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{{item.title}}, my essentials, ask for help, contact edconnect, directory a to z, how to guides, english k–12, year 11 – close study of literature – jasper jones.

Sample lesson sequences, sample assessment and resources for 'Jasper Jones'.

Support materials developed by NSW public school teachers as part of the Stage 6 mEsh project where 62 teachers led writing teams (over 150 teachers) across NSW.

You can adapt the following unit of work as required.

Close study of literature - Jasper Jones

• Jasper Jones sample lesson sequence (DOCX 76 KB)
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Jasper Jones

Craig silvey, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Jasper Jones takes place in a small town in Australia in the late 1960s. A boy named Charlie Bucktin is reading in his room late at night, when another boy, Jasper Jones , knocks at his window and tells him to come out. Jasper begs Charlie to come with him, and because of his respect for Jasper, Charlie obliges.

As Jasper leads Charlie through the town where they live, Corrigan, Charlie thinks about what he knows about Jasper. Jasper is “half-caste,” meaning that one of his parents is white, while the other is Aboriginal. Because of his mixed race, he is blamed for every misfortune or crime in Corrigan. His father is a lazy drunk, and Jasper has long been forced to take care of himself.

Jasper leads Charlie past the river and into a clearing in the bushes. It is here that Jasper lives and sleeps. Jasper shows Charlie what he has discovered: the body of a young girl, hanging by a rope from a tree. Jasper explains that the girl is Laura Wishart , a girlfriend of his. Jasper claims that he found Laura hanging there earlier in the night, and went to Charlie for help because he believes that Charlie is wise, trustworthy, and loyal. Charlie, horrified by the sight of a dead body, tells Jasper that they need to alert the police, but Jasper insists that if they do so, Jasper will be arrested for the crime and sent to jail. Jasper convinces Charlie to hide Laura’s body by throwing it in the nearby river. He and Charlie must try to find the real killer—only in this way can Jasper clear his own name. Jasper suggests that the real killer is Mad Jack Lionel , a mysterious, reclusive old man who supposedly killed a young woman years ago. It’s a traditional feat of bravery in Corrigan to sneak onto Mad Jack’s land and steal peaches from his tree.

The next day, Charlie spends time with his parents, Wesley Bucktin and Ruth Bucktin . Charlie greatly admires his father, who shares his love for writing. Charlie believes that Wesley is secretly working on a novel in his library, and wishes that Wesley would talk to him about it. Charlie dislikes his mother, whom he finds controlling and petty. Years ago, she nearly died giving birth to Charlie’s younger sister, who died shortly thereafter. Ruth, who comes from a wealthy family in a large city, hates her life in Corrigan, a fact that everyone but Wesley notices.

Charlie’s best friend is Jeffrey Lu , an intelligent, humorous Vietnamese boy. Because Corrigan has sent many soldiers to fight in the Vietnam War, Jeffrey must cope with the racism of the townspeople. In spite of his superior cricketing abilities, Jeffrey is forbidden from playing on the town cricket team by Warwick Trent , a bully who constantly threatens both Jeffrey and Charlie. We also see that Charlie is terrified of insects, and has a crush on Laura’s beautiful, intelligent sister, Eliza Wishart . Whenever he sees Eliza, Charlie has a strong urge to tell her what he knows about Laura. Nevertheless, Charlie keeps quiet, remembering that he’s promised Jasper his help and loyalty.

Charlie researches other murders that have occurred near Corrigan, and uncovers some gruesome information about serial killers. He finds it difficult to understand why people kill and hurt others, though he considers the possibility that they do so because they were bullied and marginalized themselves.

When he comes home from the library, Charlie is surprised to find that his parents, especially Ruth, are furious with him for leaving the house without telling them—there is a search party looking for Laura, and the neighborhood is keeping a close watch on all children. Ruth forces Charlie to dig a hole and then fill it in, a process that takes hours. Charlie despises his mother for punishing him in this way, but Wesley encourages him to deal with her diplomatically and politely.

Jeffrey Lu and his family face harassment from the townspeople. A woman named Sue Findlay yells at Mrs. Lu and pours hot water on her body because she blames Mrs. Lu for her husband’s death in Vietnam. Shortly thereafter, Charlie sneaks out of his house at night to reunite with Jasper Jones in the glade. He learns that Jasper has been arrested and beaten up by the local police. Jasper tells Charlie that he plans to sneak onto Jack Lionel’s property to find evidence of his culpability in killing Laura. He also confesses to Charlie that he’d been out of the town in the days leading up to Laura’s death—if he had been in Corrigan, then he could have met up with Laura in his glade and possibly have protected her. Charlie feels enormous sympathy for Jasper. He fantasizes about leaving Corrigan with Jasper, and driving through Australia like the protagonists of one of his favorite novels, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road . Before they leave the glade, Charlie makes an important discovery—someone has written the word “Sorry” on the tree where Laura was hanged.

When he returns to his house that night, Charlie learns that his parents have found him missing. He quickly makes up a story about going to visit Eliza, and to his great surprise, his parents, along with the police, accept Charlie’s story as the truth. Afterwards, Charlie is grounded, and he spends the next two weeks reading and writing in his room. Charlie’s misbehavior creates a distance between Ruth and Wesley—Ruth blames Wesley for turning Charlie against her.

At the end of Charlie’s two weeks indoors, he goes to see Jeffrey play for the Corrigan cricket team. By a fluke, Jeffrey has been allowed to sub out for another player. During the match, Eliza sees Charlie, and sits next to him. Although Charlie feels very awkward around Eliza, he charms her, and she tells him that she finds him very sweet. They kiss, and Charlie feels happier than he’s felt in weeks. Meanwhile, Jeffrey plays brilliantly, winning the cricket match for Corrigan. As a result, he wins the grudging respect of his cricket team, even Warwick Trent.

The night after the cricket match, a group of four men visits Jeffrey’s house, where they destroy his father An Lu ’s prized garden. Charlie, who is the first to see the vandalism, screams for his father, who immediately runs outside and takes on all four of the men. Shortly thereafter he’s joined by other neighbors, who beat up the vandals. Charlie is deeply inspired by his father’s heroism.

On New Year’s Eve, Charlie is planning to spend time with Eliza at the town’s traditional fireworks show. Eliza hints that she has something important to tell Charlie. Before he can meet up with her, Charlie sees Jasper outside his window, insisting that Charlie accompany him to Mad Jack Lionel’s house. Jasper explains that he has searched Mad Jack’s property, where he’s seen an old car with the word “Sorry” scratched on it. He plans to go to Mad Jack’s house, tell him what he knows, and force him to confess to killing Laura. Charlie reluctantly agrees to accompany Jasper, even though he’s skeptical that Jasper’s plan will work, or that Mad Jack killed Laura in the first place.

At Mad Jack’s house, Charlie is amazed to see that Jack is a polite, lonely old man who isn’t the least bit hostile to either Jasper or Charlie. Jasper angrily tells Jack that he knows Jack killed “her.” Jack begins to cry, and confesses that he did so. When Jasper provides more details about Laura’s death, Jack looks confused. Over the course of the next hour, Jack reveals the truth: Jack is Jasper’s own grandfather. Years ago, Jasper’s father, David Jones , married a beautiful Aboriginal woman named Rosie Jones . Jack didn’t approve of the marriage because Rosie wasn’t white. As a result, David shunned his father and changed his surname. After Rosie gave birth to Jasper, Jack changed his mind about Rosie, and indeed, became a close friend to her. One day, while Jack was alone with Rosie, Rosie had an attack of appendicitis. Jack tried to drive her to the nearest hospital, but got into a horrible car crash that killed Rosie. As a result, David never spoke to his father again, and never told Jasper about him. Jack tells Jasper that he wishes he had died in the crash instead of Rosie. He adds that he has always believed that Jasper was avoiding him because David had told Jasper about Rosie’s death. Now, Jack realizes the truth: Jasper avoided him because he had no idea who Jack was.

Jasper and Charlie are stunned by Jack’s explanation. They leave Jack’s house in a daze, going their separate ways. As he’s walking home, Charlie runs into Eliza, who tells him that she has crucial information. Eliza takes Charlie to Jasper’s glade. Along the way, Charlie sees his mother with another man, and realizes that she’s been having an affair. He angrily tells her that he’ll never listen to her again.

In Jasper’s glade, Eliza tells Charlie that she is responsible for Laura’s death. Eliza claims that she followed Laura to Jasper’s glade on the night Laura died. She silently watched as Laura sat and waiting for “someone” to arrive. Eventually, Laura climbed up a tree, tied a rope around her neck, and hanged herself. Eliza produces a letter that she claims to have found underneath Laura’s hanging body.

Eliza reads Charlie the letter, which is addressed to Jasper Jones. In it, Laura explains that her father, Pete Wishart , had raped and abused her for years. The day she died, Laura discovered that her own father had impregnated her. She tried to tell her mother what he father had done, but amazingly, her mother didn’t believe her. Afterwards, Laura’s father went into her room and beat her savagely, warning her never to talk about his abusiveness again. Eliza heard screams from Laura’s room, and then saw Laura running out of the house. She followed Laura to Jasper’s glade, where she witnessed the suicide. A few nights later, haunted by her own guilt at having watched passively as her sister killed herself, Eliza returned to Jasper’s glade and wrote “ sorry ” on the tree.

