Title

Jasper Jones

Author
Craig Silvey is mostly attracted to southern gothic fiction types of stories. He is more like
Mark Twain and Truman Capote. His other works are Rhubarb, which he wrote when he was
only nineteen years old. It became his very first bestseller.

Characterization

 Main Characters

1. Jasper Jones – is tall and has a wiry body, but it’s defined that his hair is scruff of rough
tufts. He looks like an island castaway. He speaks like an old cowboy. The town had
labeled him as a thief, a liar, a thug, a truant, an orphan, and an example of poor aptitude.
To be in Japer’s presence is to be waylaid by the devil.
2. Jeffrey Lu – is Vietnamese. He has slanted eyes, and his skin is a little tanned, but can
still be considered as fair. He is Charlie’s best friend. He talks like him, just with more
wit. He is often bullied by the other kids because of his ethnicity. Jeffrey takes all the
abuse in good humor.
3. Eliza Wishart – Eliza looks like a child version of Audrey Hepburn. With her red hair and
slightly visible freckles. She speaks intelligently and clearly. She is Charlie’s love
interest. Others had called her a “loner” because she goes to school alone, stays at school
alone and leaves school alone. She is Laura Wishart’s younger sister
4. Laura Wishart – is porcelain skinned, thin and lithe, and has long and soft-looking locks.
She was found dead; hanging on Jasper’s tree. She is Eliza’ sister and Japer’s love
interest.

 Protagonist
1. Charlie Bucktin – is thin and lanky. He wasn’t tall, though. He speaks like an author,
using deep words with equally deep meanings even though he’s just a mere thirteen-year-
old. He is an “outsider” in Corrigan. He gets bullied because of his lack of athletic skills.

 Supporting Characters
1. Mad Jack Lionel – Japer Jones’ grandfather. He is the town’s murderer and Jasper
accused him of killing Laura.
2. Warwick Trent – Charlie and Jeffrey’s number one bully.
3. Mr. and Mrs. Lu – Jeffrey’s parents.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Bucktin – Charlie’s parents.

Settings
  Place
1. Corrigan is the main setting of the novel. It is where everything started and ended. From
Jasper Jones’ knock on Charlie’s bedroom window to Laura’s death, up to the revelation
of the truth.
2. Jasper’s Tree is where Laura hung herself. It is Jasper’s home. He takes refuge there
every night. Laura and Jasper meets there too.

Title Analysis

The book’s title is “Jasper Jones”, one of the novel’s main characters. Although the novel
isn’t in his point of view, the story greatly revolves around him. The story started and continued
to its climax because of him and his discovery of Laura’s dead body. The novel focuses greatly
on Jaspers’ decision and beliefs.

Short Summary

Chapter 1

Jasper Jones is the example of where poor aptitude and attitude will lead. So, when Jasper
Jones suddenly shows up in the middle of the night at the back of his house, the boy couldn’t
help but feel curious. Charlie followed Jasper without second thoughts. It was when they passed
Corrigan and stopped at Mad Jack Lionel’s home. That Charlie began to have doubts. He’s read
it all in the books; he’s going to die then and there. But no, after finishing a stick of fag, Jasper
continued to walk, and Charlie was more than glad to follow suit.
Jasper had lead Charlie into a forest near, but far enough from Corrigan. They had
walked past through a river and after a few minutes, they arrived in a clearing where – as he
clearly stated – Jasper only knows of. He’d be jumping right now if it wasn’t because of Laura’s
body hanging lifelessly by a rope on a eucalyptus tree. Jasper said that it was his rope, but he
didn’t kill Laura. Charlie was of course, skeptical, but after Jasper’s long and heartfelt
explanation, he finally believed him.
They decided to throw Laura’s body at a dam nearby after a long deliberation. They
agreed that they’re going to solve this mystery by themselves because if they were to go to
authorities, they’re going to lock Jasper in the cells and blame his innocent arse forever.
Their suspect? Mad Jack Lionel. That man’s a psycho. The sun was rising, a cue that they
have to go home, and they did. It was when Charlie was on his bed, readying himself to sleep.
That he realized that they are now comrades in some kind of private war.

