Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey is a gothic coming-of-age novel set in the 1960s. This specific period shows how Aboriginal people were often targets of bullying and violence in the small Australian town of Corrigan. This tale explores how protagonist Charlie Bucktin and sixteen-year-old Jasper Jones unravel the dark secrets of their hometown. This treatise is set during the time of the Vietnam War, which is why many Australians were deeply racist against Vietnamese and migrants during this novel. This portrays Corrigan as an immensely racist and discriminatory community through the use of strong racist characterization, language, and dialogue. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This novel explores racism through the characterization of the locals in Corrigan, particularly the indigenous boy Jasper Jones. Because of this, he is accused of other people's crimes, such as the murder of Laura Wishart. Craig Silvey wrote: “It's obvious, right? They think it had something to do with Laura's disappearance and they wanted me to say so." This shows that the Corrigan police are corrupt as the Sarge gave Jasper a black eye trying to get information from him and would arrest him without enough evidence. However, Jasper is not the only victim; the Lu family is hated by the citizens. Perhaps even more so due to the outbreak of the Vietnam War. Racism and scapegoating are explored in the book through negative attitudes towards indigenous people and Vietnamese. The Lu family is a Vietnamese family living in Corrigan, and the only child Jeffrey, a Vietnamese boy, is bullied and put down by the locals and children at school. . Which shows that the Corrigans see the Lu as enemies as the Australian citizens blame the Vietnamese for losing their loved ones using racist language to express their hatred and disgust. For example, “The next ball Jeffrey hits through cover, darting for two runs. And it is with utter disbelief that I hear real encouragement from the sidelines. His teammates. In unison those bellicose bastards, yelling, “Shoot, Cong!” on the other side of the field, once turning an insult into a nickname. This takes advantage of how Jeffrey's teammates aren't as racist when he does something great on the cricket field, but when Jeffrey walks off that field all that respect vanishes. They are struck by the idea of racism in the text, when Corrigan held a meeting in the miners' hall and an Australian lady poured hot coffee on Mrs Lu and abused her. The lady acted this way because her husband had been killed just recently. Racist language was explained in this novel through the actions of others. Jasper Jones showed up at Charlie's window asking for his help with Laura Wishart's deceased body. The use of dialogue in this specific chapter shows Jasper Jones as the protagonist in this situation where we know he is a targeted character in society, raised in a dysfunctional family. This is why the town of Corrigan uses this as a reason to blame Jasper for the crimes that occur throughout the community. For example: “In this town they think I'm a damn animal. They think I belong in a cage, and this is just an excuse to lock me in one. They don't need anything more than what they see right here. All of that What matters is how it looks. I'm in trouble, Charlie." This explains how Corrigan has.
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