Charlie is traumatized by what Eliza tells him. Eliza asks him what he knows about Laura, and Charlie admits that he moved Laura’s body with Jasper’s help. Eliza is pained by this information, but she forgives Charlie. As they sit together in the glade, Jasper arrives, and demands to know what Eliza is doing there. Eliza explains everything she’s previously told Charlie. As she does so, Jasper moans and screams, and then dives into a nearby waterhole. Charlie jumps after him, pulling him to the surface and embracing him. He realizes that Jasper’s image of charisma and bravery is just a mask, disguising his fear, sadness, and loneliness. Jasper tells Eliza that he is responsible for Laura’s death—if he’d been in Corrigan at the time, then he could have consoled Laura and convinced her to live. Eliza doesn’t disagree with anything Jasper says. She suggests that they tell the police about Pete’s crimes. Jasper and Charlie reject this suggestion. If they go to the authorities, they argue, then Jasper will once again be blamed for Laura’s death, just as he’s blaming himself now. Charlie comes to the frustrating conclusion that the best option is to keep the true circumstances of Laura’s death a secret. He also notices that Eliza seems to blame Jasper for Laura’s death, and wants to punish him appropriately.

As he thinks about Jasper, Charlie remembers a childish argument he’s had with Jeffrey about the merits of Batman and Superman . Like Batman, he realizes, he has to embrace and accept his fears and limitations, rather than aspiring to be like Superman, who has neither fears nor limitations.

The next day, Eliza, Jasper, and Charlie go their separate ways. Charlie senses that he’ll never see Jasper again—he’s going to leave Corrigan for good. When Charlie returns, he finds his mother packing to leave Corrigan, too. She’s told Wesley about her affair. Ruth never returns to Corrigan—she lives with her wealthy relatives, not speaking to either Wesley or Charlie. Wesley takes care of Charlie on his own, and finishes the novel he’s been working on. Charlie is the first to read it, and he finds it beautiful and brilliant.

At the end of the novel, Charlie performs a feat of “bravery” that impresses the schoolchildren of Corrigan. He sneaks onto Mad Jack’s property and steals peaches. To impress his peers even more, Charlie stages a “fight” with Jack, promising Jack that he’ll make up the favor by making Jack dinner soon. Charlie walks off of Mad Jack’s property, applauded and cheered by the schoolchildren. Even Warwick Trent acknowledges that Charlie has shown great bravery. Amused, Charlie thinks to himself that it took more bravery for him to pick up the peaches, which were crawling with bugs, than to sneak onto Jack’s property.

Suddenly, someone sees a plume of smoke in the distance. Charlie runs toward the smoke, and sees that Eliza’s house is on fire. Her parents are alive, though her father is in an oxygen mask, with burns on his body. Charlie realizes that it was Eliza who burned the house, and realizes that he’ll never fully understand her motives. He also recognizes that Jasper will be blamed for this act of arson, and forced to stay away from Corrigan for the rest of his life. This news saddens Charlie, but doesn’t worry him—he knows that Jasper is too clever to be caught by the police. Charlie walks towards Eliza, who continues to look calmly at the fire, and whispers “the perfect words” in her ear.

Study Guide : Jasper Jones: How to plan an essay

• Chapter summary
• Film Reviews
• Book Reviews
• Indigenous social issues in Australia during the 1960's
• How to plan an essay

How to plan an essay : Writing steps

Plan your essay   .

Once you understand exactly what you have to do to answer your essay question, you're ready to start planning and researching.

Do this well and you'll have no trouble writing your essay.

How to plan an essay : Essay Plan

Write an essay plan

A good essay plan helps you arrange your ideas logically and stay on track during the writing process.

Your plan should state how you're going to prove your argument, including the evidence you're going to use. Structure your plan around the different parts of an essay. To do this:

• Write your argument in one sentence at the top of the page – you'll flesh this out into your introduction.
• Write three or four key points that you think will support your argument. Try to write each point in one sentence. These will become your topic sentences.
• Under each point, write down one or two examples from your research that support your point. These can be quotes, paraphrased text from reliable authors, etc. Remember to reference your examples when you write up your essay.
• Finally, write the main point you want to leave in your reader's mind – that's your conclusion.  

Source :    http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/learn-skills/essay-writing-skills

How to plan an essay : Essay Structure

Essay structure.

Essays are structured differently depending on the question and the subject, but some elements are common to most essays.

You can plan and write more efficiently if you understand what each element does:

• the introduction  tells the reader the point you're going to prove
• the body   is where you  discuss  your argument and give examples to illustrate your key points
• the conclusion   drives your argument home by describing how you've done what you said you were going to do.

 Source:  http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/learn-skills/essay-writing-skills/plan-your-essay/essay-structure

How to plan an essay : Form your argument

Form an argument.

Y our argument is the message you want your reader to remember when they finish reading. When writing an essay, you need to set up a clear argument in the introduction and develop it in the body of the essay. 

A good argument :

• is objective and avoids biased language
• can be summed up in one sentence
• communicates why you think your argument is right
• is interesting and convincing.

If the essay question is testing work you've covered in class, you might already know what you think about the topic. Research is then about finding evidence to back up this point of view.

If the question is asking you to find out new information, it's often harder to come up with a clear argument. If you're not sure what you think about a topic, start reading and let the information you find guide your essay.

Keep an open mind

Whatever your opinion about a topic, it's important to be open to different points of view during your research. If most of the information you find disagrees with your argument, consider changing your point of view – after all, your essay has to be shaped by the evidence you find.

Source:  http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/learn-skills/essay-writing-skills/plan-your-essay/form-argument

Using quotes in an essay

How to plan an essay : Quotes

Find & record quotes.

An essay isn't just a list of facts – you need quotes and examples from books, websites, people and other resources to prove your argument.

There's no one place to find good quotes. However, once you begin your research, you'll start noticing parts of the text that would add to your essay. Record them in your essay plan, so you can see how they work with each paragraph, and with your essay as a whole.

You never know which quotes you'll need later, so copy and paste into a Word™ document the bibliographical information of  all  the quotes you find. When you finish writing, tidy up this list and your bibliography's done

Quoting conventions

When using quotes, you need to follow certain  conventions  so that your reader can tell where the quote begins and ends. Quotes are usually referenced like this;

To quote a word, phrase or short passage:

• use single quotation marks ['...'] at the beginning and end of the quote
• use double quotations marks ["..."] around a second quote if you're using a quote referenced in another quote.

To quote a long passage or speech:

• begin on a new line
• indent the quote
• don't use quote marks
• start the sentence following the quote on a new line.

Source:  http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/learn-skills/essay-writing-skills/using-quotes/find-record-quotes

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• Last Updated: Aug 10, 2020 10:18 AM
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Jasper Jones

44 pages • 1 hour read

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Jasper Jones Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you explore the ways that Jasper, Charlie, Jack Lionel, and Wesley create a new world in which women and minorities have the possibilities of rights and respect. You may focus on one topic or on more than one character.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, Charlie thinks of the way he walks in relation to others. Sometimes he is behind, other times he is in the lead or walking side-by-side with someone else. Write an essay in which you discuss the changes in Charlie's character as he relates to others in this way.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you explore the text of one of Charlie's favorite books or authors. How does that work help us to grasp the themes of the novel? Can the novel to which he alludes and the text of Jasper Jones be compared or contrasted...

(read more Essay Topics)

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Jasper Jones

Add notes to the jasper jones bookmark, introductory activities.

Narrative organises and shapes our understanding of the world. Through vicarious experiences with texts, students test their perceptions of their worlds against those represented in texts.  In the following learning sequences students analyse and experiment with the key concepts of  context, genre, character and point of view, reflecting on how they operate in texts and how they influence the ways we respond to texts.

Central to this study is an exploration of  Jasper Jones  as an example of the bildungsroman genre.  Students explore the way the narrative is driven by a protagonist who is responsive to and inseparable from the social world depicted in the text. It is a coming-of-age novel featuring a character who moves from innocence to knowledge. Students examine whether there are connections to be drawn between their own worlds and values and those represented in the story world of the novel.

The activities in this resource are designed to introduce key concepts with which students will engage through their close study of the novel, and which are directly transferable to other related texts. Learning sequences are framed around inquiries into the concepts of context, genre, and point of view as represented in the statements on the English Textual Concepts™ website . These concepts are mapped to the Australian Curriculum: English content.

Teachers should note that whilst this resource is presented as a complete unit of study over five or six weeks, it does contain a broad range of learning activities and tasks from which teachers can select to suit their own particular contexts/needs.

In this learning sequence students consider how texts are aesthetic and cultural constructions that are shaped by the contexts of both author and reader. They see how the author has crafted a text that offers a particular perspective on specific historical, cultural and literary contexts. In responding to the text, the student is always aware of the presence of the author. In responding to  Jasper Jones,  students are required to draw on contextual knowledge, both historical and contemporary, as well as intertextual connections. In these activities students reflect on how texts portray particular social values.

1. The White Australia Policy

Introduce the concept of context to students by alerting students to the White Australia Policy used by various Australian state governments from 1901 to 1973. Introducing Jasper Jones through context is a means of familiarising students with the prevailing attitudes and policies that were part of Australian cultural life in the 1960s. The attitudes suggested by this government policy can also be drawn on later in considering the characterisation of Jeffrey Lu and his family. One arresting way is to have students undertake a sample dictation test used during this period, such as the one below.

The swagman wrapped his gnarled and desiccated digits round his minuscule ukulele and with prodigious and egregious deficiency of musicology  essayed a resounding cacophonous rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ that caused a phobic frog to hurl itself suicidally into a brackish billabong . (Colley History)

Having completed the dictation test, have students determine their view of its suitability and then point out to students some of the conditions for this test (only three mistakes allowed, passage spoken once, pausing after every couple of words for a few seconds). (ACELA1563)     (EN5-4B)

Pose some discussion starters for students: 

• How do composers use language to establish authority and position responders?
• Speculate on why this text would be used as the dictation test in 1960s Australia and what values are implied.
• Examine how language is used to position those taking the test.

(ACELA1564)     (EN5-5C)

Writing activity

Read the poem ‘An Oz Tale’ by Ouyang Yu. Discuss the paradoxical ideas relating to identity and Australian culture that are presented in a matter-of-fact tone. Use any of the paradoxical images as a stimulus for a piece of imaginative writing in which cultural identity is explored.