Chapter 2
 To say that Charlie’s conscience is killing him would be the biggest understatement of
the century. His conscience isn’t killing him, it’s staring straight at him, waiting for him to just
do something. Charlie felt as if he was about to get caught. That in any moment, black-suited
troops are going to burst into their house and cuff him from behind. He is careful around his
family, tempted to tell them everything, but he doesn’t.
Charlie felt stuffy so he went to Jeffrey’s house, four lots away from theirs. They listened
to the radio, and by twilight, they decided to play cricket on the oval. On the way, they passed
Eliza Wishart, Laura’ sister and Charlie’s love interest. She looked fine, happy even. She doesn’t
know that her sister’s dead yet. Soon enough she will and the whole town will. There is no
comfort in mourning secrets.

Chapter 3

Charlie’s parents had warned him to not get out of their sights first thing in the morning.
Although it seemed unreasonable, Charlie said okay. It was a particularly hot and boring day so
he went to Jeffrey’s house without his parent’s permission just to find out that his best friend is
grounded. Apparently their neighbor heard him yelling “we’re going to play fucking cricket,” the
day before. See, Jeffrey’s mom doesn’t have a clue on what swear words are. So, when their
neighbor told Mrs. Lu all about it, his mother had been furious.
The fact that his parents told him not to go some place far slipped Charlie’s mina. He
went to Corrigan’s public library, looking for mystery and murder novels. He’d pick many, but
when he started reading, everything felt so real, so he stopped.
Charlie decided to lead past crimes from Corrigan. He read the story of Erick Cooke. The
man who hanged himself after being caught killing two girls. He also read about Sylvia Lickens’
story. Sylvia had been beaten, burned, ripped and raped by Gertrude Baniszeski and her
neighbors.
After Charlie read everything, he decided to go home. All of his plans to go home
dissipated when he saw Eliza Wishart while passing by the bookstore. They had a small
conversation and he was more than willing to walk Eliza home. They were welcomed at the
Wishart’s residence by a crying lady, Eliza’s mother, and a slap across Eliza’s cheek. She didn’t
ask for permission, it seemed. Charlie was in an awkward position, but it bugs the hell out of him
when he saw how calm and connected Eliza is. She knows her sister is missing.
If Eliza was welcomed by a slap across her cheek, Charlie was welcomed by not one, but
two powerful slaps across his face. He tried to say that he was in Jeffrey’s but they checked him
there three hours ago.
Charlie was in his room when his mother burst in with a shovel in her hand, ordering him
to dig a hole in their backyard. So, he dig, Charlie did. He dug quite an impressive hole. So when
his mother tells him to fill the hole up again with soil, he threw a raging fit. He cursed his mother
and his father needed to come outside just to persuade Charlie to fill it up again.

Chapter 4
 Jeffrey’s family members were killed in their own house by a bomb. The war in Vietnam
isn’t settling down. His mother was crying in their house, trying to convince her husband to go
straight home to Vietnam and at least see her sister’s corpse. It is unlikely for Jeffrey to come to
Charlie’s house, so when he was told about everything, he couldn’t find the right words to say. It
was struck in his throat.
The next day, Charlie and his father watched the television news together. He was surprised to
see Corrigan’s miner’s hall at the screen. He wondered why the bombing in Vietnam isn’t
reported when it seemed like a bigger issue. “What a world,” Charlie thought. That night, he
went to bed, waiting for Jasper Jones.

