points of view through Charlie’s window, both figuratively and literally. Have students identify and analyse how the window acts as a motif in the novel, in conjunction with point of view (the world coming to a formational narrator). Note that Jasper, Jeffrey, and Eliza all come to Charlie’s window. This brings a point of view internal to each frame, with the frames working together to develop the story and Charlie’s characterisation.
Have students identify moments in the novel when one character’s will contends with that of others. How does point of view colour these situations? It might be a situation where a character relates what’s happening to them in a summarised way, and Charlie (as narrator) evaluates them against a more global context. Wesley’s role in the novel is an example of this.
Students should also critique Charlie as their narrator. They can do this via a ‘silent conversation’. Write a series of statements on separate pieces of A3 paper, and pass them silently around the room so that students can respond to them in writing. They should be able to justify their positions and give evidence from the text to support their thinking. Possible statements include:
- As a narrator, Charlie is limited and deceptive.
- Charlie’s point of view is engaging for readers.
- Charlie effectively positions the reader to align with the ‘hero’ (Jasper).
- Charlie’s point of view seeks to mask the ideology of the text.
- Charlie’s narration is satirical in tone.
- Charlie’s point of view positions us to have an emotional response.
- Charlie’s point of view controls the meaning of the text, and may be resisted.
- Charlie establishes a relationship with the audience and offers us a sense of authority.
- Craig Silvey is not too distant from Charlie as the narrator.
- Is Charlie too self-interested? Sufficiently experienced? Sufficiently moral? Emotionally balanced? Sufficiently knowledgeable?
- Charlie relates to the audience as a reliable narrator.
Allow students to reflect on how Charlie’s point of view shapes the reader’s perception of Corrigan. In gaining awareness of the significance of his decision to team up with Jasper, Charlie uses the simile of a snow globe (p. 30), reflecting the disturbance within the safe and known boundaries of his life in a small mining town.
As a class, consider Charlie’s introspection and point of view by reading p. 51 closely. Discuss the fact that his perspective is not necessarily the same as the reader’s. For example, does the reader really believe that Jasper looks tough in this moment?
Finally, have students read the second and third paragraphs on p. 50. They should examine Charlie’s personal evaluations and analyse the language used to show his perspective. They can do this independently before regrouping to discuss their findings as a class. Contrast this excerpt with Charlie’s feelings at the end of the chapter, in the final paragraph on p. 52.
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Text and meaning
Exploration of themes and ideas
The exploration and representation of both overt and implicit racism in Australia is peppered throughout the novel. This partly serves as a backdrop to the historical and social context (Vietnam War, White Australia policy, Aboriginal rights), but also serves as a cultural symbol in the text. Using the attack on An Lu as an example (pp. 265–272), discuss the role of bystanders and ‘upstanders’ in racist incidents, and the ways in which a difference can be made between them. Students should undertake some analytical writing in which they seek to answer the following question in an extended response:
How does understanding the novel’s social and cultural context help frame the way that racism is presented?
Charlie’s representation of ‘the adult world’ highlights hypocrisy and deception. This is best explored in relation to point of view and coming of age (bildungsroman). An extended response question to encourage further exploration would be:
How does Craig Silvey’s Jasper Jones explore the importance of truth?
Such a question invites deep discussion and reflection on the many different layers in the novel. Students will also be able to develop their skills in empathetic understanding and thinking, particularly when faced with the initial dilemma of Jasper coming to the window, and Charlie choosing to first follow and then help him (an important step in moving from innocence to knowing).
As a class, discuss what aspects of language (especially tone and point of view) Silvey employs early in the novel to evoke empathy and to show that Charlie does want to follow and assist Jasper.
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Narrative meaning in context
Students should reflect on the narrative structure of Jasper Jones: its chapters, the commencement in action, and the way the story unfolds. In doing so, they can evaluate how successfully the reader is compelled and engaged. Students could also critique the narrative’s meaning in context, asking if there was anything that could have been improved or done differently.
Allow students to choose ONE activity from the list below, OR distribute the activities across the class.
- Have students consider how Silvey uses elements of style and characterisation to create social commentary. How effectively is this done? How does the narrative communicate a central message (or messages)? How has Silvey used textual features such as structure, setting, parallels and contrasts, point of view, voice, language, and style in the novel? Students can work in pairs to find textual evidence to support their investigation.