For more contextual information and activities on the White Australia Policy , refer to the ABC Education Digibook on this topic . (ACELA1565)     (EN5-4B)

2. Protest and social change

Invite students to discuss any badges they have encountered that represent contemporary social debates. Display for students a series of Australian badges that represent recent social issues or events, badges commenting on climate change, press freedom, anti-racism and refugees. Badge topics could include:

• Anti-conscription
• Women’s rights
• White Australia Policy
• Climate change

Other specific badge examples are located at Stop the Racists! and Wear Your Colours . In reviewing these badges, students identify and discuss:

• the subject matter
• the linguistic and visual choices, the use of inclusive or polarising language
• the values they represent and whether the students agree with the position they take (the anti-racism badge’s evolution is particularly interesting)
• what these badges say about the world we live in.

Jasper Jones is set in a small country town in Western Australia in the mid-1960s, the beginning of a time of cultural questioning and change in Australia. Divide students into groups and allocate each group one of the badges listed above, and have them determine the focus of the protest and whether such protest would have any currency today using the same aspects they have previously considered:

• the linguistic and visual choices, inclusive or polarising language
• the values they represent and whether the students agree with the position they take (how do their values as readers influence their responses to texts?)
• the questions these badges were raising about Australian cultural values.

Have students draw on their own experiences to consider whether the perspectives suggested in the badges are prevalent today.

Students could then choose two of these 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 particular cause. Students should also include a justification that accounts for how their language choices address the context (words, layout, colour, size), whether they have observed much change regarding the issues behind the chosen badges and whether, and why, they have chosen to use either inclusive or polarising language. (ACELA1566)    (EN5-1A)

3. The changing role of women

The characterisation of adults in Jasper Jones is a key area for exploration. In this activity students explore the changing role of women in 1960s Australia as preparation for reflecting on the character of Ruth Bucktin.

Before studying the related texts below, discuss with students how advertising operates as a mirror to our lives.

Simultaneously display for students this beer advertisement from 1965 and  this image from March 1965 where Merle Thornton and Rosalie Bogner have chained themselves to the bar of the Regatta Hotel in Brisbane in order to challenge the prevailing view of the time, that women were not served in public bars in hotels. Discuss these questions with the class:

• What do you notice about the representations of men and women in this advertisement and photograph from 1965?
• If we assume that the beer advertisement is a mirror to Australian domestic life in the sixties, what is this society like?
• How do you think people felt? What particular values are suggested here?
• What patterns of representation do you see?
• What might happen when you reverse these patterns?

Have students in small groups create a script/advertisement/role play that interrogates the assumptions in these texts; for example, if men were being excluded from the sale of some item, women having an equal role with men. (ACELA1572)     (EN5-2A)

Context, character and point of view

In this sequence students are introduced to Charlie and Jasper by exploring an extract from the novel, a poem and an artwork, ‘becauseitisbitter’ . This is an intertextual artwork by Vernon Ah Kee which uses text (especially in the language of the colonisers) to reveal the underlying racism in Australian society.

• Display for students Stephen Crane’s poem ‘In the desert’  and have them write down the specific pictures the poem brought to mind on the first reading. Actively applying imagination illustrates to students that to engage with a poem is to make representations of the text based on their own disposition and experience.
• In discussion, have students describe what they imagined. They could mention the place, time of day, who or what they thought the creature and friend were. Have them describe how the friend appeared and behaved.
• Ask students what they felt when they imagined the poem. They might comment on the emotions of the creature and the friend. Very likely they will also comment on how they responded to the poem and what they imagined when they read the poem. These discussions will draw out interpretations of the author’s tone and attitude, and commentary on the symbolism of the heart.
• the bold black and white font
• the change in the title of the two works (do students think this shifts the meaning of the poem?)
• the effect of the compression of the words with no spaces and how this influences the act of reading.
• Introduce this extract from Jasper Jones and display it next to the Ah Kee artwork and have students identify the resonances between the extract and the artwork:

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.” (p. 51)

• Provide students with a definition of point of view and how it operates in narrative. Mention that point of view in the novel Jasper Jones  involves understanding that Craig Silvey engineers what we see and how we relate to the situation, characters or ideas in the text. In the novel, the point of view is expressed through a narrator, Charlie Bucktin, and because we are invited to adopt this point of view, the readers might align themselves with the character of Charlie. It’s important that students understand that Charlie is not the author of the text.
• 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. (ACELA1570)     (EN5-3B)

Southern Gothic tradition

Craig Silvey has stated that his interest in the Southern Gothic was one of the influences on the creation of Jasper Jones . Have students research elements of this genre and note how texts characteristic of this style often portray rural settings, which may seem idyllic, but are actually built on social and historical repressions that create a sense of alienation for particular groups – places where injustice is often institutionalised. In the case of America, these often refer to racism, slavery and the patriarchy. These texts aim to tell the ‘whole story’ rather than just the story of the dominant social and cultural groups. Indeed, often they substitute the supernatural with real lives lived in a realistic gothic horror situation, exploring the tropes of corrupt authorities, death and destruction. The Southern Gothic explores ‘the other’ – those existing on the borderlands of society. (ACELT1639)     (EN5-4B)

Binary oppositions

Revisit the poem ‘An Oz Tale’ from the earlier writing activity and revisit the paradoxes presented. Using these images from the poem, explain to students the concept of a binary opposition (related terms that are opposite in meaning). Have students complete the following table in which they identify the binary opposite and make some notes based on their initial response to Jasper Jones and how cultural expectations were evident.

(ACELT1640)     (EN5-2A)

Personal response on reading the text

Questions and comments while reading the text.

• As they read  Jasper Jones , have students add their questions, comments and reflections online using a free collaborative note-making tool . The whole class can contribute to the virtual mind map of thoughts expressed, and it is particularly helpful when new ideas are presented. The intention is for students to feel challenged by something they read, and to want to question aspects of the text and reflect more broadly. This can be revisited at any point in the unit.
• Students can 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 of this unit.

(ACELT1641)     (EN5-5C)

Personal connections with own experience

• Students should review the Racism No Way website timeline tool with a particular focus on the 1960s. Reinforce the hurtful nature of discrimination/racism and its impact, both in Jasper Jones and possibly even in their own lives. Students are to write in their journals and identify a time when they felt that they had to be courageous in the face of racism or discrimination. What did this look and feel like? Students can share in small groups their journal entries and seek to contribute a class anthology of writings on this topic.
• With the popularity of the Growing Up in Australia non-fiction series ( Asian , Aboriginal , African , Queer , Disabled ), have students write about their own experience of growing up in Australia. Read some extracts of the short non-fiction pieces of writing from these texts. As a class, discuss the point of view included and analyse the language used. Have students then title their own piece of writing about ‘Growing up ______ in Australia’ and compose a personal reflection piece around their own coming-of-age experience.

(ACELY1749)     (EN5-1A)

Identification with characters and situations

• One-minute speech activity: Have students reflect and consider which character they most identify with and why. Give students 10 minutes to prepare for this activity in class, indicating that they are to use one quote/example from the novel to support their identification. The speech format is informal, and has the prescribed one-minute time limit which allows all students in the class to share their character identifications in a single lesson.
• What was the most surprising thing about Jasper Jones?
• What moment in the novel made you most uncomfortable?
• Choose one character and share with others 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’ about them.

(ACELY1751)     (EN5-3B)

Reflection on completion of the text

• Have students reflect via writing how they felt upon finishing reading the text. This reflection might also include the reasons and significance as to why the text continues to be such a success, as well as its changing shape (film, play) and international interest. Do students recognise and appreciate this ongoing celebration, based on their reading of the text? Craig Silvey’s website   has some excellent content in relation to this.
• Discuss as a class the feelings readers have when texts are completed. Debrief as a class about some of the feelings, and identify the mood that comes from completing the text.
• Students can add a journal entry in their reading logs of their feelings and experiences of the novel, and their reflections now that the novel has been completed.

(ACELA1571)     (EN5-3B)

Outline of key elements of the text

Zoom out and in activity.

Zoom out for ‘big picture’ thinking by dividing the class in half, and have each group of students decide on the top 10 plot elements of Jasper Jones . Organise the two groups to share their plot elements. What is similar in the lists? What is different?

Now divide the class into quarters. Students have to compose a plot overview of Jasper Jones  in five sentences. Have the groups share and consider what was included and excluded in terms of content. Finally, have each student write their own six-word summary of what Jasper Jones is about. Six-word stories is a well known convention of synthesis and summary. Zoom in on the detail by sharing this synthesised review and then creating posters to reflect these key ideas that students have identified.

The main characters in Jasper Jones are: Jasper Jones, Charlie Bucktin, Jeffrey Lu, Eliza Wishart and Mad Jack Lionel. Discuss with students the concept of stereotypes and have them consider the ways in which the characters represent different elements of small town Corrigan. Consider the nature of point of view – the other characters in the novel are characterised through the eyes of Charlie via first-person narrative voice.

To assist in the development of strong visual imagery used in the text, each character’s name could appear on an A3 piece of paper displayed around the classroom, and as new information is learnt about them as the text is engaged with, they could have that information (via quotes) added to the character’s piece of paper. Students could also create visual posters of the characters, based on the descriptions provided by Charlie in the text.

There are various themes (big ideas) within the novel that are appropriate to the Australian Gothic and bildungsroman or coming-of-age genres. Students are to select a few of the listed themes below and map them according to plot, character and context throughout the novel. In their discussion and consideration of these, students should seek to identify relevant examples and also seek to explain what the significance of this example is. Themes in Jasper Jones  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

(ACELT1639)     (EN5-2A)

Synthesising activity

Conversations that curate context.

Revise with students conventions of dialogue and conversation, including how these are structured and presented.

Students are to select one of the characters from Jasper Jones  to be in conversation with a person of a similar demographic but who lives in Perth, Western Australia in the 1960s. The conversation is to focus around life and society in Corrigan and how that is similar/different to life and society in the capital in the same era. To assist with this task, students should view this 18-minute clip about life in Western Australia (Perth) in the 1960s from the National Film and Sound Archives.