Chapter 5

He doesn’t come, he doesn’t come, and then he does. Jasper Jones has once again, come
into Charlie Bucktin’s window. It has been a week since Laura was killed. It’s been a week since
Charlie last saw Jasper. It feels like eternity, though. The latter looked beaten up, a dark swelling
bruise on his eye and a cut on his lips. They took the same path to the clearing and once they
arrived, it felt strange. As if someone’s been there before them.
A bottle of Black Bush caused their conversation to go everywhere. Charlie now knows
that the bruise on Jasper’s eye and the cut on his lips were made by the officers of the local
constabulary. He was beaten into a pulp especially by Laura’s father; the shire president. He spat
and shouted and cursed at him and accused him of killing his daughter. He didn’t do anything, so
he stayed quiet and sat there. Lips sealed as he let himself get beaten.

Chapter 6

Charlie wasn’t killed, but he was tortured, trapped in the confines of his room. He was
grounded. His mom nagged and nagged and nagged right after the officers questioned him. It
turns out that he left his lamp lit due to his haste. His mother checked his room and immediately
panicked and called the police.
He wasn’t grounded anymore after Christmas Eve. So, he was able to watch Jeffrey’s
debut cricket match. He was accepted in the team while he was grounded. He wasn’t supposed to
play, though. Luck’s on his side because a teammate was rushed to the hospital. Corrigan was
losing, along with everyone’s hope but Jeffrey managed to bat a forty-three in just one run.
Corrigan won and Jeffrey became a star.
The night of Jeffrey’s cricket game, Charlie heard a commotion outside the Lu’s
property. He saw four men ripping Mr. Lu’s beloved plants. Charlie immediately called his
father’s attention who ran straight to the Lu’s. Mr. Lu was beaten into a pulp but luckily, the men
of the neighborhood defended him. This was not supposed to happen, not on the day where
Jeffrey made history.
 During two weeks that Charlie grounded, Jasper had visited two times. The first time he
came, he apologized the second, he told great news. Jasper went to Jack’s house, alone. He went
inside to find some kind of evidence, anything to prove that he killed Laura. The only thing he
found is a scrap car with the same word carved on the eucalyptus tree.

Chapter 7

Charlie thought that he might become a patient at an asylum soon. Eliza had took his
appetite, Laura had stolen his slumber. There were so many questions that ran in his mind. There
were so many what ifs. Man, he was going crazy.
Jasper had come to Charlie’s window once again. It was time for them to go to Mad Jack
Lionel’s house. There’s only one goal: to prove that he was the man who killed Laura. Charlie
can feel Jasper’s fear. Jasper can go alone if he wanted to. The latter didn’t walk with the usual
air that surrounded him.
Once they were at Jack’s house, everything went much more chaotic. Charlie went home
knowing that Jasper is actually Jack’s grandson and that he was the cause of his mother’s death.
The wrecked car he saw with the word ‘sorry’ carved onto it was the same car where his mother
died. Jack isolated himself because of the guilt he felt.
Eliza went to Charlie’s home that same evening. She dragged Charlie to Jasper’s tree and
confessed that she saw everything and that her sister left a note. Laura was pregnant, with her
and her father’s child. Laura told her mother but she didn’t believe her. Jasper arrived and she
also shared everything to the boy. Laura Wishart wasn’t murdered, she killed herself.
Along the way when Eliza brought Charlie to the tree, they saw something that they
shouldn’t have. His mother was in their car with another man, groping and kissing and touching
each other. Charlie knew that she didn’t want to be in Corrigan, but he didn’t know that she
would stoop that low. His mother tried to explain but he ignored her. She wasn’t her mother
anymore; she has no right to be. He had to try his hardest to not let a single tear escape his eyes.

Chapter 8

Charlie didn’t leave Corrigan. Charlie stayed where he is, but his mother left. She packed
her bags and drove out. In an instant, she revealed her true self; ugly and loud and mean. As for
Eliza, she made a copy of Laura’s note and gave it to her mother. She said that she knows where
Laura’s body is and she’ll tell her if she tells everyone the truth. Of course it doesn’t happen. It
will, eventually.

