The Woods and Freedom

In the chapter Knife Grinder, Jason finds himself in yet another situation where he is running or feeling scared due to the bullies that surround him. On this "escape" Jason finds himself in the woods after the woods invited him on in. Within the woods, Jason is able to find a comfort in nature that he has not been able to feel during his progressing life in Black Swan Green. His stammer always seems to get in his way when trying to stand up and feel comfortable in his own skin, but in the woods, "Stammers act invisible to reduce the chances of being made to say something we can't". No one is there to interrogate or intimidate Jason because of his troubles with speech. Also, the woods are able to take away the thoughts of his parents fighting and he is able to travel away from "The Triple Invisible Boy". The woods draw him into a sleep that allows him to find his true self again and stay true to who he really is. Jason is himself in the woods, and truer to himself than he is in his poetry. Nature seems to bring out a truth in Jason because he feels free.

I relate Jason's connection with nature, with that of a Gypsy. It was in the woods where he met the Gypsies and they seem to relate to Jason in many ways. In a sense, they are free to live how they wish and be true to themselves, just as Jason had in the woods. Also, the gypsies do not make fun of Jason for his stammer. Another way that Jason relates to the gypsies is having a bad reputation with others. Jason seems to be scared and running away from bullies because the bullies seem to dislike Jason in some way or another. When Jason tells the gypsies that the bullies bully him because "they just don't like me", it relates to the gypsies and how a majority of the people don't like the gypsies and are willing to sign a petition to make sure they do not inhabit their town.