With this clip as a stimulus, the conversations should draw out other aspects of context that have shaped Jasper Jones  including the White Australia Policy, fears of communism, gender roles, Indigenous rights, and the Vietnam War.

Students should plan their responses prior to writing. Once their conversations have been written and edited, students could role-play their scripts with another class member, including possible presentation with costume and set. Alternatively, students could record their conversations via film or audio and present them to the class. (ACELT1641)    (ACELT1812)    (ACELY1751)    (ACELY1757)    (EN5-1A)    (EN5-3B)

The writer’s craft

Character and characterisation.

Refer to the English textual concept of character , coming back to the point that textual representation of character is a fictional construct.

Discuss with students the concept of stereotypes. What purpose do they serve and how have they been used in literature and life? Have students in small groups share their concepts about different stereotypes that they might be aware of, even from just what they know in their immediate worlds (students, teachers, parents, grandparents, athletes, celebrities, etc.). Discuss with students the nature of stereotypes within Jasper Jones.

• How do we see Silvey using stereotypes as a part of his approach to characterisation in the novel, and what purpose does this approach serve?

One way to apply this discussion to the text is to have students draw up a Venn diagram that compares Charlie and Jasper in relation to their personalities and home description, as presented early in the novel (pp. 5–15).

• What aspects of stereotyping do we see early on in the novel?
• How does this help Silvey achieve his purpose?

Values sort activity

• Students select two characters: one that they think is the story’s most admirable character, and one that is the least admirable.
• State three virtues and vices for each character.
• Discuss those values with a partner.
• Circle three of your character’s worst values and invert them to see how closely they align to your own, and (as narrator) to Charlie’s, values?
• How does context influence these responses?

(ACELA1566)     (ACELT1639)     (EN5-6C)

Discuss with students how Charlie is essential in epitomising the bildungsroman (coming-of-age) aspects in the novel. Students could consider the way language is used to position Charlie as being in awe of Jasper: ‘I stick close behind [to Jasper], like a loyal and leash-less dog’ (p. 10). Once the innocence of Charlie is established to the reader early in the novel, the tone quickly shifts towards one of awareness: ‘And it happens just 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’ (p. 18).

As per the discussion above, Charlie is a stereotype. There are ongoing references to his representation as being weedy, intelligent, a wearer of glasses, not sporty, pubescent. His time with Jasper is his first ever transgression and he regrets going very much – thinking to himself, ‘I want to leave,’ (p. 15) and saying to Jasper, ‘Why would you bring me here? I shouldn’t be here. I have to go back home’ (p. 13).

• Have students complete a timed writing task that addresses evidence that Charlie is a stereotype, based on student examples from the text.
• Read with the class Charlie’s interior monologue on page 25. Undertake close analysis of this writing, including the speech rhythms that reflect the pace and upheaval of the situation. Have students reflect on the impact of the italics for emphasis, as well as the repetition of the same sentence beginnings in this monologue.
• Consider the rhythm of prose on page 11 beginning from the last paragraph ‘And I believe’. Trace the use of anaphora of ‘I would … I would … I would never …’ and reflect with students on the relationship of diction and the voice of Charlie in this passage. Photocopy this page for students and have them white out the words after the sentence stems where Charlie says ‘I would/would never’. Discuss how this phrasing both visually and metaphorically represents Charlie in his following of Jasper, showing the transition from innocence to knowledge.
• Have students examine the language used to show Charlie’s sense of detachment when he is in a moral crisis (p. 32). Consider the way in which language is used to represent his detachment and his heightened anxiety on a continuum.
• Read page 54 as a class and consider the ways that Charlie represents himself. How does this description and self-reflection contribute to the bildungsroman aspects of the text?
• Consider with students how Silvey characterises Charlie so that he (Charlie), as a narrator, establishes contact with the audience? Ask students to record on post-it notes their opinion in response to the question: ‘Do you, as a reader, have respect for Charlie?’ These post-its can be displayed for students to read each other’s responses and discuss dominant trends and views as a class.
• Assist students to analyse Charlie’s stance, as narrator, on the action of the story, the behaviour of the characters, the influence of place. Are Charlie’s attitudes obvious, clear or hidden? What does Charlie approve and disapprove of? Students should refer to evidence in the text to support their thinking.

(ACELT1639)     (ACELT1640)     (ACELT1641)     (EN5-3B)

• Have students critique the characterisation of Jasper as the ‘other’. Note the way that he is marginalised, presented as a scapegoat. And Jasper knows it – he is more knowing than Charlie. Jasper knows he is ‘othered’; discuss Jasper’s awareness with students: ‘Because [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’ (p. 18).
• Consider with students that Jasper’s dialogue is full of active verbs, incorrect syntax, slang, colloquialisms and the stoicism of his identity. Jasper is strategic, careful, the complete opposite of how the town sees him – this is not a tear-away individual! What is Silvey communicating here about this important character?
• Spend time reflecting on the role of place in the novel, and how this works for characterisation. The clearing is Jasper’s own place; he has a clear connection to the land (p. 15). How does the juxtaposition in tone of, ‘But it is clear that something very violent has happened in this still space’ (p. 17) jar the reader and affect the portrayal of Jasper?
• Jasper’s assessment of Corrigan proves to be true. Whilst Jasper is an outsider, he is an insightful outsider. Review this excerpt below and consider how this relates back to the textual concept of context :

‘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 raise my head and look Jasper in the eye. ‘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’ (p. 30).

• Discuss with students how the extract above then contrasts with Charlie’s reflections of Jasper, presented below:

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 (p. 55).

Students can draw out that this extract shows Charlie’s sense of intuition, and how it is pitted against adult perceptions. Further discuss as a class how this also shows bildungsroman conventions and elements. (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELT1774)     (EN5-2A)

Laura Wishart

Analyse with students Charlie’s description on seeing Laura in the clearing for the first time (p. 12). ‘Her head is to the side, like a piece of biblical art. She looks disappointed and sad. Surrendered.’ The diction of ‘surrendered’ foreshadows the resolution surrounding Laura’s death. Key details which paint a back story, with Jasper reflecting, ‘Listen. I know for a fact that her old man is no good. He’s worthless, and he drinks worse than mine’ (p. 27). This personal perspective of a violent tyrant at home serves as a juxtaposition to Laura’s father’s public profile, which is one of authority and respectability.

• Discuss with students how Silvey has used the technique of characterisation to position a key character who enters the novel as deceased.

Read and reflect on the ways that Jasper shares with Charlie his time with Laura: ‘… she would sometimes get in these moods, where she just sat there quiet and never said nothing, but for some reason I understood that too’ (p. 43).

• What does this characterisation reveal about Laura’s character?

(ACELT1639)     (ACELT1642)     (EN5-7D)

Wesley Bucktin

Wesley Bucktin is a teacher of Literature. This idealogical approach leaves him not grounded in the real world, but rather escaping 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 very much influences and directs Charlie’s relationship with his father and influences his ability to process what he is going through. (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1641)     (EN5-3B)

Point of view

Re-introduce students to the English textual concept of  point of view .

Undertake with students a close study of point of view by considering the angle of vision, a concept of Lanser (1981) which relates to the speaker’s relationship to the message being sent. In  Jasper Jones this can be applied to adult hypocrisy. Wilhelm & Smith (2010) in  Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements   suggest considering the concept of authority (of Charlie on the topic of adult hypocrisy) on the following continuum scales:

Give students whiteboard markers and ask them to come up and indicate on the whiteboard where they think Charlie would be on the three scales identified above. Alternatively, students can vote with their feet by standing up and moving around on the continuum. Students need to be able to justify their choices, and in doing so may persuade other students to change their positions and thinking.

In discussing point of view with students, have them identify the fictional worldview of the narrator and how this perspective in turn determines the boundaries of the fictional world. Consider that as the novel is told from Charlie’s point of view, this affects the distance and pace in which the text moves. This is the use of focalisation: how a narrator positions a character in relation to the action. Encourage students when analysing Jasper Jones  to consider the narrative intention, noting Silvey’s lyricism of mind – through Charlie as he relates purely to himself. This is recognisable for adolescents in their own way of thinking, and reflects bildungsroman conventions.

The reader sees/hears a range of points of view on aspects of the plot through Charlie’s window (figuratively and literally). Have students identify and analyse how a 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 the window. This brings a point of view internal to each frame; the frames work together to develop the story and the characterisation of Charlie.

Have students identify moments in the novel where we see a character’s will contend with that of others. How does the use of point of view colour these situations and moments? 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 Bucktin’s role in the novel is an example of this.

Students should critique Charlie as their narrator. Students can do this via a ‘silent conversation’ activity in which the statements below are written on a piece of A3 paper, and are silently passed around the room for students to engage with via written expression. Students should be able to justify their positions and give evidence from the text to support their thinking. Possible statements could include (adapted from the English Textual Concepts website ):

• Charlie as a narrator is limited and deceptive.
• The impact of Charlie’s point of view is engaging as a reader.
• Charlie positions the reader effectively to be with the ‘hero’ (Jasper).
• Charlie’s point of view seeks to mask the ideology of the text.
• Charlie’s narration is satirical in tone.
• We are positioned by Charlie’s point of view to have an emotional response.
• Charlie’s point of view controls the meaning of a text and may be resisted.
• Charlie establishes a relationship with the audience, offering a sense of authority (consider the stance of the narrator).
• Craig Silvey is not too distant from Charlie as the narrator.
• Is Charlie too self-interested? Sufficiently experienced? Sufficiently moral? Sufficiently 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 readers perception of Corrigan. In gaining awareness of the significance of journeying with Jasper and learning of Laura’s death, Charlie uses the simile, ‘like a snow-dome paperweight that’s been shaken’ (p. 23) to mirror the confined nature of the small mining town.

