Hangman
One part of Black Swan Green that I found particularly moving was Jason’s journey as a stammerer. Like Jason, I am someone who stammers. I had never really seen representation of stammering in the media before and in general there is a lot of misinformation about stammering in the world. David Mitchell’s depictions of stuttering are so incredibly realistic to me because they mirror my own experiences with stammering. The way that Jason copes with his stutter is also so similar to me. I was really blown away by the way that Jason’s stammer was so accurately depicted and knew that David Mitchell must also have a stammer. I read into it more and although I couldn’t find much I was able to learn that David Mitchell is a person who stammers .
There are so many types of stammer and everyone is affected differently but one major type of stammer that both Jason and I experience is called a silent block. This is when you can’t get a certain word or sound out and David Mitchell depicts this as Hangman removing a letter or sound Jason can say. I think that most people who do not stutter might not know exactly how it feels to stutter but this book offers some amazing insight. I also found Hangman’s Four Commandments to be really accurate for me and really enjoyable to read. I can totally relate to all of them and have experienced moments with every single one.
Two of Jason’s moments with his stammer really stood out to me. The first was when he had to read at school but was worried Hangman would embarrass him. I really felt for Jason in this moment because I can understand the feeling of waiting for something you dread because you just know that you’ll stammer through the whole thing. It’s particularly hard to be in that position because lots of people assume that when someone stammers it’s because they aren’t prepared or are not paying attention and not that they have this situation. The other moment was actually a series of moments at the end of the book. Jason didn’t really stammer at the end of the book and I think that’s because he was feeling confident and he had other things on his mind. A stammer is something where confidence can make a huge difference. If he is feeling good about himself and not thinking about himself as a stammerer it will make a huge difference. All stammerers are different and there are so many different types of stammerers but the way that Jason’s stammer was depicted was very real and vivid to me.
Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green. Random House Trade, 2007.
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When I read Black Swan Green, Jason's stammer stood out to me as a challenge which forced him to adapt and develop, but also as an inpediment to his desires (expressing himself and being "normal"). To me, Jason's stutter was a very compelling aspect of his character, and I am glad that David Mitchell correctly portrayed stammering instead of fabricating what the experience is like. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Jason's stammer :)
ReplyDeleteI also like the way how the stammer was portrayed in the book, and seeing it sort of fade and become less obvious near the end once Jason had developed much more confidence is a small detail that helps make the novel seem more realistic to the reader.
ReplyDeleteIn class I cited an interview with David Mitchell by Terry Gross, on "Fresh Air," where he talks about his own struggles with his stammer and how Jason's experience is closely based on his own. It is definitely an autobiographical aspect of the book, as your identification with Jason's descriptions of "Hangman" attests--it's the kind of perspective that only someone who has dealt with it on his own would be able to produce: https://www.npr.org/2010/08/05/128872438/mitchells-thousand-autumns-on-a-man-made-island. They talk about his newest novel for the first half of the interview and get into his ongoing struggle with his stammer in the second half (he calls it his "lifelong companion").
ReplyDeleteThe stammer was a really interesting element of the book, and one that provided a really useful tool for showing us Jason's progression. It's yet another way in which the idea of confidence/"being yourself (as cheesy as that is) seem to be the key to coming of age and being comfortable in your own skin. I thought that his coping method for the stutter being a little character in his head also added a really nice element, and maintained the childish charm the work seemed to carry. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm also a stammerer, and seeing this depiction of stammering was engrossing as - like you mentioned - it's barely shown in popular media and even if it is, the emphasis is usually on how it simply makes like worse for the character who has it. Therefore, I really appreciate the portrayal of stammering as a complex multi-dimensional issue that can't be boiled down to something like being socially awkward.
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with speech and agree that how stammering is represented is largely inaccurate. Practicing before I speak is something I can relate to a lot. Like Jason, stammering is not something I can control but I, too, have noticed that my speech is much better when I'm speaking with confidence.
ReplyDeleteI like your take on this matter. I do agree that there isn't very much coverage of stammering in the media and it can be largely misrepresented when it is shown. I like how you connected it back to David Mitchell also having a stammer, because even though it makes complete sense, I did not think of that before.
ReplyDelete