The Middle School Experience
Hey everyone!
Today I will talk about Black Swan Green by David Mitchell and the middle school dynamics of Jason's school. Throughout the book, Jason describes and becomes aware of numerous parts of middle school culture and hierarchy. For example, even how you refer to certain people has great meaning in how they are perceived and their status in the community. I think the most interesting part about the environment described is how similar it is to the current situation in middle school today.
There are many examples throughout Black Swan Green of the classic middle school experience and struggle for popularity. One of the most prominent ones is the unacknowledged, yet still present hierarchy among all of the students there. They are distinguished by what name (or nickname) you use to refer to them, and how they interact with the rest of the people, particularly those at the top of the pack. There is also a constant power struggle among middle-level people to get higher in the ranks. Jason himself is one of these unfortunate individuals, and he constantly describes his struggles and confusion in trying to become more popular and "in." While he has a very developed sense of the society and expectations that exist in his school among the popular kids, he often is at a loss to identify why certain people are more liked than others or how they became at the level that they did. Similarly, there are many things that he describes to us or others as "gay." The standard has been set that "cool" people don't do this or that or wear such and such, and he makes sure to follow those guidelines. However, it doesn't ever seem to really get him anywhere. I think that this is an experience that a lot of people can relate to on a very personal level because this kind of situation still occurs in middle school and even high school today.
This kind of miniature society created in the school has a lot of effects on the kids and the kind of things that happen. For example, there are a lot of references and explicit fights that take place during the period of Black Swan Green, to assert dominance and popularity. The person who wins the fight is immediately granted a much higher status and the one who lost immediately loses much or all of their status. The other part of this dynamic follows necessarily that those who supported the losing side are quick to dissent their support and shift to supporting the winner. This is shown in the fight that is described in the book; after Ross Wilcox wins, everyone immediately denies their support and joins his side. I don't know what experiences other people had, but I know that a very similar dynamic was present at my middle school, and there were very often fights between rival parties with many spectators. While I tended to stay as far away as possible, it was clear that often a lot of honor and popularity was on the line between the two.
Overall, I think the general dynamic and "society" created in middle school is very well represented in Black Swan Green, making it a very relatable book to read. There were many points where I could distinctly remember myself in almost exactly the same situation, with the same feelings as Jason. There is always a desire to fit in and be popular, and it led and still leads to these toxic interpersonal struggles and conflicts: always looking to belittle others to improve your own standing, with no clear idea of the goal at the end.
I feel as though Black Swan Green is less protagonist-driven than the other novels we've read so far. In the other novels, it's kind of like the plot is simply there to help the protagonist monologue. Their stories don't often feel relatable themselves, but rather it's the character that we can relate to. And while that still happens in Black Swan Green, the overall story is written such that we can relate to the events themselves, rather than just the character. From the fights, the bullying, the hierarchy, etc., many of us have seen that kind of stuff in our own schools, and it makes for a much more straightforward novel to read and understand.
ReplyDeleteI think you make some really good connections between the current middle school situation and that in black swan Green. I also recognize the Society within a society aspect and the idea of obsession over popularity, projected in many American depictions of school life in movies and books. For example with Diary of a wimpy Kid where Gregg tries various schemes to be popular. Of, for example, with Mean Girls and Heathers where, one of the main points of these films is that there are these cliques and there is someone trying to fit Into the “ popular” clique. The talk a certain way or dress a certain way can definitely be seen in Mean Girls where on Wednesday the popular girls only wear pink or when Regina tell Gretchen that the word “fetch” will never be considered cool.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree that Black Swan Green is one of the more realistic books that we've read, in terms of how it portrays school. The 'hierarchy' that Jason describes of people at his school isn't usually so clear-cut, but it makes sense, especially how he separates kids with nicknames and kids with derogatory nicknames. I also like how you make the connection that his overanalyzing of these social relationships is part of why he's so self-conscious at the beginning of the book and why his self-esteem is so low.
ReplyDeleteNice post! In my middle school there was also a very obvious hierarchy, and everyone was aware who was sitting on the top. I never witnessed bullying like the type Jason went through but I think there was definetely some fear between the people at the "bottom" of the hierarchy and the people at the "top". BSG really calls out the bullying and harassment that often happens under the eyes of adults. I think Jason's insecurity and low self-esteem are also things that a lot of people can find themselves relating to to some degree.
ReplyDeleteI agree that school creates a "kind of miniature society," and that's something that is still prevelant today. I feel it less at Uni, but definitely at my middle school there were the popular kids. And there was a constant reminder/pressure that they were there and something made them different than the rest of us. Reading Black Swan Green, the knowledge of what that hierarchy is like makes Jason's situation more relatable.
ReplyDeleteWhen you describe it like this I immediately think of Lord of the Flies and the society that the boys stranded on the island ended up making and how the social hierarchy that took place in that novel. I think that this trope of younger boys making a mini society is really interesting and especially prevalent in Black Swan Green. The boys assert dominance through fights and everyone is willing to bring someone down just to jump up a bit in the hierarchical ladder of popularity. Although this depiction seems a bit dated to me, there are definitely still some aspects that resonate with me.
ReplyDeleteOne aspect of David Mitchell's depiction of the school culture that especially resonates with me is how, at this stage of life, it's generally the "bad" kids that are the most popular, or the most intimidating, or the coolest. Jason has to be careful not to seem to smart when he's self-editing his answers in class (though he'll also be mocked for being "too dumb"), and all of his role-models and idols seem to be aspiring juvenile delinquents with a range of bad habits. I definitely remember downplaying my own competency at academic subjects and admiring the kids who "didn't give a toss," at this stage in life. I love how Mme. Crommelynck starts to prompt Jason to reevaluate his standards when she grills him about how he *wants* to be a "hairy barbarian," and WHY IS THAT again, exactly? Jason despairs that he can't possibly explain all the nuances of the hierarchy to Eva, but we do see a subtle shift in his idealization of Pluto Noak etc. after this point in the novel.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think the author does a really good job in bringing to life the mental gymnastics required to stay afloat in a brutal middle school/tween social hierarchy. Jason was a very relatable character to follow, and it was hard not to feel sympathy for him as he tirelessly tried to fit in. It's interesting that when he became a social outcast, it almost became easier to him. Not at first-he was bullied mercilessly- but internally, he experienced much less mental turmoil and was able to be a more authentic version of himself because he had nothing to lose. Great post!
ReplyDeleteBlack Swan Green provides a really interesting perspective on what it's like to be an observer who also occupies a space on this middle school hierarchy. However, how Jason feels about this hierarchy and his need to climb it changes through the novel as he comes of age and comes to see that some of the kids at the top of the hierarchy are also the most troubled. As Jason interacts with adults in the novel, they speak of the middle school hierarchy as something stupid and illogical when for the time being, it seems to be the most important thing in the world to be Jason. As he comes to value the hierarchy less, he appreciates himself more and becomes more sensitive to the needs and struggles of those around him.
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