Welcome to Craig Silvey. Today, we’ll be discussing how you utilize stylistic devices in your novel Jasper Jones to explore key ideas. Thank you for having me here. I can’t wait to hear your questions! Now Mr Silvey, I noticed that you mention how scenic An Lu’s garden is, in contrast to Corrigan’s dull landscape. The garden is then attacked as an act of racial violence, but Wesley Bucktin stands up for them. Could you explain how you explored racism and courage through the motif of the garden? I set Jasper Jones during the prime of the Vietnam War, a time when Australia was heavily involved. Ultimately, racism climaxes during the attack on An Lu’s garden, which serves as the main symbol I intended for the reader to understand. The Vietnam war caused many families to lose loved ones, fostering negative connotations …show more content…
An example of this is Sue Findlay’s sudden physical outburst towards Jeffrey Lu’s mother, triggered by the recent loss of her husband and her son’s conscription to the war. This incident, which “shook and embarrassed” Mrs. Lu, symbolises the racial attacks on Vietnamese, and other Asian migrants, which stemmed from the war. An Lu is known for the beautiful maintenance of his garden, earning it the nickname of “Corrigan’s own botanic garden”. The garden acts as a motif, whilst juxtaposing the “barrenness” of Corrigan with the beauty of the garden. This helped me highlight how devastating it was when the group of four men attempted to destroy this garden while influenced by racist motives. As Wesley Bucktin intervenes to defend An Lu and his garden from assault, Charlie experiences a “gush of pride” witnessing his father defend them, juxtaposing the psychological