As a class read and consider Charlie’s introspection and point of view by reading page 51 closely. Consider the ways in which Charlie’s perspective does not necessarily equal the reader’s perspective, for example: ‘[Jasper] looks done in and drunk, but he arches his back with a jolt, projecting that toughness again’ (p. 51). For example, does the reader really believe that Jasper is ‘tough’?

Have students undertake the following activity independently and then come back and share as a class. Students are to read from ‘Now I walk side by side’ to ‘he treats me like I’m equal’ on page 50 and then examine Charlie’s personal evaluations and analyse the language used to show his perspective in this excerpt.

Charlie’s personal evaluation can then be contrasted with how he feels at the end of this chapter, from ‘And he’s gone’ to ‘And it’s over, for now’ on page 52. (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELT1812)     (EN5-2A)     (EN5-7D)

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. Drawing on the rewriting task below, which involves a retelling of the events of the attack on An Lu’s garden, discuss with students the role of bystanders and ‘upstanders’ in racism, 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 question in an extended response:

• How does understanding the social and cultural context of the novel help frame the way that racism is presented?

The way in which the ‘adult world’ is represented by Charlie highlights hypocrisy and deception. This examination is best explored through the sections on point of view and coming-of-age (bildungsroman) later in the unit. An extended response question to further draw this out is:

• How does Craig Silvey’s  Jasper Jones  explore the importance of truth?

Such a question brings great depth and opportunity for discussion and reflection as there are many different layers and levels at play for such a response. Students are also able to develop their skills in empathetic understanding and thinking – particularly when faced with that initial dilemma so early on of Jasper coming to the window, and Charlie choosing to follow first and then help Jasper (an important step in moving from innocence to knowing).

• Discuss as a class what aspects of language (tone and point of view especially) Silvey employs early in the novel to evoke empathy – to show that Charlie does want to follow and assist Jasper.

(ACELT1640)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELY1776)     (EN5-2A)

Narrative meaning in context

Students should reflect on the narrative structure of  Jasper Jones: its chapter forms, commencement in action, and the way the story is unfolded for us. In so doing, they can evaluate how successfully the reader was compelled and engaged. Students could critique the narrative’s meaning in context, asking if there was anything that could have been improved or done differently.

The following activities could be undertaken either by choice or distribution across the class grouping.

• Have students consider how Silvey uses elements of style and characterisation to create a social commentary. How effectively was this done? How did 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 together in pairs to find textual evidence to support their investigation.
• Students may draw on their dramatic and video recording skills to dramatise the narrator’s point of view at key points in the novel. This could be done simply via a montage of freeze frames every few chapters to recap the main ideas, or as segments of role-play in dramatic re-enactments to highlight key moments of narrative tension. In so doing, students could reflect on the narrative being redirected into a different form. Does the main message stay the same? How does the communication method change and impact the narrative when a different medium is used? Following this, have students reflect on the nature of dramatising a written text, and foreshadow the text type adaptations that successfully exist for Jasper Jones, including the film and play (this is detailed in the Significance section of this resource).
• Students may also revise their imaginative writing conventions to re-tell the ending of the novel (at Mad Lionel’s) in the voice of Jasper. In a subsequent session have students re-tell an extract from Eliza’s point of view after detailed language analysis of her voice. Finally, have students re-tell the incident of the garden attack on Jeffrey’s family from a helper’s perspective (Wesley Bucktin). Students can complete written reflections for these three writing exercises, by considering the nature of how shifts in narrative voice affected the text’s meaning.
• In small groups students could analyse and dissect the ending. Was it credible? What could a sequel to  Jasper Jones  tell the story of?

(ACELT1641)    (ACELT1812)     (EN5-5C)

Synthesising task

Students are to prepare and deliver a multimodal presentation on the importance of Jeffrey Lu as a character in Jasper Jones . This presentation can be in any multi-modal format that seeks to engage an audience (PowerPoint presentation, drama, short film, podcast, vodcast/vlog, conversation, newspaper article, visual representation). The presentation must include textual evidence relating to Jeffery Lu to support the notion of his importance to the novel.

The focus of the presentation should be on how his character enhances the narrative and the important contribution he makes to it through his role in providing comic relief, the resilience he demonstrates and the cultural diversity, grounded in the historical backdrop of the Vietnam War, which he brings to Corrigan – making him a symbol of unity and power. (ACELA1571)     (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELY1756)    (ACELY1776)     (EN5-5C)     (EN5-7D)

Ways of reading the text

Different perspectives, different responses.

Explain to students that texts can be ‘read’ and interpreted in different ways, according to the actual or adopted context of the reader. In developing a strong personal engagement with the text, students can enhance a personal response by testing their own reading of the text against those of others. Some ideas and activities relating to this are explored below.

Students could discuss the different aspects of these readings, and reflect if there is any one that they identify within their own response. Students could compose some written reflections in response to these ‘readings’, and seek to identify textual evidence to support their thinking.

Draw on the historical context to frame race relations in the novel. How are people of different races depicted in Jasper Jones?  Profile Jasper and consider the representations of him as a First Nations individual. 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 race and colour? Consider the varied treatment of the Lu family in the text. 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 – does it have resemblances to other smaller or larger communities, or is Corrigan unique in its treatment of those of different race, or ‘others’?

Have students identify and critique gender roles and expectations in the novel. Review the introductory activities in the Initial Response section of this unit 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 historical, social and cultural context and what do students make of this today? Have students consider how important gender and gendered roles are in the novel.

3. Dominant reading

This is a traditional reading in which the coming-of-age or bildungsroman aspect of the text would be emphasised for meaning and purpose. What do students make of this approach to the text? Is it as signifiant an element as it seems to be?

4. Resistant reading

This is a reading in which students analyse the most dominant reading of the text (traditional/conventional), and then seek to challenge it by posing arguments against its purported themes and issues and its implications for the novel’s characters and their actions. For example, this might involve a reading that sympathises with the situation of Ruth Bucktin.

5. Literary connections

Consider the rich use of allusions, intertextuality and influences from other literary sources that have been portrayed and used in the text. Students can discuss what these additional references do to enhance one’s reading of the text.

6. Ethics and morality

The dominant reading of this novel is that of a coming-of-age text, a convention of which is that there are a number of moral dilemmas and ethical challenges that individuals face. The characters’ responses to these situations reveal a snapshot of how others 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. (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELY1752)     (EN5-5C)

Comparison with other texts

Versions of the text in other modes, media and contexts.

The play (script) version of Jasper Jones is an adaptation of the novel written by Kate Mulvany and, as is the novel, communicated from Charlie’s perspective (soliloquies and inner monologues abound). The script is available for purchase from the Australian Plays website. Students can read a play extract for free and discuss the way in which the narrative and characters have been adapted for a different medium. Students could act out part of the extract in class.

Have students listen to the  ABC Radio National podcast  in which Silvey, Mulvany and two actors from the play discuss the novel as an adaptation.

• Discuss with students what choices and decisions would have been made by Mulvany for the adaptation and the impact she desired to see for a theatre audience (collective), as opposed to a reader audience (individual).
• Students could consider the effect of shifting the form from novel to the stage, and who the intended audience might be.

Students can collaboratively conduct research online, sharing their research in a Google Slide as they look up different play posters and moments captured from different stage versions of Jasper Jones  from across Australia. There are some excellent staging and set designs captured, and students should seek to identify the use of symbols and props in bringing the story to life on the stage. Students could also draw on textual evidence from the novel to share when and where they think this particular moment is taking place.

• Students could discuss the implications for staging the text, and what particular ideas, scenes and local contexts they would consider and seek to replicate from the novel.
• Students could undertake a script writing activity in which they choose a moment or action sequence from the novel Jasper Jones  and rewrite it into a stage play scene, complete with dialogue and stage directions.

Searching on YouTube ‘Jasper Jones the play’ reveals a number of play/theatre trailers (often 30 seconds long). Students in small groups could 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.

View with students this news clip of rural school students in South Australia traveling 300 kilometres to Adelaide to view a stage production of Jasper Jones . 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.’

• How might the play version of  Jasper Jones  seek to connect with audiences in a different way from the novel?

(ACELA1566)    (ACELA1572)     (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1640)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELY1752)     (EN5-5C)

Craig Silvey co-wrote the screenplay for the film, Jasper Jones: ‘In novels, anything is possible. Screenplays don’t have that freedom … it made me a more efficient writer’ ( Craig Silvey on taking Jasper Jones from book to screen ). Organise for students to reflect on what Silvey is saying here about the writing process. Students could complete a writing activity in which they write about a situation in one form – say, in a short story format – and then write about the same situation in another form and reflect on their experiences as writers for both formats.

Share with students the article  Jasper Jones  and the Art of Adept Adaptation . The idea underpinning this reflective piece is that it can be a challenge for an author to adapt their own original work for a new medium. In this instance, Silvey as co-writer for the screenplay presented an opportunity to improve the story of Jasper Jones.  Discuss with students this concept.

View the Jasper Jones  film trailer (two minutes thirteen seconds) with students via YouTube. Compare this trailer with the US film trailer, also on YouTube , and have students note and account for the differences. Discuss the nature of representation of the text from a novel to cinematic form. How does the film trailer influence and inform a reading of the novel?

Watch the short film ‘Finding Corrigan’  (three minutes) in which director Rachel Perkins discusses the nature of setting and location for an authentic representation of Corrigan. Have students discuss what aspects of the physical landscape and setting from the novel are most important, and re-watch the film trailer to see how this has been included.

Students can research online the different examples of the Jasper Jones  film poster that exist. Students should use their visual literacy skills to analyse these film posters as representations according to audience and purpose. For extension, students can access the professional photo gallery available on the Jasper Jones film Instagram account  and recaption these images with quotes from the novel.