Chapter 9

Jasper Jones left. Only Charlie knew. Jasper didn’t tell him, he just knew. He felt it, he
felt him go. His instinct were confirmed when Charlie found a bottle of whiskey, a pack of
smokes and a fountain pen placed on his windowsill. Japer was gone. He fell out of the world
and nobody noticed. Charlie Bucktin will never be the same again, and maybe that’s a good
thing. It’s all thanks to Jasper Jones.

Plot

“Jasper Jones” starts with a knock on Charlie Bucktin’s window. It turns out that the
person whose knocking is Jasper Jones, Corrigan’s A-list delinquent. Afraid yet desperate to
impress, Charlie accepts Jasper’s favor; to help him with God-knows-what. He follows Jasper,
his naivety getting ahead of him. Little did he know that he’ll be in for a lot of trouble.
Charlie knows everything now. Thanks to Jasper and their little ‘escapade’. Now he
knows that Laura Wishart is dead; murdered. He knows that Laura and Jasper were in a
relationship before all the madness happened. He’s aware that Laura’s corpse is at the bottom of
the dam. Charlie is now bothered by his conscience and his urge to tell everyone, everything.
Jasper and Charlie is investigating by themselves. Meeting at night, when everyone’s
asleep. Talking about anything – something – that’ll lead them to Laura’s killer. The farthest that
their suspicions can take is Mad Jack Lionel. With the same word: ‘sorry’ carved on the tree
where Laura’s body hung and a wrecked car in his garage.
Eliza Wishart, Laura’s younger sister, tells Charlie that she knows everything. She says
that she was watching her sister hung herself on the tree and that she couldn’t do anything to stop
her. She says that her sister simply gave up – with her father abusing her sexually, getting her
pregnant, her mother not believing her when she told her and Jasper’s sudden disappearance.
Charlie then, tells Jasper everything. That was the last time that they saw each other.
Charlie and Eliza are in a relationship now. Charlie and his father are now living together
after his mother ran away from Corrigan after her ‘scene’ with a stranger at the forest. Eliza and
her mother came up with an agreement that she’ll say where Laura’s whereabouts are if she tells
everyone the truth. As for Jasper, he left without saying goodbye. When Laura had gone missing,
everyone lost their minds, but when Jasper Jones flees without a reason, no one batted an eye.

Conflicts

 Man vs. Man

Charlie has this reasonable anger towards his and Jeffrey’s bullies. Particularly, one named
Warwick Trent. He made the two of them a laughing stock in Corrigan many, many times.
Another one is the Shire President’s hatred and suspicions towards Jasper Jones. He once beat
the child into a pulp with his people in a prison cell.

 Man vs. Society

The whole population of Corrigan knows Mad Jack Lionel. Not because he’s a good person,
but because of his reputation as a killer. Everyone fears him, including Charlie. The truth is, He’s
just an ordinary old man and all of the things that people know about him are just twisted lies
and rumors. Japer Jones is also hated by the people in Corrigan though he hasn’t done anything
that’s considered wrong.

 Man vs. Himself

Charlie faces a dilemma when he heard a knock on his bedroom window. It was Jasper Jones,
Corrigan’s resident bad boy. He’s asking for Charlie’s help. He thinks of all the consequences
that he’ll face when someone finds out that he’s hanging out with the Jasper Jones. Will he be
bullied two times worse? Will everyone hate him like they hate Jasper? Will his parents be okay
with this new found friendship? After a long deliberation with himself, he follows Jasper; mighty
and proud.

 Man vs. Circumstances

There’s one night that Charlie couldn’t go out of the house with Jasper because he was
grounded by his mother. He got grounded because of his little trip with Laura. There’s also times
when Charlie wants to talk to Eliza, but he can’t. Either she’s with someone, or the timing isn’t
right. That or he’s too much of a coward to approach her.

