Criminal of Society and Hero to the People

            Through his year-long journey depicted throughout the novel Black Swan Green, Jason shows incredible growth from having to conform to society, to openly rejecting its rules. While his growth is gradual, when looking at the beginning of the book compared with the end of the book, one can see a stark difference in actions towards society.

            This need to conform can be seen during multiple instances in the book. The first scene is where he is participating in the hated game British Bulldogs. He says, “I hate British Bulldogs…but this morning, anybody who denied loving british bulldogs’dve looked a total ponce( Mitchel, 7).” Here, he shows his reasoning for playing the game despite his hatred of it; he plays in order to avoid looking bad in his society or like a “ponce”. Thus, he shows how his actions represent his need to conform to society because he is constantly trying to make them agreeable to society. Furthermore, later in the book, he says that “There’s this iron rule. You don’t get people into trouble by naming them, even if they deserve it. (204).” This is followed by a scene where Jason is heavily pressured by his furious PE teacher to tell who did it. However, despite what risk may happen to him via the PE teacher and how much those responsible deserve punishment, he sticks with the rules society sets and he does not tell (204). 

However, at the very end of the book Jason shows that he no longer cares about the rules and ranks of kid society by going after the product of the system, higher ranking bullies like Neal Brose, and going after the system itself by breaking its “iron clad rule”.  By taking on Neal Brose and disrupting the ranks of society, Jason shows that one's rank does not define one. A kid of lower rank can rebel. More specifically, Jason takes a stand and demolishes Neal Brose’s calculator. Jason describes his thoughts and actions when performing this act by telling himself “blank out the consequences (259).” and later “ I gave the rod-handle thing a strong turn(259).”  Thus, he takes this idea of how undefining rank can be, further, by depicting the method he used to defeat rank’s control on him. He ignored the possible consequences of his actions and was able to take a stand. Furthermore, the fact that not thinking about the consequences is what allowed Jason to stand, illustrates how the power of rank is ingrained in fear. Usually if a lower ranking kid were to rebel, one would think that the higher ranking kid would punish him or put him in his place. If a hypothetical lower ranking kid did not have to fear being put in his place, it would make sense that they would have rebelled a long time ago. This quote thus shows Jason’s growth in shirking the rules of society by showing how he can disregard what others may think or the punishments they may reign, which is the true power of the system.

Furthermore, Jason attacks the system on a fundamental level by breaking the “Iron clad rule” and telling on Neal Bross. This is an attack on the system at a fundamental level because rules like this are what allow the rank system to work. Furthermore, because the rule is held as sacred by so many, it gives it a sense of high importance to society and breaking it, a sense of finality. Thus the thought process of others may follow, if Jason can break this rule and survive he can break all rules and survive, and show that society's rules are not binding. Jason emphasizes his position in comparison to the rest of his society when explaining to Mr. Kempsy why others may not tell on Neal. Jason says “ It depends on who they’re most afraid of, sir. You or Bross(260).” Through this quote Jason emphasizes the power of society, by suggesting that those involved may be more afraid to break the rules of society and tell than they are the wrath of the teacher. However, the fact that Jason is saying this and that he has grassed, shows that while others may still be in the system, more scared into following the rules of society, he has broken through. Whatever moral consequences, physical bully-induced consequences, or ostracization that may follow, he has shown that the rules of society can be broken and that the system is not an ironclad thing.  HE has broken the “Iron Clad Rule” and survived.