View with students  the promotional extract of the Jasper Jones film chosen for promotion on NITV . Have students reflect on why this particular excerpt was chosen and what is the desired effect? (ACELA1566)     (ACELA1572)     (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1640)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELY1752)    (ACELY1756)     (EN5-3B)

Other texts using similar approaches or dealing with similar ideas  

Ongoing allusion to American gothic writers of the South is something Silvey self-references on his website  when reflecting on the composition of Jasper Jones . Students could research some of the writers referred to (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, students can read extracts of Truman Capote’s  A Christmas Memory .  As a key influence for Silvey, students can identify elements of the Southern Gothic genre and style which is synonymous with this text.

There is an extensive range of quality Australian writers and texts that deals with coming-of-age issues that would serve as excellent related material. Use the search tab on 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 titles. 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 students do more reading and thinking on this topic.

Furthermore, in considering the Australian literary landscape in relation to this topic, it can be approached through specific cultural lenses such as the important  Growing Up in Australia series ( Asian , Aboriginal , African , Queer , Disabled ) , 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, and  The Hate Race by Maxine Beneba Clarke.

The consideration of First Nations perspectives on coming-of-age could be explored through texts such as  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,  A Mother’s Disgrace  by Robert Dessaix and  Evil Genius  by Catherine Jinks.

As well as the specific titles above, considering the wider representation of coming-of-age issues in an Australian context, teachers could refer to the blog  Rites of Passage in Australia  (some sensitive material).

Internationally, the text  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 upon and discuss what elements they would expect to find in a text if it had the label of being ‘Australian literature’. Student responses could range from:

• distinct setting and landscape representation (harsh, dry, barren)
• working characters
• use of language
• culture and racial representations.

Discuss the responses and consider  Jasper Jones against what the students have demonstrated in their thinking. Examine together 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 and with young men being required to service this need through conscription?

Have students evaluate the text’s effectiveness as a piece representative of Australian literature from:

• a migrant perspective
• an Indigenous perspective
• a metropolitan perspective
• a rural perspective.

How authentic is the representation and voice of Australian cultures according to these perspectives? How effective would this text be as a piece of historical archive if it was promoted as reflective of the time?

The messaging with regards to 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 their own 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. (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1774)     (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1752)     (ACELY1756)     (EN5-5C)

Identifying language and stylistic techniques

Discuss with students Silvey’s use of the oppressive heat, and the effects of this recognisably Australian sweltering summer which reflects and adds to the often suffocating moments in time which Charlie experiences.

• How might this also be reflective of the southern American writers to which Silvey has alluded in his influences?
• How does this style add to the Australian gothic genre of writing?

Note with students that the heat is combined with pathetic fallacy : action often happening under the cover of night and reflecting that darkness. Re-read some of these particular moments in the novel together as a class.

Representation of the nature of reality

Have students identify aspects of Silvey’s writing which reflect realism and authenticity with regards to voice and representation. Students can compare Jasper’s dialogue and language use with that of Jeffrey and Eliza. Consider how Silvey has been able to make these different voices so individually distinct and reflective of their unique personalities and characters. Have the students identify particular examples via quotes, and analyse them for meaning.

Intertextuality

Identify the different examples of allusion to other events/situations/literary works that Silvey has used in Jasper Jones . These relate not only to literary intertextuality, but also to cultural allusions and symbols which 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? (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELT1644)     (EN5-3B)

Rich assessment task (responding)

The front cover of Jasper Jones engages with one of numerous references claiming that the text is “… an Australian To Kill A Mockingbird .” Explore the significance of this declaration with students.

Should students not be familiar with this referenced 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 ‘. Students could also research some of the comparisons from the extensive information available on this topic online via a Google search: ‘Compare Jasper Jones  with To Kill A Mockingbird’ . Have students create a venn diagram or table to show their comparison findings.

Students will then be able to compose an extended response in which they present a researched and referenced opinion regarding the claim that Jasper Jones equates to an Australian To Kill a  Mockingbird, and if so, how/why their opinion is so founded.

As a follow-up task, students could ask and respond to the questions:

• What does Jasper Jones do to an Australian reader , that To Kill A Mockingbird can’t?
• What makes this text particularly special and significant?

Read with students about what a  listicle is and how to write one. Discuss why they are useful and what purpose they serve. Explore together 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 create their own listicle as a task, with the topic being ‘The significance of Jasper Jones in the wider world’.

This listicle could be character driven and focus on the main enlightening issues and actions of the novel. It would 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 on a Microsoft/Google Document, or could be done online via a free website such as Blogger , Weebly , or WordPress . (ACELA1570)     (ACELA1571)     (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1644)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1774)    (ACELY1756)     (ACELY1757)     (ACELY1776)     (EN5-1A)     (EN5-6C)

Synthesising core ideas

Addressing and justifying any revisions to the initial response.

Organise students to revisit their initial responses to Jasper Jones  which were collected and logged at bubbl.us , and identify as a class reflections that resonate and are meaningful now that students have read and analysed the text. Would students change any of these initial ideas or approaches to the reading of the text? If so, what was a turning point in the novel for their thinking?

Set up different stations around the classroom. At these stations, there are A3 sheets of paper with questions and discussion prompts on them. Students rotate through these stations for a short time under the teacher’s direction. The stations might be based on the following reflection questions, and students could also write down their thoughts on the sheet before moving on to the next station.

• Jasper Jones  was nothing like I thought it would be …
• One moment that sticks out in my mind 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 …

(ACELA1570)    (ACELT1640)    (ACELT1641)    (ACELT1812)     (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1752)    (EN5-5C)

Reflecting on awareness of the text’s wider cultural value

Have students reflect on the nature of being a writer and storyteller. Discuss as a class how Jasper Jones has encouraged more reading, writing and storytelling in the lives of the students. This next excerpt is very much self-referential, as Silvey in Jasper Jones presents Jasper encouraging Charlie:

‘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.’ (p. 47)

Encourage students to reflect on the text’s cultural value, and consider if it should continue to be studied at school. What cultural value does it hold for Australian school students, and indeed members of society? Is Jasper Jones rightly considered young adult literature?

Jasper Jones is called an Australian ‘modern classic’ ( Hunter and Bligh ). Have students interrogate and explain the meaning of this oxymoron . What does this mean for the text and do students think this claim justified?

Consider the representation of Indigenous issues and experiences in the novel. Cross reference this with a reflection from First Nations writer Ellen van Neerven, who reflected on ABC Education :

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.

Whilst Silvey does not identify as being Indigenous, it is interesting to note that the film version of  Jasper Jones  was directed by renowned Indigenous film maker, Rachel Perkins .

Sensitively discuss with students what Jasper Jones might contribute to a conversation on reconciliation and Indigenous issues. (ACELA1570)     (ACELT1640)    (ACELT1641)    (ACELT1812)     (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1752)    (EN5-5C)

Developing a coherent, conclusive statement of understanding regarding the text and its themes

Once students have had the opportunity to review the different learning activities completed within this unit, they should write a one-paragraph reflection on what studying Jasper Jones  has meant to them. This reflection exercise could be turned into a timed writing activity, followed up with peer feedback.

Additionally, using the free online tool Kahoot , students can synthesise their understanding of the novel and its ideas by creating an online quiz for the rest of the class. So as not to double up on content, different students could focus on different textual concepts within the novel (theme, character, setting, point of view, genre).

Now the unit is drawing to a close, discuss with students the significance of the title, exploring the notion that Eliza Wishart and Charlie Bucktin are just as important to the plot and messaging of the novel as Jasper Jones. Have students develop a coherent, conclusive statement of understanding as to why the novel is named Jasper Jones . Students are to compose their statements, using high modality language, and then share these with the class, either orally or in groups.

Provide students with the following writing prompt – Courageous Charlie: Discuss how Charlie discovers the true meaning of courage in Jasper Jones.

This is expanded below, with a quote qualifying the statement: ‘Charlie defeats the local racists, faces the breakup of his parents and falls head over heels in love as he discovers what it means to be truly courageous’ (Lynne Erlandson, Cedar Mill Library ). Students are to complete a piece of writing which draws on their knowledge and understanding of the entirety of  Jasper Jones  to answer the question. (ACELT1774)    (ACELT1644)     (ACELY1756)     (EN5-6C)

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’ ( Craig Silvey, 2018 ). Frame the following activities as opportunities for reflection and consolidation of the unit and the text.

• As this is a text that relates to coming-of-age, students can reflect to what extent they feel that they, too, have come of age with this text. They can reflect on their own journey as readers, how they have grown and moved from innocence to the ‘known’ and ‘aware’ 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 and reflection? In their reflection, students can consider Charlie’s relationships with his parents and how these relationship dynamics contribute to the bildungsroman impact. Students might like to consider their own parental/caregiver relationships in this way, too.
• Writing comical characters: students are to consider the impact of Jeffrey Lu as a character in Jasper Jones . Not only does he begrudgingly win over the respect of Corrigan with his cricket skills, but his lighthearted friendship with Charlie intentionally breaks up pockets of tension in the novel. Out of all the sports, why is it cricket that Silvey has chosen as the sport in which Jeffrey can triumph? Students could identify any other aspects of the text in which they smiled/laughed in relation to character behaviour. Have them reflect upon and share these moments in the text. Perhaps students could compose short texts in which humour/comic relief is the aim. These should be character-based but could also be in any setting. Following this time of composition, have students reflect on how easy or challenging they found the task, and what was the desired impact for the readers of their pieces? Students might like to share some of their writing with the class, with the class undertaking a ‘try not to laugh’ challenge.

(ACELT1641)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELY1749)   (ACELY1752)   (ACELY1756)     (EN5-3B)

Rich assessment task (responding and creating)

Discuss with students the nature of podcasts as a way of capturing intimate and thoughtful conversations with a much wider audience in mind. Reflect on the growing popularity of podcasts on a whole variety of topics in Australia and the world over the last decade. Explore The Garret Podcast , with writers on writing (as well as the Reading Australia features and resources).

