Black Swan Green is a novel that centers on the coming of age story of the protaginist, Jason, while also drawing on the experience of the author, David Mitchell, growing up in 1980s England. Like the other novels we've read this semester, such as The Bell Jar and Fun Home, it's heavily based on the author's own life, which provides the reader with an original and personal story. One way that the use of the author's own life experience stands out in the story for me is with the character of Hangman.
Hangman is the personification of Jason's stutter, and is treated in the story as an actual character that is seen talking in Jason's head. It acts as an ever looming presence in Jason's life, and the threat of stuttering in front of his peers causes Jason to became anxious and hyper-aware of the things he says, to the point that he'll meticously plan out his sentences to avoid trigger words. While I've never had a stutter that I've personified, I did grow up with a pretty noticable lisp, which is probably why the character of Hangman stood out so much to me. Even if I never imagined my lisp as a person, I do know the very familiar experience of planning out sentences to avoid certain sounds, for me "s"s and "z"s, and the dread that comes with public speaking. The worst words were those that ended in an "es" like glasses or boxes, which I would always avoid saying, so it was interesting for me to see the main character of this book do the same. It's also something that I dealt with when I was around his age, so I can empathize with the social aspects of it too. While I didn't expect to relate to a 12 year old boy from 1980s England, it's nice to see how some things are universal when you're growing up.
For Black Swan Green, and the other novels I mentioned before, the way that the author incorperates their own life experiences adds a layer of authenticity to the book. Basing parts of the story on their lives ensures the story's originality, but also makes for a powerful coming of age narrative because it's true to the author. If someone who had never had a speech impediment wrote about it, there may not be the same effect on a reader who did, since the author's interpertation wouldn't be based on real experiences. Black Swan Green also has many fictional aspects, such as Madame Crommelynck and the dream like obstacles that Jason encounters, which aren't necessarily accurate to real events. Still, these elements don't take away from the lived experiences at the core of the story, rather adding to it, all in all making Black Swan Green a captivating and relatable read.
I was not surprised when I heard that interview with David Mitchell on "Fresh Air" about 12 years ago and he talked about his own struggles with a speech impediment, precisely for the reasons you lay out here: there's the kind of "realness" in the whole Hangman dynamic, as represented "internally" as a daily struggle for Jason that no one knows about, that implies the author has some experience in this area. It's also worth noting that--like James Earl Jones, another early stammerer who made a career out of strong-voiced, powerful roles like the voice of Darth Vader--Mitchell betrayed no sign of the stammer as an adult speaking eloquently about his art with Terry Gross. (I'm sure the interview is archived on the NPR site--search for "Fresh Air David Mitchell" and see what comes up.) I have no idea if he actually personified a "hangman" in his mind--he doesn't mention it--but I've always thought this is a brilliant literary invention, if not. The connection to the innocent word game, which entails "missing letters" and also the threat of *execution* for failure to fill them in properly, works on a few different levels simultaneously. And then to have Jason literally *discover* his impediment for the first time when he is baffled that he can't simply SAY "nightingale" is brilliant, as it makes "hangman" seem realistically like an antagonist out to torture him.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate how you related your own experiences to the novel. I think that what makes these coming of age stories so impactful is how they can really touch any reader. The book might speak about the personal experience of the author (like the speech impediment), and because the details and emotions are so real, it makes the reader connect their own experiences and feeling to the book.
ReplyDeleteWhat you say about David Mitchell's personal ties to Black Swan Green make a lot of sense as to why the novel felt so realistic. There's definitely that other layer there to the book through his personal ties. Hangman is such a brilliant part of the book, and I think that the way David Mitchell represents a speech impediment is very impactful. I appreciate how you relate your own experience to the book as well. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how you found the story relatable despite your difference in background from the main character. I also agree that the way he portrays his stutter as a character adds a really unique layer to the narrative. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Chloe! I think relating this story to your own experience is really powerful. I agree that this book is just so much more complex with the fact that Jason is based off of the author and his struggles. I also liked how you tapped into Jason's interesting personification of his disorder and thoughts! Great blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Chloe! I love how you related to Jason's story about Hangman. His internalized fears and insecurities about his stutter being personified and how that relates to your own struggles adds a complex layer to not only understanding Jason's point of view but also his growth throughout the novel. Great work!
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