*****What's wrong with Jason Taylor?*****

Whats wrong with Jason Taylor?

Jason isn't exactly the acest name you could wish for

Whats wrong with Jason Taylor?

"Am I normal,” I said

I'm certain,

I'm thirteen,

made of flesh and blood.

Whats wrong with Jason Taylor?

I was going to die

Id never have to say a word

anythings better than getting labeled 

the fear that my secret'll be discovered 

if they knew Eliot Bolivar was me,

theyd gouge me to death,

so I beat around the bush.

Whats wrong with Jason Taylor?

if you chicken out your a homo,

if you tell a teacher your dead.

i envy anyone who can say what they want.

Whats wrong with Jason Taylor?

Nothing. They just don't like me.

Those kids must hate me.

No point denying it

Hate doesn't need a why

That's a harsh statement

Okay.

Giving you a hard time aren't they?

Is Taylor the school Stutterer going to cry?

It's all right, Jason!

They're dickheads.

-Lines from David Mithell's Black Swan Green

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.

My name

What is my name?
Does it represent fame?
my pain?

Why have a name?

My name is a game
it causes me shame.
I am inflame
my name is lame.
Why should I acclaim
for a name that is lame?
Jason Taylor.

All the struggles I attain
is what my poetry became.
For now I can blame
it all on my name.
Eliot Bolivar.

I must refrain
from changing my name.
It may be mundane
but it is claimed.

Definition of "name"
a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to

Limericks of Black Swan Green

At the Lake

There was a boy who wanted to fit in
so he went down to the lake for a spin.
Then he met a lady
who seemed a bit shady
and he got a sick feeling within.

How shall I pay?

I was walking through the town yesterday
still thinking about how I will pay.
Then I went by a shop
that had a really nice clock
but the money I needed was far away.  

Focus on the Journey

Insights of Animal and Human Connections

10/9/2014
9:47 PM


Why do we typically admire animals? What do Hoagland and later Woolf admire about turtles and moths? What animal do you admire? Why? 

The pretense of an animal, to the human eye, represents affection and admiration for that species. Humans find a realistic side to animals and how the animals act. Humans have the ability to relate to the actions presented by wild and tame creatures. Many humans commonly find animals that they are connected to and can share a characteristic with. By looking at an animal that they can relate to, they are able to admire that specific animal and the traits that the animal carries. 

Hoagland and Woolf both admire animals that they feel passionate about. They agree that both the turtles and the moth strive to live and prosper through life. They are able to relate to their animal and personify them. Hoagland shows us perspective on turtles that most would not put hand and hand. He makes the turtle seem realistic and acquire human like qualities. When Woolf describes the moth and the fight it withstands as it starts to near towards its death, he makes the feelings towards the moth realistic. He shows a liking towards the moth as it shows perseverance and bravery. I think that by showing these qualities within each of their animal, it helps to show more about the author and their traits, as we can infer that they can relate to the animals. 

One animal that I highly admire is a dolphin. I came to like their brilliance and capability of communicating with humans through actions. I take pride in the effort that they make to form a connection with a human being. The amount of endurance and commitment it takes to learn something new is challenging and dolphins use their strength to push through those barriers. This is one trait that I look up to. I also admire that they are high-spirited and lively animals, always showing that they are ready to go. When I am near or with a dolphin, their presence brings a sense of joy and happiness, like a small child who is wild and free. When a dolphin swims in the ocean, they seem to always be having fun and enjoying themselves. They have a free and clear mind, intent on doing the things needed for living. They always have their mind set to a challenge in which they endure. They also swim around in the ocean, carefree of their surroundings, and swimming on the path in which they desire. I strive to show the characteristics that these magnificent creatures display and hope to have my character reflect on that of a dolphin. 

"Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." -Albert Einstein