Arrange for students to listen to some of these podcasts which feature the film, stage and text versions of  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:

• ABC Radio Nightlife : At the movies: T2 Trainspotting and Jasper Jones
• ABC Radio National :   Final Cut: Jasper Jones 
• ABC Radio National : Rachel Perkins and Craig Silvey on making Jasper Jones
• Belvoir Theatre :  Jasper Jones Backstage
• SBS Radio : “I want to know what happened” Silvey and Perkins on Jasper Jones
• Australian Writers Centre Podcast : Sydney Writers’ Centre 42: Craig Silvey
• Fremantle Press Podcast : The Business of being a writer: Craig Silvey

Students should seek to record a podcast exploring the central concepts in Jasper Jones .  The style and format of the recording can be decided by the student. Some suggested contexts might include:

• Silvey talking at a Writers’ Festival
• Allen & Unwin, the publishers, discussing coming-of-age features in the text
• Silvey and Perkins 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.

(ACELA1565)     (ACELA1570)     (ACELA1571)     (ACELT1640)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1814)     (ACELY1751)   (ACELY1752)   (ACELY1757)     (ACELY1756)     (ACELY1776)     (EN5-3B)     (EN5-7D)

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Subscriber resources:

• AustLit – Jasper Jones
• AustLit – Craig Silvey

Please note that AustLit is a rich resource for any study of Australian literature or Australian writers. To access this online resource, you need to do so via your school library or through your own personal membership of your state or Territory library service. Talk to your school or local librarian for more information.

About the book and author:

• Copyright Agency: Reading Australia – Jasper Jones
• Copyright Agency: Reading Australia – Craig Silvey
• Allen & Unwin – Jasper Jones
• Readings – Craig Silvey
• LitCharts – Jasper Jones Summary
• Facebook Page – Craig Silvey Author
• Wikipedia – Jasper Jones
• Wikipedia – Craig Silvey
• National Library of Australia: Trove – Jasper Jones
• Better Reading
• Sydney Morning Herald / The Age
• Kirkus Review
• Big Book Club, News.com.au

Discussions, interviews and related links:

• Booktopia – ‘Craig Silvey Answers Ten Terrifying Questions’, 12 April 2010
• Pelican Magazine – After the dust settled: author Craig Silvey on the threat of censorship, 10 Mar 2018
• WA Today – West Australian school heads off book ban fears, 12 Feb 2018
• Kill Your Darlings – Jasper Jones and the Art of Adept Adaptation, 16 Mar 2017
• If Magazine – Jasper Jones author Craig Silvey talks to IF about adapting his own novel, 12 Mar 2017
• The West Australian – Fremantle author Craig Silvey shares beloved book Jasper Jones ’ journey to the big screen, 2 Mar 2017
• The Film Pie – Interview – Rachel Perkins & Craig Silvey discuss Jasper Jones , 1 Mar 2017
• The Music – Jasper Jones Author Craig Silvey on Bringing His Modern Australian Classic To the Screen, 28 Feb 2017
• Perth Now Eastern Reporter Community News – Screen time for Craig Silvey book Jasper Jones , 27 Feb 2017
• For Pity Sake Publishing – Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey: How does the film measure up to the book?, 27 Feb 2017
• ABC Radio National – Jasper Jones and coming-of-age stories, 22 Feb 2017
• The Sydney Morning Herald – Jasper Jones creator: ‘I starved for 10 years to get to this point’, 20 Feb 2017
• Cinema Australia – Interview: Rachel Perkins and Craig Silvey ( Jaspe r Jones ), 28 Feb 2017
• The Wheeler Centre – Craig Silvey on Adapting Jasper Jones , 8 Aug 2016
• Melbourne Theatre Company – Craig Silvey on Writing Jasper Jones , 27 Jul 2016
• ABC News – Jasper Jones , novel dubbed ‘Australia’s To Kill a Mockingbird’, jumps from page to stage, 8 Jan 2016
• Prezi – Presentation by Sabrina Hughes: Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, 29 Apr 2014
• ABC Education – The story behind Jasper Jones , 2012
• Australian Writers’ Centre Podcast – Craig Silvey: Award-winning novelist, 15 Oct 2011
• The Monthly – ‘ Jasper Jones : A Novel’ by Craig Silvey, May 2009
• ABC Radio National – Smalltown boys: discrimination and isolation in 1960s Australia, 1 May 2009
• Allen & Unwin – Craig Silvey discusses writing Jasper Jones
• Margolis, R. (2011). Secrets and lies . School Library Journal, 57(7), 15 . 
• English-in-Aotearoa Issue 95 : Key Notes, Craig Silvey
• Booktopia TV – Q&A with Craig Silvey on Jasper Jones , posted 20 Feb 2017
• windmillbooks – Craig Silvey talks about Jasper Jones , posted 19 May 2010
• Madman Films – Jasper Jones – Official Trailer, posted 14 Dec 2016
• melbtheatreco – Jasper Jones | From Page to Stage, posted 28 Jul 2016
• Benython Oldfield – Charlie and Jasper are the antithesis of each other, posted 16 May 2010
• Benython Oldfield – Craig Silvey reads from Jasper Jones , posted 16 May 2010
• Benython Oldfield – Jasper Jones came to me late one night…, posted 16 May 2010

Papers, critical commentary, essays and journal articles:

• Cabucos, J. 2020, ‘Social Hierarchicalism and Morality in Craig Silvey’s Novel Jasper Jones ’ . Available from: sayaeducation.com
• Shipp, C. 2013, ‘Bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the classroom: Why and how’, Literacy Learning: the Middle Years, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 24–29. Available from: Australian Literacy Educators Association

Teaching approach and resources:

• Allen & Unwin – Jasper Jones Reading Group Notes / Teachers’ Notes
• BookRags – Jasper Jones Summary & Study Guide
• English Textual Concepts (NSW Department of Education and English Teachers Association NSW)
• Missship WordPress – Aboriginal perspectives in the English classroom: finding texts to teach

Related listings and synopses:

• Penguin Random House
• Berkelouw Books
• Angus & Robertson
• Book Depository

  Literary blog reviews:

• Whispering Gums
• Sara Foster
• Perry Middlemiss
• ANZ LitLovers LitBlog  

Unit Suitable For AC: Year 10 (NSW Stage 5). With some minor adaptation, this resource could also be used in the Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum (English): Units 1 or 2, or NSW Stage 6.

Duration Five to six weeks

Curriculum Summary

Find a summary table for Australian Curriculum: English content descriptions and NSW Syllabus outcomes for this unit.

General Capabilities

Cross-curriculum Priorities

Further Details

Publisher Allen & Unwin

Date of Publication 2009

ISBN 9781760295929

Category Novels

SCIS number

Unit writers.

ALEX WHARTON has taught English in a variety of primary and secondary contexts across metropolitan and rural NSW, holding different teaching and leadership roles related to subject English and literacy. He currently works at Carinya Christian School, Gunnedah. Alex has researched, published and presented professional learning for English teachers in local, state and national contexts on a range of topics, and is a director of ETA NSW. In 2019 Alex was the inaugural recipient of the Copyright Agency’s Reading Australia Fellowship for Teachers of English and Literacy. His research was a literary analysis of the representation of the colonial experience.

ANN SMALL has taught English for decades. She has been a writer for the Australian Curriculum: English, and a syllabus writer for the NSW Educational Standards Authority. Ann has developed units of work for the English Teachers Association NSW and the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and has been a member of the NSW HSC English (Advanced and Standard) Examination committee and a supervisor of marking. She is an occasional teacher at the University of Western Sydney and is currently the Education Officer for ETA NSW.

© AATE 2020

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From Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey Text © 2010 Reproduced by permission of Allen & Unwin

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Jasper Jones

By craig silvey.

• Jasper Jones Summary

In the summer of 1965 in the Australian mining town of Corrigan, 13-year-old Charlie Bucktin is surprised late one night when Jasper Jones shows up with promises of taking him to see something very special out in the bush. Jasper has a bit of a rebellious streak that Charlie finds intriguing. Of course, it’s not all Jasper’s fault; rebellion is a natural reaction to being deemed an outcast simply because, like Jasper, your blood is mixed with the heritage of the indigenous Aborigines and the whites who showed up to take over their land. On this particular evening, Jasper seems a little overstimulated compared to his usual state of mind, however, and when Charlie follows him to his secret glade in the bush, he finds out why: the dead body of Jasper’s girlfriend, Laura Wishart , is hanging from a tree. And from the looks of it, she was beaten before being hanged.

Jasper’s unexpected arrival served a purpose: he needs Charlie’s help in burying the body. And he knows he must dispose of the body because otherwise he will get the blame and bear the brunt of the punishment. Together, the two boys manage to sink the corpse to the bottom of a reservoir with a big rock serving as its anchor.

It doesn’t take long for the town to realize that Laura has gone missing, and though most assume she ran away, a search is organized. The police, as expected, target Jasper for intense interrogation of a typically excessive nature, but he is eventually released. Even so, a bitter sort of energy is becoming almost palpable throughout the town as they look for someone to blame in the face of their fear that Laura won’t be the last victim.

Charlie deals with his emotional turmoil by playing cricket with his best friend, Jeffrey Lu . Jeffery is from Vietnam. Jeffrey, like Jasper, has had more than his share of dealing with suspicion and paranoia bred by racial intolerance, for example when he tried out for a spot on Corrigan’s cricket team only to have it made abundantly clear that he wasn’t welcome. Cricket becomes a source of relief for both Charlie and Jeffrey as Jeffrey becomes the hero of the game at the exact moment that Charlie has his first kiss with Laura’s younger sister, Eliza.

