Jasper Jones

The book ‘Jasper Jones’ written by Australian author Craig Silvey conveys a series of personal perspectives and Ideas throughout the theme of Australian culture. Set in a small fictional mining town of Corrigan, in regional-western Australia during the 1960’s, Jasper Jones is portrayed as the mixed race ‘bad boy’ and is faced with a series life changing decision. The use of race and ethnicity, morality and ethics and lastly responsibility and culpability conveys a clear vision of what Silveys perspectives and thoughts are throughout the novel. Silveys views are also conveyed throughout a series of literary techniques giving the audience a stronger understanding of what the culture and views were like during the 1960’s.

Silveys perspectives and ideas of race and ethnicity expresses a clear understanding of culture and its changes during the 1960’s. Silvey depicts Jasper Jones as the outcast in Corrigan due to his culture being a half-cast aboriginal. This is evident through the literary device anthropomorphism when Jasper states to Charlie “They reckon I’m just half an animal with half a vote.” Silvey’s idea of using imagery to portray Jasper’s cultural background as being unrepresented and uninvolved in the town of Corrigan. They call these people ‘outsiders’. Another aspect of the use of race and ethnicity is when Jeffery Lu’s family is faced with a series of racial discrimination due to then family being Vietnamese. An example of this is when Jeffery’s cricket team referred to him as ‘Cong’ (a reference to Viet Cong) and mimicking his ancestral background “ah, me so solly.” Race and Ethnicity is an important theme that shows Silveys perspectives of the Australian culture.

Silveys personal ideas of the Australian culture is portrayed through the theme morality and ethics. During the 1960s, women’s role was the “kitchen wives”. Silvey has put into perspective of what morals women have been given and how they can change over a number of years . An example of this is when Charlie’s mother Ruth’s morals come in the question when Charlie caught her having an affair. “I’d shatter the façade,