- Students can draw on their dramatic and photographic/videographic skills to dramatise the narrator’s point of view at key points in the novel. This can be done simply, using a montage of freeze frames from each chapter to recap the main ideas, OR by roleplaying short dramatic re-enactments to highlight key moments of narrative tension. In doing so, students can reflect on how the narrative is directed in a different form. Does the main message stay the same? How does the medium change and/or impact the narrative? Following this, have students reflect on the nature of dramatising a written text. Foreshadow the successful adaptations of Jasper Jones, including the film and play (these are detailed in the Significance section of this resource).
- Students can practise their imaginative writing by re-telling part of the story from Eliza’s point of view, following detailed language analysis of her voice. They can then re-tell the incident in An Lu’s garden from a helper’s perspective (e.g. Wesley Bucktin). Have them finish by completing written reflections for these writing exercises, considering how shifts in narrative voice affect a text’s meaning.
- Students can work in small groups to analyse and dissect the ending of the novel. Was it credible? What story might be told in a sequel to Jasper Jones?
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Synthesising task
Students are to prepare and deliver a multimodal presentation on the importance of Jeffrey Lu’s character in Jasper Jones. They may choose any multimodal format that seeks to engage an audience (e.g. PowerPoint presentation, drama, short film, podcast, vlog, conversation/interview, newspaper article, visual representation).
The presentation must include textual evidence of Jeffrey’s importance to the novel.
Students should focus on how Jeffrey’s character enhances the narrative, including his role in providing comic relief; the resilience he demonstrates; and the cultural diversity, grounded in the historical backdrop of the Vietnam War, that he and his family bring to Corrigan, all of which makes him a symbol of unity and power.
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Ways of reading the text
Different perspectives, different responses
Explain that texts can be ‘read’ and interpreted in different ways according to the reader’s actual or adopted context. In developing a strong personal engagement with the text, students can enhance their response by testing their own reading against that of others. Some ideas and activities for drawing this out are provided below.
Students could discuss the different aspects of these readings and reflect on whether they identify with any of them in their own response. They could compose some written reflections in response to these readings and seek to identify textual evidence to support their thinking.
Race
Draw on historical context to frame race relations in the novel. How are people of different races depicted in Jasper Jones? Focus on Jasper and consider the representations of him as a young Aboriginal man. What aspects of a postcolonial legacy do we see in the way he is treated? Is his collective treatment by the town similar or different to his treatment by other individuals? How does Corrigan respond to people of different races? Also consider the Lu family. How would their treatment and experience be reflective of wider scenes across Australia in the 1960s? Is Corrigan only reflective of a small rural mining town, or does it have resemblances to other smaller or larger communities? Is Corrigan unique in its treatment of those it perceives as ‘others’?
NOTE: Keep in mind that many First Nations people do not consider Australia a postcolonial country. See the chapter ‘Post-Colonial – NOT!’ from Anita Heiss’ Dhuuluu Yala, reproduced as part of the online teaching guide for the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature.
Gender
Have students identify and critique gender roles and expectations in the novel. Review the Introductory Activities from the Initial Response section that relate to gender roles. How has gender been framed in the novel? Does masculinity and femininity look different for different age groups? How are they reflective of the novel’s historical, social, and cultural context? What do students make of this today? Have them consider how important gender and gendered roles are in the novel.
Dominant reading
This is a traditional reading in which the coming-of-age or bildungsroman aspects of the text would be emphasised for meaning and purpose. What do students make of this approach to the text? Is it as significant an element as it seems?
Resistant reading
This is a reading in which students analyse the dominant (traditional/conventional) reading of the text, then seek to challenge it by posing arguments against its purported themes, issues, and implications for the characters and their actions. For example, students might explore a reading that sympathises with the situation of Ruth Bucktin.
Literary connections
Consider the rich use of allusions, intertextuality, and influences from other literary sources that have been portrayed in the text. Students can discuss what these additional references do to enhance one’s reading of the text.
Ethics and morality
The dominant reading of this novel is that of a coming-of-age text, which conventionally involves several moral dilemmas and ethical challenges. The characters’ responses to these situations reveal a snapshot of how they think and feel. Charlie, as narrator, is placed in a situation where he must question and challenge his conventional understanding of what is right and wrong. This aspect of the text is layered with meaning as Charlie wrestles with adult hypocrisy, as well as moving from innocence to knowledge regarding racism, romance, and the implications of small-town life.
