The third chapter of Black Swan Green, "Relatives," ends with Jason Taylor's cousin Hugo Lamb laughing at Jason Taylor. Attempting to prove himself by smoking, Jason fails spectacularly by puking into the grass by the lake.
[page 66] I'm so ashamed. Hugo's trying to teach me how to be a kid like him, but I can't even smoke a single cigarette.
"I'm really"--I wipe my mouth--"really sorry."
But Hugo's not even looking at me.
Hugo's squirmed out on the bench, facing the churned-up sky.
My cousin's sobbing with laughter.
The phrase "sobbing with laughter" is an interesting choice of words. Ostensibly, it means that Hugo is laughing so hard that he appears to be crying and upset. Hugo is laughing so hard that he is physically out of control, and has been forced to recline on a bench in order to be comfortable until he regains his composure. However, the aspect of "sobbing" also reminds us that Jason has been put in a bad place by this accident on his part. In some way, Jason is "sobbing" that he has failed to succeed for Hugo.
Throughout the chapter, Jason sacrifices a lot to impress Hugo. Someone suggested in class today that Jason might have a crush on Hugo. It's hard to tell what to make of this, although homosexuality has a large role in the novel so far, as Hugo and other "cool" kids tease others about having "gay" interests and habits. Hugo is definitely very charismatic.
When Hugo laughs at Jason, how does he judge Jason? Should Jason feel very ashamed, and "sob" internally? Hugo might be laughing because Jason's inability to hold down a cigarette is simply humorous due to its absurdity--Jason has a major reaction. Hugo is a "cool" kid, and this might make him confident enough in himself that he won't care enough about this to judge Jason any worse for it. Hugo can afford to not be picky in his associates?
Alternatively, I wonder if this is the turning point when Hugo will begin to reject Jason, and Jason will slowly become more true to himself and unaccommodating to Hugo. Could this be the first big turning point in Jason's character? "The Maggot" isn't a very sympathetic character, and I think it would be nice if this turned out to be the case.
I must say that I had entertained the crush hypothesis myself. From the very beginning, Jason seemed to mention homosexuality a lot, and it was unclear whether this was just a product of the time during which he was growing up, whether he was afraid of being incorrectly labeled gay due to his poetry and stuff, or whether it was due to fear of a suspected (perhaps subconsciously because he seems to be pretty trusting of his readers, and I wonder if he wouldn't tell us if he had explicit suspicions) state of being. We shall see, I guess.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the turning point with how Jason treats Hugo, it'd be fascinating to consider how sharply the voice changes. For example, how would the vocabulary change? How would Jason describe Hugo? We get the sense that Hugo is very charismatic, but maybe after Jason "falls out of love" with Hugo, then it's possible that Jason might just roll his eyes and huff in annoyance at Hugo's antics. What actions/precautions might he forego because Hugo's opinion doesn't matter to him (such as leaving the maps up in his room)?
ReplyDeleteThen again, that's a pretty drastic change that I've set up. Perhaps Jason would just be less willing to follow after Hugo like a puppy, instead choosing to do his own thing. But hey, that's taking Hugo's advice -- he's acting TODAY to stop being so enamored with Hugo.
The way I understand the word "crush," it totally applies to the way Jason sees Hugo in a whole other light than other people. He has this aura, and Jason can't stop looking at him, hanging on his every word. He wants an excuse to stare at him. He's very concerned about the impressions he makes on Hugo. This sounds like he's crushing pretty hard. I don't equate crushing with sexual attraction necessarily, and in my experience boys crush on boys and girls crush on girls all the time, regardless of sexual identity. And as Hugo shows in "Relatives," the crush object can be pretty cruel.
ReplyDeleteStay tuned for Dawn Madden.
I agree in that "crush" can have a variety of meanings. Yes, in the traditional middle school/grade school sense it means that you are romantically infatuated with someone and kind of oggle them from afar (or if you're 3rd grade you're purposefully mean to them). But it can also just mean having an admiration for someone and appreciating their appeal. The term "girlcrush" is common for girls crushing on other girls/women (usually celebrities) in non romantic/sexual ways. I think the sentiment behind this term fits Jason's situation very well. For example, I have a girlcrush on Beyonce because I appreciate what a strong, talented, beautiful woman she is but I don't actually have a sexual or romantic attraction to her.
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ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I dont think the events at the end of the chapter change much. Hugo has proven himself to be reasonably clever and certainly very perceptive socially. I think that Hugo understands Jason pretty well, and I don't think he finds Jason's reaction to the smoking very surprising. Consequently, I would be very surprised it this did end up being some kind of turning point.
ReplyDeleteI think many can relate with the interaction between Jason and Hugo. I think it often occurs that in some friendships there is one person who is "superior" and the other almost idolizes the "superior" one. At this point friends shouldn't even be the word used to describe the two.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this chapter I thought it seemed pretty clear that Jason harbors a confused infatuation with his cousin, and was shocked after finishing the book to find that no review or online discussion brought this up. I'm not trying to suggest that Jason is gay, or that his feelings for Hugo are at all comparable to his feelings for Dawn Madden or, later, Holly Deblin. But he obviously puts Hugo on a pedestal, seeking Hugo's approval to a greater extent than he seeks the approval of his other peers. Throughout the family visit, Jason is attuned to Hugo's every move, waiting for an excuse to look at him without it seeming unwarranted. And some of the language also suggests an admiration that's become extreme: at one point "Hugo leaned so close his lips touched my ears and ten thousand volts sang through my nervous system." There are several other lines that I think indicate Jason's having a pretty intense preoccupation with his cousin. This sort of thing is, of course, probably pretty normal for thirteen-year-olds; at that age it's common to idolize and imitate impressive-seeming people. While you might be able to call Jason's feelings a "crush," this doesn't mean he is even aware of the extent of his own admiration, let alone hoping for any kind of romantic or sexual relationship with Hugo.
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