Why be Eliot Bolivar? Why Publish at All?
Jason’s interest in publishing his poems is an incredibly fascinating and revealing piece of his character. His love of writing is a hobby that could have very easily existed privately, so the fact that he actively seeks out publication is striking. Why would Jason, a character so terrified of being perceived and being judged by the people around him, release publicly the secret he hides most. It’s not as though he receives any recognition for his poems (at least not initially), nor do they drum up intrigue or excitement from members of the community. The only real public perception I could imagine locals having on Eliot Bolivar is confusion on why this unheard of man keeps writing poems about middle school.
So why publish at all?
The answer is not simply that he likes to write, I mean that is obvious. Writing gives him the control of what he can say that he lacks in everyday conversation. In conversation, he is forced to navigate around his stammer and revise any statement he tries to make in order to fit his audience. This attention to language becomes a strength when it comes to writing, as his expansive knowledge on vocabulary, rhythm, and sounds work really well in constructing poetry. So it is no doubt easy to understand why he likes, and is good at, writing. However, this still doesn’t explain why he publishes his work. Writing privately would give him the same control over language without any risk. But, I believe that the reasons he publishes stem from the very same reasons he writes.
I believe that Jason writes to say what he is unable to say, and he publishes so that people can hear the voice that he never gets to use. By writing under a pseudonym Jason is able to be heard, and state his feelings and emotions and inner thoughts without being exposed to the world. Although the pseudonym means that Jason’s work will remain distanced from him in the eyes of others, to Jason this is the only real version of him that the world gets to see. Jason has been silenced by the social hierarchy and system in which he endures, so writing becomes the only method of venting to the world how he feels. Jason publishes so that people can read it, and he can feel like he is producing something of his real thoughts and emotions. He’s so used to having to filter his sentences, and change his words, and bite his tongue that this feature in the newspaper means that he can leave an impact on his community, one that is completely his own.
Publishing also eventually leads him to Madame Crommelynck who gives him the credit he deserves for all his hard work, affirms his skill, and motivates him to keep moving forward. His experience with Crommelynck is one of the most meaningful moments in the novel because for once Jason is talking to someone who understands him, who knows how Jason thinks, and it is because she’s read his work, and he’s left this impact on her. Madame Crommelynck shows Jason that his publications really have meant something, that he really has been heard by someone, that he is worth being listened to. I think Jason published because he needed to know someone like Crommelynck was out there, someone who could hear his raw voice.
Hi Miranda, this blog is very insightful, and looks deeper into Jason's interest in writing. What is his biggest weakness, public speaking and expressing himself, becomes his greatest strength and is a valuable form of self-expression. By the end he stops publishing as he is overcoming his stammer and doesn't need it anymore.
ReplyDeleteHello Miranda! Awesome blog!
ReplyDeleteI do think it is entertaining that Jason publishes all of these poems under a pseudonym, when he is talking about experiences that only a bullied middle school boy could really have. I find it odd that none of the kids at school ever actually accused him of being Elliot, because the pieces aren't very hard to put together. In addition, his sister does figure it out, and talks to Jason about his poetry at the end of the book. Why did no one else ever accuse him of writing under a pseudonym?
Totally agree with everything you said, Cadence. I think that no one who has realized his identity calls him out on it, out of respect for his desire for anonymity-- at least for his sister. But yeah, great blog! I'll leave a more substantial comment as well lol
DeleteHi Miranda, I definitely agree with the significance of Madame Crommelynck as the 1st person to recognize Jason's potential. Jason is kind of starved of positive affirmation throughout the book--his parents don't pay attention to him because they're too busy having marriage problems, and none of his peers recognize any of his interests. Even Julia, who eventually becomes a strong positive force in the book, just calls him "Thing" initially. But Crommelynck is the 1st person who encourages Jason to follow his interest in writing. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteHey Miranda, great job! I think this makes perfect sense and I really like your idea that he's publishing to know there is someone who might acknowledge him. I also think maybe he's putting his work on another persona because it feels easier than putting it on himself (you probably mentioned this?) and so he can create another person that has bits of who he is, which in turn gives him a bit of confidence. Anyway, yet another fire blog :D
ReplyDeleteHi Miranda! You made good points, especially about how publishing his writing makes his voice heard (or, well, read). I also think an important consequence of his publication is his meetings with Mme Crommelynck, as she not only gives him positive feedback, but also pushes him to be better, both in his writing and personal life. She encourages him to be honest about his writing and to be honest with his parents about the watch, and to be honest in general. This actually influences his writing in the novel (which I found super cool), as his description of the vicarage the second time he visits is much more honest and realistic than the description on his first visit, which is almost fairytale-like. Publishing let him get this feedback that influenced his work.
ReplyDeleteI also read Jason's own use of poetry as sort of a way to gain control and speak his mind when society wants to suppress that. His confidence is truly the main part of Black Swan Green, and his publishing does make his voice be finally heard.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating set of questions to ponder: as you note, Jason takes significant risks publishing his poetry in a venue that, let's be honest, very few people are going to read it anyway. There's no indication that anyone other than Eva von Outryve de Crommelynck has been giving them any attention at all, but this is maybe partly reflective of Jason's intentions: he's publicly embarrassed by his poetry prize, and he would never choose to publish his work in a school literary publication. The church newsletter seems "safe" in some ways--no one will read his works who might recognize the references to him, to Spooks, to stuff going on at school, even if he does try to hide these realities under imagery and metaphor.
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's significant that Jason thinks of himself, even at a young age, as a "real poet." It would be all too common to have him write "poetry" in his private journal or diary, with himself as the only audience, maybe as a form of reflective self-therapy or something. But by having him *publish*, David Mitchell implies that Jason's "work" is written with *readers* in mind--he isn't just pouring out his angst-ridden soul on the page for his own delicious self-pity (not that there's anything wrong with that!). His poems are crafted, often abstract in their representation of facts and experiences, and he clearly labors over the imagery and figurative language (which we also see creeping into his prose). He knows he's good, on some level, but he's not sure HOW good--which is why he's so terrified but also gratified to have Eva subject his "work" to serious critical scrutiny.
Hi Miranda! I never really deeply thought about the importance of why he likes to write, so but hearing that it allows him to say what he wants to without his stutter and convey his emotions really makes sense! And I think it's interesting that he chooses to publish this stuff under a fake name rather than use his actual name, given that he uses his writing to really speak his thoughts. Overall, great post!
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