The way in which Charlie wrestles with empathy, and not being able to understand and ‘walk in the shoes’ of others, is another example of this challenge. Review Chapter 3, which deals with Charlie’s research into Eric Edgar Cooke and his self-imposed barriers to empathy and understanding.
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Comparison with other texts
Versions of the text in other modes, media, and contexts
The play
The play (script) version of Jasper Jones has been adapted from the novel by playwright, screenwriter, and actor Kate Mulvany. Like the novel, the play is communicated from Charlie’s perspective (soliloquies and inner monologues abound). The script is available for purchase from Currency Press. Students can discuss how the narrative and characters have been adapted for a different medium.
Have students listen to the Books and Arts segment in which Silvey, Mulvany, and two actors from the play discuss the novel as an adaptation. Discuss the choices and decisions Mulvany needed to make for her adaptation, and the impact she wanted to have on a theatre audience (collective) as opposed to a reader audience (individual). Students can also consider the effect of shifting the form from novel to stage, and who the intended audience might be.
Students can then research different posters and photos from productions of Jasper Jones, sharing their findings using a collaborative platform like Google Slides. There are some excellent staging and set designs available online, and students should seek to identify the use of symbols and props in bringing the story to life. They could also draw on textual evidence to share when and where they think the captured moment takes place in the novel.
Discuss the implications for staging the text, and what ideas, scenes, and local contexts they would consider and seek to replicate from the novel. Students could also undertake a script writing activity in which they choose a moment or action sequence from the novel and rewrite it as a scene from a play, complete with dialogue and stage directions.
Show students some trailers for past productions of Jasper Jones (e.g. State Theatre Company South Australia, QPAC, Belvoir St Theatre). Working in small groups, students can choose ONE trailer and present a critique of it to the class, discussing elements of style and analysing the nature of representation that is captured in the trailer.
Finish by showing students this news clip of rural school students traveling 300km to view a performance of Jasper Jones in Adelaide. What emerges from the clip as points of connection and identification for the students? Reflect on the quote from the State Theatre Company South Australia’s Education Manager, Fiona Lukac: ‘You don’t always find your own stories. To be able to see something on stage … [and say] that’s me, I know this, it’s a wonderful feeling of connection.’ Ask students:
How might the stage adaptation of Jasper Jones seek to connect with audiences in a different way from the novel?
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The film
Silvey co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Jasper Jones (accessible with a ClickView subscription). Read his comment about taking the narrative from book to screen; have students reflect on what Silvey is saying about the writing process. Students could undertake an activity in which they write about a situation in one form (e.g. a short story), then again in another form (e.g. haiku), and reflect on their experiences as writers for both formats.
Share this 2017 Kill Your Darlings essay with students. The idea underpinning this piece is that it can be a challenge for an author to adapt their own work for a new medium. In this instance, Silvey as co-writer for the screenplay discovered an opportunity to improve the story of Jasper Jones. Discuss this concept as a class.
Together, watch the trailer for Jasper Jones. Discuss any differences in representation between the novel and cinematic forms. How does the film trailer influence and inform a reading of the novel?
Watch the short video ‘Finding Corrigan’, in which the film’s director (Arrente and Kalkadoon woman Rachel Perkins) discusses the importance of setting and location for an authentic representation of Corrigan. Have students discuss which aspects of the physical landscape and setting from the novel are most important, and re-watch the trailer to see how this has been included.
Students can research different versions of the Jasper Jones film poster. They should use their visual literacy skills to analyse these posters as representations according to audience and purpose. For extension, they can access the professional photo gallery available on Instagram and recaption these images with quotes from the novel.
Finish by watching the promotional extract shared by NITV. Have students reflect on why this excerpt was chosen, and what the desired effect may have been.
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Other texts using similar approaches or dealing with similar ideas
Silvey makes reference to Southern Gothic writers when reflecting on the composition of Jasper Jones. Students could research some of these writers (i.e. Twain, Capote, Lee) and access some of their work.
- What influences and effects are evident in Jasper Jones that could be connected to this style of writing?