Vocabulary A-Z

 Aspersions
o Noun
o An attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something.
o Aspersions were being cast like dandelion spores on hot, gossipy winds.
 Beguile
o Verb
o To charm or enchant (someone) sometime in a deceptive way.
o He might beguile and illuminate, frustrate and affect.
 Belligerent
o Adjective
o Hostile and aggressive
o I hope those belligerent bullies are training at the nets, so they can see me with Eliza.
 Boorish
o Adjective
o Rough and bad mannered; coarse
o His dark, rodent eyes lazily surveyed this pack of boorish bullies.
 Cathartic
o Adjective
o Providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions.
 o For Jeffrey, crying is hi s way of cathartic release.
 Concession
o Noun
o A thing that is granted especially in response to demands; a thing conceded
o Concession doesn’t really mean defeat, Charlie.
 Contingencies
o Noun
o A future event or circumstance that is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty.
o I need to talk to him about the likelihoods and contingencies and strategies and
problems that are sitting in my head and my belly.
 Eccentric
o Adjective
o Unconventional and slightly strange
o Batman is just an eccentric billionaire with insomnia!
 Forthrightness
o Adjective
o Direct and outspoken
o She’d be so stunned by my forthrightness, she’d immediately agree.
 Gatling
o noun
o A rapid fire.
o There are sudden Gatling gun pops on out roof.
 Gossamer
o Noun
o A fine, filmy substance consisting of cobwebs spun by small spiders.
o Gossamer cobwebs hung from crevices, budded with dew.
 Harbinger
o Noun
o A fore runner of something.
o The sun is coming, like a harbinger of doom.
 Hysteria
o Noun
o Exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of
people.
o The headline hysteria makes me uneasy even though I know how the story ends.
 Inconspicuous
o Adjective
o Not clearly visible or attracting attention
 o I’m far away enough to remain reasonably inconspicuous.
 Indignation
o Noun
o Anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment.
o I spring my feet instinctively, full of indignation.
 Laconically
o Adverb
o Using very few words
o He’s laconically building in and meshing with the pack of bowlers, as though he’s
part of the side.
 Lurching
o Noun
o An abrupt, uncontrolled movement
o He’s up and lurching, huddled over like he’s been shot in the stomach.
 Lynched
o Verb
o Kill someone especially by hanging
o Now she’s anchored to the bottom of this dark pool by the rope she was lynched with.
 Obstreperous
o Adjective
o Noisy and difficult to control
o It’s not luck, it’s skill, don’t be obstreperous.
 Perilously
o Adjective
o Full of danger or risk
o You’re perilously close to a tragic end to your perfect day.
 Petulantly
o Adverb
o Childishly sulky or bad tempered
o Jeffrey shrugged him off petulantly and strides back to his mark.
 Refurbished
o Verb
o Renovate and redecorate
o The sovereign hotel, a newly refurbished post-office.
 Rhetorical
o Adjective
o Expressed in terms intended to persuade or impress.
o I hate this rhetorical stand-off.
 Silt
o Noun
o Five sand, clay or other material carried by running water and deposited as sediment.
o I rinsed the silts off of me and exited the stage left, offering a casual farewell.
 Tether
o Noun
o A rope or chain with which an animal is tied to restrict its movement.
o She’s at the end of her tether.
 Transfixed
o Verb
o To cause someone to become motionless with horror, wonder or astonishment
o I am transfixed by her beauty tonight.
 Trite
o Adjective
o Overused and consequently lacking originality or freshness
o Everything would feel trite and stupid.
 Umpire
o Noun
o A person chosen to arbitrate between contending parties.
o The umpire issues a stern look to the bowler.
 Vindictiveness
o Noun
o Having or showing a strong or reasoning desire for revenge.
o This is a whole new degree of vindictiveness.
 Zoetrope
o Noun
o A 19th century optical toy
o Until then, I’m a zoetrope of half thoughts and worries.