Meanwhile, Jasper has become convinced that a weird old guy who lives alone amid rumors of a dark past is the person responsible for killing Laura. Jasper convinces Charlie to accompany him to Mad Jack Lionel’s house only to come face to face with an entirely different conclusion: the old man is Jasper’s own grandfather and that dark past involved accidentally killing Jasper’s mom while speeding in an effort to get her to the hospital before she gave birth. Like his grandson, Mad Jack Lionel has been ostracized by the community.

Another late night, another unexpected visitor for Charlie. This time it is Eliza, and he accompanies her out to Jasper’s glade. While there, Charlie learns the truth about what happened the night Laura died. Eliza explains how her sister got into a terrible fight with their dad before running away to find Jasper. Eliza decided to follow her to the glade and watched as her sister, pregnant with a child by her own father, killed herself. Eliza, in great distress, confesses that she tried to save her but failed. Charlie is then moved to make his own confession about what he and Jasper did with her body. The very same night, they both spy Charlie’s mother making out inside a car with a man who isn't her husband.

Charlie decides not to leave Corrigan as planned, but has no qualms at all about his mother deciding to hit the road. Eliza shows the suicide note Laura left to her mother as proof of just how abusive their father really is and warns that if she decides to do nothing about it, she won't ever tell her mother where Laura's body lies.

Telling no one, Jasper also leaves town. Only Charlie seems to notice his absence.

Jasper Jones Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Jasper Jones is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

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Study Guide for Jasper Jones

Jasper Jones study guide contains a biography of Craig Silvey, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Jasper Jones
• Character List

Essays for Jasper Jones

Jasper Jones essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

• Truth and Justice in Jasper Jones
• Jasper Jones: Justice, Agency, and Perspective
• Australian Culture and Jasper Jones
• Quick Thinking in the Toughest Times: Heroism in Seabiscuit and Jasper Jones
• Themes of Prejudice in Jasper Jones

Lesson Plan for Jasper Jones

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Jasper Jones
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Jasper Jones Bibliography

Jasper Jones Essay

Jasper Jones By: Ciara Mickle The Novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey revolves around a young boy named Charlie Bucktin living in the small Australian town of Corrigan in the 1960’s. Charlie is exposed to the confronting issues of racial prejudice, injustice and moral duality. He is challenged to question right from wrong, has to come to the realization that law doesn’t always uphold justice and we as readers are positioned to understand that people are capable of holding two conflicting values and remain in confortable harmony. The ideas are portrayed through Silvey’s use of narrative conventions that are used to either challenge or reinforce our values, attitudes and beliefs on the issues explored. Our morals and ethics is …show more content…

Silvey is expressing this theme through the establishment of characters and plot. His message is that the Law and what seems morally right, doesn’t necessarily uphold justice. Jasper Jones has a bad reputation in Corrigan and after his discovery of Laura’s body, Charlie argues that they should go to the police but Jasper knows that the rule of law doesn’t apply to him. He is the town’s scapegoat when an incident occurs and says, “We can’t tell anyone. Especially the Police… they are gonna say it was me.” (page 13). When the disappearance of Laura becomes public, Jasper is locked up and bashed by her father the “Shire President”. Throughout the novel Pete Wishart is always referred to by this title. He is supposed to be a public figure and role model but instead he’s an abusive drunk that impregnated his daughter and manhandled a child. This misconduct shows how power can be misused and the double standards that exist in society. The myth of ‘Mad Jack Lionel’ burdened the town of Corrigan. Rumours were spread concerning his involvement with the death of Rosie Jones and he was Jaspers first suspicion as to what had happened to Laura. “The lies and suppositions were just heaped upon the stack” (page 240). He had been wrongfully accused and blamed for things he did not do and his town turned its back on him. The unjust treatment of Jasper and Jack Lionel shows that people are so quick to judge and make assumptions about others without knowing a thing about them. It

David Jones SWOT Essay

David Jones Ltd (DJS), one of Australia’s oldest and most recognised department stores was founded in Sydney in 1838 and is a retailer of diversified products ranging from clothes to daily home products. This report’s purpose is to provide the David Jones’ Board and Senior Management advice through the assessment of SWOT, resources, capabilities and strategies with a Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map as the measurement of the strategies.

Deadly Unna Essay

Phillip Gwyne’s novel, “Deadly Unna?” explores how the main character Gary Black, a white boy from the “Port” also known as “Blacky” grows up by not agreeing to racism. Blacky experiences prejudice and friendship from both the aboriginal and white communities. Blacky begins to develop a greater tolerance for aborigines and their culture, and then he further attempts to apply this knowledge to the intolerant and prejudiced town in which he lives. The boy who helps him shift in his opinion of aborigines is a local aborigine named “Dumby Red”, who lives in the aboriginal missionary “The Point”. Dumby is of Blacky’s Football team and helps Blacky in various ways to become more tolerant.

Richard Wright’s novel, Black Boy Essay

In Richard Wright’s novel, Black Boy, Richard is struggling to survive in a racist environment in the South. In his youth, Richard is vaguely aware of the differences between blacks and whites. He scarcely notices if a person is black or white, and views all people equally. As Richard grows older, he becomes more and more aware of how whites treat blacks, the social differences between the races, and how he is expected to act when in the presence of white people. Richard, with a rebellious nature, finds that he is torn between his need to be treated respectfully, with dignity and as an individual with value and his need to conform to the white rules of society for survival and acceptance.

Jasper Jones Study Notes

* ‘This late, the architecture is desolate and reached of colour’’ symbolic, suggests of life having been washed out in the town-devoid of colour.

Frederick Jones Biography Essay

An award winner of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Frederick Jones was well known for his invention of the refrigerator. As a child, Frederick faced many challenges at an early age. After his challenging childhood, he taught himself mechanical and electrical engineering. He became the first African American elected to the American Society of Refrigeration Engineering.

Novels are produced for a cause or purpose for the readers. The author either talks about their own

Novels are produced for a cause or purpose for the readers. The author either talks about their own experience or stories that they have learnt in life, and then they transform it into a text that we can all understand. In the text ‘Dougy’ by James Moloney, he states real life problems, inviting the readers to learn from the themes and problems that occur. James Moloney tells us that children are not born racist. There will always be critics in life and rules are there for a reason.

Comparison Of Jasper Jones By Craig Silvey

The novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey has many connections and similarities to the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel Jasper Jones leaves the reader wondering whether Silvey intentionally wrote his novel to have so many connections to the classic, and if so what was the purpose? The novels share connections between characters, key ideas/themes and orientation of the novel.

Keeping Up with the Jones Essay

She has always been neglected by her parents because they pay more attention to her brother. She ran a lot but didn’t eat anything and passed out. She also weighed herself for fun.

Jasper Jones Courage Quotes

It's the middle of the night and Charlie hears a pounding on his window, he looks over and sees jasper jones. Jasper tells Charlie to follow him Charlie musters up the courage to follow Charlie out his window and down to the woods in the dark night. Jasper Jones written by: Craig Silvey, is a story of two boy that found a dead girl and are trying to hide it from the police as they themselves try to track down the killer. They look into many dead ends trying to find the killer but they will find out what happened and who killed Laura. The characters will have to be strong minded and courageous to solve the mystery.

Jasper Jones Character Analysis

Throughout the pivotal Australian novel Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey, one of the most prominent Australian authors, has altered the reader’s perspective upon various figures through the characterisation of corrupt authority figures and unguided youth. Set in Corrigan, Western Australia during 1965, Jasper Jones follows the well-informed thirteen year old Charlie Bucktin, as he attempts to navigate the inexplicable murder of Laura Wishart. Charlie joins forces with Jasper Jones, the town outcast, and Eliza Wishart, the Shire Presidents daughter, in an attempt to discover the culprit of this horrendous homicide. In the novel, Corrigan has been described as a town where the personal lives of its residents are everyone’s business. Therefore, characters

George Jones Biography Essay

One of the world's greatest country singers was George Jones. country music is known for singers with incredible voices. He has traveled all around the world. From his childhood throughout his late career, he had an amazing adventure.

Similarities Between Jasper Jones And Craig Silvey

Craig Silvey’s novel, Jasper Jones, is simply To Killing a Mockingbird set in Australia in the 1960’s, because both of the books include similar characters, with the same storyline, exploring the same ideas and themes. Through these connections in the novel, Craig Silvey challenges the modern Australians to consider their idea of prejudice and what it means to be an Australian. Craig Silvey uses similar characterisation for each characters, matching them with the personas in Harper Lee’s novel to explore the similarities between the 1960’s Australians and the 1950’s Americans. Jasper Jones, who the town portraits as “…a Thief, a Liar, a Thug, a Truant” (pg 6) whereas he’s actually “…never stole a thing [he] dint need” (pg 44). This character is very alike to Tom Robinson, who Maycomb paints as “a rapist”, even though later on in the novel evidence could be found of Tom’s innocence.

Jasper Jones Ostracism Quotes

An example of which is demonstrated by the brutalization of Jasper by said authorities after the disappearance of Laura Wishart vindicated by no credible evidence other than the men’s bigotry and suspicion. Jasper has no legitimate recourse to salvage or redeem his name due to the presumptions made upon his character, other than the finite redemption of his prowess in sporting and its significance as social capital in Corrigan. Jasper, disinterested in refuting the prejudiced conceptions of Corrigan’s citizens transcends their manufactured typecast of an aboriginal person through determination to improve his own situation by leaving Corrigan despite the bigoted impressions embossed on Jasper’s character regardless of his intentions or actions. Thereby, employing Jasper’s character, and, more eminently, Corrigan’s condemnation of him, Silvey explores racial bigotry as a device of social exclusion and the repercussions of which on an individual, in Jasper’s case, transcendence through initial hardships of discrimination and resultant

Jim Jones Essay

The mass suicides, that took place under the influence of Reverend Jim Jones, can be explained from a sociological perspective. By looking at how the group dynamics played into the outcome one gets a better idea of the whys? of the massacre. The sociological explanation is but one way to explain this horrific event. It is , however, the only one explored in this essay for reasons of concision.