- In small groups, read extracts from Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory (a preview is available on the publisher’s website). As a key influence for Silvey, students can identify elements of the Southern Gothic genre that is synonymous with this text.
There is an extensive range of quality Australian writers and texts that deal with coming-of-age issues, which would serve as excellent related material. Use the Reading Australia website to filter results according to age and theme. The Australian Literary Studies Journal and Australian book review website, Whispering Gums, also have an excellent list of coming-of-age fiction. Students could identify a title that sounds interesting to them and undertake some further wide reading, OR complete a literature circle/book box mini unit inside this one, where they do more reading and thinking on this topic.
Furthermore, a consideration of the Australian literary landscape can be approached through specific cultural lenses. Useful titles include Black Inc.’s Growing Up series (including Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia*, Growing Up Disabled in Australia*, and Growing Up in Country Australia*); Unpolished Gem* by Alice Pung; The Boat* by Nam Le; The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling* by Wai Chim; Looking for Alibrandi* by Melina Marchetta; The Coconut Children* by Vivian Pham; and The Hate Race* by Maxine Beneba Clarke.
First Nations perspectives on coming of age could be explored through texts such as The Boy from the Mish* by Gary Lonesborough; Becoming Kirrali Lewis* by Jane Harrison; Bran Nue Dae* by Jimmy Chi; Grace Beside Me* by Sue McPherson; and Songs that Sound Like Blood* by Jared Thomas.
Texts across diverse time periods might include plays Away* by Michael Gow and Hotel Sorrento* by Hannie Rayson. Texts with evocative settings that pertain to coming-of-age texts include Zac and Mia* by A. J. Betts; Breath by Tim Winton (winner of the 2009 Miles Franklin Award); The Divine Wind* by Garry Disher; By the River* by Steven Herrick; The White Earth* by Andrew McGahan; and Boy on a Wire by Jon Doust. Non-fiction texts also contribute much on coming-of-age stories, including the memoirs Romulus, My Father* by Raimond Gaita; and A Mother’s Disgrace* by Robert Dessaix.
* Reading Australia resource available
Internationally, The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (novel 1999, film 2012) is often cited as one of the most recognised coming-of-age texts, enjoying great popularity. Less cited but just as relevant are The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1964) and The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (1967), which offer excellent opportunities for comparative studies and analysis of themes and content.
Evaluation of the text as representative of Australian culture
Have students reflect on and discuss what elements they would expect to find in a text described as ‘Australian literature’. Responses could range from:
- distinct setting and landscape representation (harsh, dry, barren)
- working characters
- use of language
- cultural representation
Discuss the responses and consider Jasper Jones in light of the suggestions. Together, examine the impact of the setting (place) of Corrigan: a small, fictional mining town in regional Western Australia. Other than the state, what aspects of this setting make it Australian in literary representation?
Consider the other aspect of setting (time), being 1965. How did the innocence and isolation of Western Australia – indeed, all of Australia – respond to the backdrop of the Vietnam War, with young men being required to service this need through conscription?
Have students evaluate Jasper Jones’ effectiveness as a text representative of Australian literature from:
- a migrant perspective
- an Indigenous perspective
- a metropolitan perspective
- a rural perspective
How authentic is the representation of Australian culture(s) according to these perspectives? How effective would this text be as a historical archive if it was promoted as reflective of the time? The messaging around the nature and extent of prejudice in Australian society is clear and extensive in Jasper Jones: racism has a deep and long history in Australia.
- What attitudes and values in respect to racism does a study of Jasper Jones exemplify for students?
- What might students choose to do differently as a result of this textual reading, in terms of their own actions and community involvement?
- What personal application and challenge does this have for citizens consuming and producing Australian culture?
- How might school communities and communities in general look different as a result of engaging with the issues highlighted in Jasper Jones?
Have students reflect and make journal entries on how they want to act and behave differently as a result of studying the novel.
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Identifying language and stylistic techniques
Motifs
Discuss with students Silvey’s use of the oppressive heat, and the effects of the recognisably Australian summer that reflects and adds to the often-suffocating moments in time Charlie experiences. How might this also be reflective of the Southern Gothic influence to which Silvey has alluded? How does this enhance the Australian Gothic genre of writing?
Note that the heat is combined with pathetic fallacy, with action often happening under the cover of night and reflecting that darkness. Re-read some of these moments in the novel as a class.