Relevance

I have related a lot from “Jasper Jones”. The author portrays Charlie as a goody-two-
shoes that suddenly hangs out with some delinquent. The book tells a story about true love. Most
importantly, it tells a story about family. I have found relevance from the story with my boring
and dull life.
Charlie is a nerd, a bookworm. It’s a freaking work of sorcery when a ‘bad boy’ suddenly
comes knocking on his bedroom window and asks for his help. I have related to Charlie, not
because I have experienced what he did, but because I want to experience it all. How does it feel
to truly know a misunderstood person? To help a stranger in need? To be in Jasper’s shoes, to
feels what he feels, to face criticisms and judgmental looks explicitly presented and shoved on
his face? I don’t know how exactly, but I caught a glimpse of it while reading the book.
As a teenager, I view love as a magical thing – full of rainbows and glitters and picture-
perfect moments. In “Jasper Jones”, reality slapped me right across the face. The book made me
realize that yes, true love exists, and yes, love can be magical, but love can also be bitter and
cruel and harsh. Just like Jasper and Laura’s relationship. Their story is another version of
Romeo and Juliet, forbidden, but so deep in love, a secret, yet happy. The thing is that the book
made me believe that somehow, somewhere, true love still exists.
There’s a part in the book where Charlie’s family was slowly falling apart. His mother
cheated in his dad, and the worst part is, he witnessed it while it was happening. Charlie felt
furious and I understood exactly why he felt like that. I felt anger with a passion to dad when I
was younger, but as I got older and more matured; I understood and eventually, forgave him. The
book made me realize that everything needs time to be able to be completely accepted.
“Japer Jones” offered a lot for me to relate to. It portrays an unusual friendship between
a nerd and a delinquent. It tells a very realistic love story. It also tells a story about family and
the challenges that they face. My dull and non-thrilling life has found relevance in “Jasper Jones”

Themes

 Romance

The story revolves around two relationships. First, Jasper and Laura’s story. Even though no
one else knows their relationship, they sincerely love each other. It even came to the point where
they planned their future out of Corrigan together. Second is Charlie and Eliza’s relationship.
Charlie had had feelings for Eliza since God-knows-when, and they became closer until
eventually, they became lovers.

 Racism

Jeffrey’s family is Vietnamese. Since he has a different race among his peers, he is often
bullied. His family is often ridiculed and denied. People are quick to judge, and the people of
Corrigan aren’t exempted. Luckily, there are people who still accept them as they are.

 Tragedy

Jasper’s life had never been peaceful. There are stares, rejections and foul words that he gets
every day. He’s never once committed a crime, though. Among the people that tyrannies Jasper,
there’s Laura Wishart, the only person who dared to come closer to him, the only one that
understands him. They love each other but unfortunately, Laura died, leaving Jasper Miserable,
but with a lot more motivation to keep the promises they made to each other.
  Social Status

Laura and Jasper’s relationship was kept as a secret between the two of them for a reason.
The two has completely different social statuses. Laura’s family is rich, while Jasper’s is as poor
as a mouse. The two of them knew exactly what’s going to happen. Laura’s family will disagree
and they’ll have to go separate ways.

 Family

The plot has subtle themes of family. Jasper’s grandfather, Mad Jack Lionel and their reunion
after so many years. The Wisharts’ family issue, the reason why Laura hanged herself dead. The
Lus’ fight against discrimination of the people in Corrigan. Most of all, the Bucktins’ experience
on being a broken family.

 Truth

“The less one knows, the farther he is from something.” For Jasper, Charlie and Eliza, that
quote means nothing. They knew the truth while everyone else doesn’t. They are closer to the
things that people are looking for. The only disadvantage of knowing the truth is that their
conscience bothered them constantly.

Moral

Imagine, if we take every bad event in our lives and relieve all of it in a day, we’d all be a
horrible mess. We’d remember it all in a snap and we’ll sulk about it after. So, just like the
people in the story, no matter what happens, we must all learn to move on. “The truth shall set
you free” unless the truth will make a circumstance more complicated, keep it to yourself until
the fire has stopped burning. Family always comes first – your priority amongst other things –
and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Love defies anything and everything. It oversteps every
boundary set, drawn, or made. It doesn’t matter if you are poor, average, or rich, what matters is
that your feelings are genuine.