Tayloring Jason to Society: In The Pursuit of a True Identity
During the chapter Goose Fair, Jason enters the Hall of Mirrors, in which he views multiple reflections of himself, each representing a different aspect of his mind. Jason says that the mirrors in the room "melted [him] into self-mutants" (248). This scene can be viewed as a crucial part of his coming-of-age in which he has an internal conversation: after this scene, Jason tears apart his bully's calculator and mocks him in front of the whole class. The internal conversation that Jason has in the Hall of Mirrors convinces Jason to merge his external and internal selves into his true self.
In the first mirror, he sees an "African tribesman with a neck giraffed by iron rings" in his reflection. The man asks, "Can a person change ... into another person" (249)? He sees this reflection as a representation of the self-criticism he has developed toward his fake identity in BSG. From the start, he is fixated on his external representation in society, planning and editing his every move to preserve his position among the hierarchies. He tries hard to become what he is not, as evidenced by the removal of his "map of Middle-earth and ... [his] globe and anything else Hugo might think babyish", preparing the arrival of Hugo, his "cool cousin" (43). He views his true self as not enough, and believes that maintaining a fake identity will preserve his "coolness". However, with recent events, such as the lectures with Eva and the conversation with the Gypsies, he realizes that there is beauty in truth and that he cannot become the mask that he has created for BSG.
The next mirror bolsters his doubts, saying that he can "only change [his] superficial features" and that under all of his shallow adaptations for society lies his core self. The Gelatinous Cube claims that no matter how many layers of falseness he surrounds himself with, underneath will lay his true self. The Cube tells him that his true self is loyal and moral, as evidenced by his support for Dean at the cost of being bullied and kicked out of the Spooks, his lifelong dream.
Then, Maggot intervenes, taking the grotesque shape of a "big shimmering glob" with a tail. Maggot claims that his bullying is because of his inability to blend in, not his failure to show his true self. Through this, Maggot tells Jason that to avoid being bullied, Jason should have kept up a better facade, which possibly involves his abandonment of Dean. To truly blend in, Jason would have to keep up a stronger and larger shell around him: Maggot is, as always, the devil whispering in Jason's ears, telling him to forget his new realizations.
Upside-down Jason, which presumably represents Jason after his coming of age, having been "completely changed and turned around," whispers that Jason should combine his "Outside-You [and his] Inside-You" to create a "One-You", a sign to strip away all of the falseness he puts up for his social interactions and stay true to himself.
Following this, Jason presumably has his moment of coming-of-age where he fights back against his coercion and becomes tougher. He even claims that he has completely escaped the grasp of Maggot, saying that, in his conversation with his underclassmen, the larger squirt addressed him like he was "still in [his] Maggot period" (262). He even has his first dance with a girl and embraces Hangman.
Ironically, it seems that Jason has not completely escaped the grasp of Maggot and self-editing: he has gotten closer to his true self, but his actions still seem a bit forced for the approval of his classmates. It can be argued that his forceful attitude toward his underclassmen and the public humility stunt that he pulls to impress his classmates is not completely true to his identity; he still tries and goes out of his way to impress society. Eva's teachings say that art blossoms in pain, and, most importantly, truth: Jason is still not a true One-Jason yet. Likely, his coming-of-age will be a continuous process and his growth will continue in his new environment, and he will become closer to the portrait of an artist painted by Eva.
I like how you mention that, while Jason has grown, he hasn't always stayed true to himself and still self-edits based on what others think of him. Your analysis of the mirror scene is quite apt, as it captures Jason's identity struggles and connects them to other important moments in the book, such as speaking with Madame Crommelynck. Great post Jay!
ReplyDeleteYour breakdown of each reflection in the Hall of Mirrors and how they represent different parts of Jason’s issues, is well thought-out. I really liked how you showed that Jason’s journey toward authenticity is not a clean break, but something messy and ongoing. The idea that Maggot still lingers even after Jason "escapes" him adds depth to his character arc and keeps it realistic.
ReplyDeleteHello Jay, your analysis of each mirror reflection as an aspect of Jason is very insightful. Your idea that his transformation is a testament to the coming of age genre that change is gradual and not just the influence of one impactful event. I believe this also ties back into Julia's foreboding comment at the end of BSG that his end hasn't arrived just yet.
ReplyDeleteI found this scene really symbolic while reading, but we never delved into it much. I really liked each interpretation of his multiple visions in the hall of mirrors. Maggot ending up being Jason's true villain in the story is very fitting, and it was very satisfying to see him squash his fears. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you chose to delve into this very symbolic scene of introspection, where a hall of distorted/comical/absurd mirror reflections ends up leading to some serious introspective reflection on Jason's part. I love the moment when he interacts with "Maggot" but now has some critical distance, even seeing Maggot as an adversary ("I've always wondered what you look like"). These are, of course, all parts of HIM, as we've noted from the start--Maggot presents as an "external" voice, but clearly it is part of Jason's consciousness, his brain talking to him. And as you note, he is on his way OUT of the "Maggot phase" in this chapter, signaled by his pretty bad-ass riposte to Gary Drake and co. at the darts game. Holding on to Ross's wallet is a total Unborn Twin move, and Jason is denouncing and ignoring Maggot with increased frequency at this point.
ReplyDeleteSo is it a "Maggot" move to return the wallet? One more disappointing instance of Jason bowing down to Ross? I'd say it depends on his motivations: he isn't trying to appease Ross, or gain favor with him. He now "pities" him, worries about what might happen to him, and he wants to right the wrong. U.T. is not pleased that Jason gives back the wallet, but I don't see "Maggot" as firmly in charge here either. He is doing the *difficult* but right thing here, and that's a category that neither of these inner voices has much experience with.
tayloring 😂
ReplyDeleteI really like how you represent each mirror to be its own facet of Jason's seemingly amorphous public personality. It's sort of like a summary from all the past lessons he has learned from his life in school, Madame Crommelynck, etc. Or Jason is just schizophrenic.
Hey Jay, I like how you portrayed the various parts of Jason and the attempt in unifying them into on whole one. Many of these different parts of him are at odds with one another, and seeing Jason sift through them all and determine which ones best aligned with his values and interests was a critical part in his coming-of-age. Great post!
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