Representation of the nature of reality
Have students identify aspects of Silvey’s writing that reflect realism and authenticity with regards to voice and representation. Students can compare Jasper’s dialogue and language with that of Jeffrey and Eliza. Consider how Silvey has been able to make these voices so distinct and reflective of their unique personalities. Have students identify examples from the novel and analyse them for meaning.
Intertextuality
Identify the different allusions to other events/situations/literary works in Jasper Jones. These relate not only to literary intertextuality, but also to cultural allusions and symbols that assist in framing the narrative. When key individuals of influence are mentioned, they are often seen within the context of an internal monologue by Charlie. What impact does this positioning have on the responder?
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Rich assessment task (responding)
Part 1
A quote on the front cover of Jasper Jones describes the text as ‘an Australian To Kill A Mockingbird’. Explore the significance of this declaration with students. Should they not be familiar with this text, helpful sources might include ‘5 reasons why To Kill A Mockingbird is important’ and ‘How the moral lessons of To Kill A Mockingbird endure today’. Have students create a Venn diagram or table to compare and contrast the two novels.
Students could then compose an extended response in which they present a researched and referenced opinion regarding the claim that Jasper Jones is an Australian To Kill a Mockingbird, and how/why they have reached their conclusion.
As a follow-up task, students could respond to the questions:
- What does Jasper Jones do to an Australian reader, that To Kill A Mockingbird might not?
- What makes this text particularly special and significant?
Part 2
Together explore what a listicle is and how to write one. Discuss why they are useful and what purpose they serve. Read through the listicle ‘Awesome Australian books every YA fan should read’ and cross-reference some of these with the Australian coming-of-age titles referenced earlier.
Students will then create their own listicle, with the topic being: ‘The significance of Jasper Jones in the wider world’. This listicle should focus on the main enlightening issues and actions of the novel. It should consider what the reader learns, why the text is important, and what it contributes to the Australian literary landscape.
This task could be done simply in a Word or Google Doc, OR online via a free website such as Blogger, Weebly, or WordPress.
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Synthesising core ideas
Addressing and justifying any revisions to the initial response
Organise students to revisit their initial responses to Jasper Jones, and identify the reflections that resonate and are meaningful now that they have read and analysed the text. Would students change any of their initial ideas or approaches to the reading of the text? If so, what was the turning point for their thinking?
Set up different stations around the classroom. Each station should have an A3 sheet of paper with a question or discussion prompt. Students will rotate between the stations for a short time, writing down their thoughts before moving on. Prompts might include:
- Jasper Jones was nothing like I thought it would be …
- One moment that stands out when I think of the novel is …
- Just as Charlie grew in the novel, so did I …
- Charlie’s point of view was helpful and relatable …
- Knowing the context further shaped my understanding of the novel …
- The characters were real and authentic …
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Reflecting on awareness of the text’s wider cultural value
Have students reflect on the nature of being a writer and storyteller. Discuss whether their study of Jasper Jones has encouraged more reading, writing, and/or storytelling in their own lives. You might like to pair this discussion with a reading of p. 47:
‘No doubt. Reckon you’d be great. Move to some big city with a typewriter. Meetin people, tellin their stories. Maybe you could write my story one day. Then we’ll make a film out of it, for certains. Imagine that.’
And I do imagine it. Jasper makes it sound so possible and plausible, that I might leave Corrigan to be a writer. To tell tall stories for a living. Real, important literature. When the mood strikes me, I sometimes like to imagine myself as a famous author in an austere, candelabra-lit ballroom, where I am bantering with beat poets and novelists like Harper Lee and Truman Capote.
Encourage students to reflect on the text’s cultural value, and whether it should still be studied at school. What cultural value does it hold for Australian school students, and indeed other members of Australian society? Is Jasper Jones rightly considered young adult literature?
Jasper Jones has previously been described as a ‘modern classic’. Have students interrogate and explain the meaning of this oxymoron. What does this mean for the text? Do students think this claim justified?
Consider the representation of First Nations experiences in the novel. Compare this with a reflection from Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch writer Ellen van Neerven in an ABC Education article:
The books that touched me most from school were Holes by Louis Sachar, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I would call all three classics and I learnt a lot from each of them, but what is most interesting is how To Kill a Mockingbird has been used as an essential text about racial injustice for Australian schools. Perhaps we could find more relevance in stories by our Indigenous writers.
