Craig Silvey's Message on Homelife and Its Effect on Identity

Dysfunctional families to this day have a vast impact on shaping individuals’ identities. Family issues had a high impact on suicide rates in 2019. With attempts being significantly higher as the years go on. Things such as abuse, family breakdown, and domestic violence made up around 19% of suicides last year. Craig Silvey uses characters, Jasper Jones and Charlie, to portray the impacts home life has on adolescents. Not only does he do this he also reflects the importance of this topic to his readers through the negative impacts.

Family dynamics will ultimately influence the way young people view others and their surroundings. It will also impact their relationships, behaviors, and their future. The novel is full of examples of dysfunctional families. In Jasper's case, the absent alcoholic father intertwined with the fact he is half aboriginal caused him to be the outcast of the town. Due to the absence of Jasper's father, he was forced to mature whilst other kids were still being kids. This happens to this day with around 21% of children living or being involved with alcohol or substance-abusing parents. Charlie's mother was clearly unhappy, and she definitely tended to take this out on Charlie. This emotional abuse as well as the stress of Laura’s death constantly left Charlie walking on thin ice. Charlie's mother being unfaithful to his father had a direct impact on him and would’ve most certainly had some sort of effect on his mental health. Statistics shows emotionally abusive parents are not uncommon with emotional abuse being the most common type of substantiated child maltreatment in Australia during 2015-16 with 45% of children either living or being involved with this type of treatment.

The novel Jasper Jones is written through the perspective of 13-year-old Charlie. Charlie is an introvert and has very low self-esteem. His mother has an extreme impact on his personality. This was at no fault of Charlies. His mother Ruth Bucktin carried an extreme resentment for her life in Corrigan. This showed in her interactions with young Charlie and her husband Wesley. Throughout the novel it is apparent Ruth becomes a blunt and impatient woman snapping and criticizing her son and husband for no apparent reasons. Another crucial character Craig Silvey uses was Jasper Jones. The fact that he is “half-caste,” and is raised by a neglectful father causes Jasper to be a scapegoat for every crime and wrongdoing in the town of Corrigan. This was shown when Jasper took Charlie to Laura’s discovered body “Bloody hell. Listen, Charlie, we can’t tell anyone. No way. Especially the police. Because they are going to say it was me. Straight up. Understand?”. Jasper knows how he’s treated differently, and this ultimately influences his social life. Not only did Jasper's homelife affect him the racism throughout his town and the discriminatory acts of others had a huge impact on his views, morals, and personality. Throughout the novel parenting or lack of in Jaspers, case was the main cause for acting out. ' I have been lookin' after myself since I can remember.' This shows Jasper's failed relationship with his father and exemplifies the fact that he never had an established family.

Throughout the novel, Charlie and Jasper grow and mature a great deal. The trauma of losing someone close to them prompted a change in both characters. Charlie's eyes are opened after becoming close friends with Jasper. In the beginning, Charlie wasn’t aware of how wrongdoings and injustices can occur. This soon changed. He was enlightened with a different appreciation and view not just of his friend jasper but the town and the people in it too. He learns more about himself and had a newfound confidence. Towards the end of the book, he starts to learn more about Jasper and why he is the way he is. Learning more about himself and has a newfound confidence. He also learns that his fears will never disappear, yet he figures out ways to not overcome but control them. Jasper's character changes noticeably throughout the novel also. Jasper was labeled by the town as 'a thief, a liar, a thug, a truant... a Ferrel and an orphan... an example of poor aptitude.' Craig Silvey uses this to influence the audience to view jasper in a corrupt way. After losing Laura and involving Charlie to move the body Jasper's personality changed. Craig used Charlie to make this clear in the quote “It occurs to me that maybe Jasper Jones is afraid… Jasper is normally so reliably forthright, it’s unnerving to see him wavering.” This is a clear contrast in Jasper’s individual character change. Craig uses similes and assonance in the sentence “Tall… wiry body but it’s defined… his hair is a scruff of rough tuft’s… he looks like an island castaway.” this left readers to wonder what caused his to be like this and clearly contrasts his change throughout the novel.

Craig Silvey's interpretation on home life and its effect on identity allow the reader to reflect. With the examples of Jasper Jones and Charlie the author effectively portrays the effects family had on an individual in the present time but also the longer-lasting effects these actions cause. This specific issue is a major cause of suicides and attempts in adolescents to this day with emotional abuse being one of the leading factors. By portraying these problems, the audience is able to get a deeper understanding of this ongoing issue.