Pretty early into this book, I thought the main hero was definitely going to be Grant. I could see so many parts of the typical hero’s journey narrative within this book. Right at the start of the book, Grant’s refusal of the quest by being passive aggressive to his Aunt and Miss Emma when they ask him to help with Jefferson was very evident. As the book progressed we see Grant’s acceptance of the quest when Vivian, as a sort of ally mixed with supernatural aid, convinces him that he has to teach Jefferson. We also get a glimpse into Antoine’s role as a shadow of what Grant could become if he starts to think that all attempts to protest white supremacy would be futile and nothing would be change. Grant begins to do heroic things like giving Jefferson a radio to get his mind off the execution and generally caring more about Jefferson’s well being. However, around chapter 27-28, I didn’t quite feel like Grant was the main hero anymore. Instead, the hero became Jefferson.
Within the middle of Grant’s journey we start to see Jefferson’s journey start. He refuses the quest by insisting he is a hog and by just being really stubborn and giving his family a hard time. Then, after Grant talks to him while walking around, he finally accepts the quest by eating food and then later saying he knows he isn’t a hog and that he’ll try to achieve what Grant is asking of him. Within Jefferson’s journey, Grant is the supernatural aid-- giving him all this wisdom to convince him to take on the quest to go against the system of white supremacy. Within Grant’s journey, trying to turn Jefferson into a man who will fight the system his is big test and supreme ordeal. I guess, even though their journeys are pretty different, both of them need the other for their journeys to function smoothly to get the outcome Grant’s Aunt and Miss Emma want. Jefferson needs Grant to begin his journey, and Grant needs Jefferson to end his journey.
Grant and Jefferson's parallel journeys are definitely an interesting aspect of the book. It seems like both of them could be a hero, but their journeys wouldn't be successful at all without the other person, and it's almost like they alternate functioning as a supernatural aid/teacher/mentor for each other at different points in the novel: first Grant is explaining to Jefferson what it means to be a hero, but by the end it's Jefferson telling Grant to be strong.
ReplyDeleteThe book is interesting in that it does seem like Grant is the main focus of the story in the beginning--almost like the mentor and hero--but by the end, we see that Jefferson is just as important if not more. I definitely do think they balance and influence each other--the roles by the end of the book definitely are switched. Grant, the mentor in the beginning, becomes almost the apprentice.
ReplyDeleteWith both _Lesson_ and _Room_, we have a similar kind of dual-hero structure: Grant and Ma are both heroic in their own ways (especially Ma), but their main manifestation of heroism has to do with "making" a hero out of someone who doesn't seem prepared or particularly qualified for the role. Both of them give their potential heroes a "story" in which to see themselves in a new light, and their own role seems to fade a bit as we engage more directly with the heroes they've mentored. Jefferson becomes a hero to Grant specifically, in addition to serving his role within the larger community, and clearly Jack is Ma's hero, in a much more direct way. This making-of-a-hero project ends up creating meaning in both of their lives, as well.
ReplyDelete