Silvey does not identify as a First Nations writer, but the film adaptation of Jasper Jones was directed by renowned Arrente and Kalkadoon filmmaker Rachel Perkins. Sensitively discuss what Jasper Jones might contribute to a conversation on reconciliation and important issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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Developing a coherent, conclusive statement of understanding regarding the text and its themes
Once students have had the opportunity to review the learning activities from this unit, they should write a one-paragraph reflection on what studying Jasper Jones has meant to them. This exercise could be turned into a timed writing activity, followed by peer feedback.
Additionally, using a free online tool like Kahoot, students can synthesise their understanding of the novel by creating an online quiz for the rest of the class. You could have different students focus on different textual concepts (e.g. theme, character, setting, point of view, genre) so as not to double up on content.
Now that the unit is drawing to a close, discuss the significance of the novel’s title, exploring the notion that Eliza and Charlie are just as important to the plot and messaging as Jasper. Have students develop a coherent, conclusive statement of understanding as to why the novel is titled Jasper Jones. They should compose their statements using high modality language and then share them with the class (or in small groups).
Finish by providing students with the following writing prompt:
‘Courageous Charlie’: Discuss how Charlie discovers the true meaning of courage in Jasper Jones.
Students are to compose a piece of writing that draws on their knowledge and understanding of the entirety of Jasper Jones to answer this question.
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Reflecting on one’s own processes of responding to and creating texts
If permitted to paint a world in which they believe, most students will take the opportunity to write.
Frame the following activities as opportunities for reflection and consolidation of the unit and the text.
As Jasper Jones tells a coming-of-age story, students can reflect on whether they feel that they too have come of age with this text. They can reflect on their own journey as readers, and how they have grown and moved from innocence to awareness as a result of reading and studying Jasper Jones. Like Charlie, what do they see differently as a result of engaging with this text? How has this further shaped their thinking? In their reflection, students can consider Charlie’s relationship with his parents and how these relationship dynamics contribute to the bildungsroman impact. They might like to consider their own parental/caregiver relationships in this way, too.
Finally, students should consider the impact of Jeffrey Lu as a character in Jasper Jones. Not only does he win the respect of Corrigan with his cricketing skills, but his light-hearted friendship with Charlie breaks up pockets of tension in the novel. Of all the sports Silvey could have chosen, why is cricket the one in which Jeffrey triumphs? Students could identify other moments from the text that made them smile or laugh in response to character behaviour. Have them reflect on and share these moments. As an optional task, students could compose short texts incorporating humour or comic relief. These should be character-based but can reflect any setting. Afterwards, have students reflect on how easy or challenging they found the task, and what the desired impact on the reader was. They might even like to share some of their writing, with the class undertaking a ‘try not to laugh’ challenge!
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Rich assessment task (responding and creating)
Discuss the way in which podcasts capture intimate and thoughtful conversations with a much wider audience in mind. Reflect on the growing popularity of podcasts on a variety of topics. The Garret Podcast, for which Reading Australia has multiple resources, is a good example.
Arrange for students to listen to some podcasts about Jasper Jones. They could do this individually or in small groups, noting the nature and style of the conversations, as well as the structure and content. Suggestions include:
- ABC Listen: Nightlife – At the movies: T2 Trainspotting and Jasper Jones
- ABC Listen: The Final Cut – Jasper Jones
- ABC Listen: Saturday Afternoon – Rachel Perkins and Craig Silvey on making Jasper Jones
- SBS What’s On: The Playlist – Rachel Perkins and Craig Silvey
- Australian Writers’ Centre – Craig Silvey: Award-winning novelist
- The Fremantle Press Podcast – In her introduction to a new podcast featuring Craig Silvey and Alan Carter, CEO Jane Fraser says connectivity is the greatest strength we have
Students should seek to record their own podcast exploring the central concepts in Jasper Jones. The style and format can be decided by the student. Some suggested contexts include:
- Silvey talking at a writers’ festival
- The publisher, Allen & Unwin, discussing coming-of-age features in the text
- Silvey on adapting the novel for the film
- characters discussing their personal journeys in the novel
- teachers discussing key textual moments in the novel with students
- a student discussing with another student the impact the text has had on them
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(9 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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