A Lesson on Conformity from Michael Taylor

          In Black Swan Green, arguably one of the most prominent themes in the novel is Jason's love for poetry and his journey with his alter ego "Eliot Bolivar". Bolivar represents many of Jason's internal struggles, his inability in his family, his insecurity with his self-image, and his self-expression. Jason writes under this pseudonym under the fear that his secret would be discovered and revealed to the world, for that he could never socially recover. His double life leads him on an interesting and almost fairytale-esque journey where he encounters a woman by the name of Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, who transforms into a sort of mentor for him and a parental figure he so desperately needs. I believe that Jason formed his societal ideals not only from peer pressure but also from his desire to appeal to his father. The parallels between them are uncanny, allowing Jason to grow out of his toxic mindset on himself and others. 

    Jason's family is first introduced in the first pages, where Jason highlights their inability and coldness to one another, particularly speaking about his father. We see Jason struggle with his own self-image throughout the novel, with the ridicule he faces at school, and he channels that hurt into his poetry as a place where he can truly be himself without the fear of being bullied. In meeting Eva in the chapter "Solarium", he is met with something he has never encountered before: authenticity and self-awareness. She inquires about his choice of wording for his pseudonym as she points out how if he chooses to express himself, he should be proud of that, not concealing from society. More bluntly, this relationship significantly contrasts with his relationship with his father, the main relationship that is meaningful to him. With his father, Jason internalizes the mentality to shield sensitivity and become a beacon of masculinity as he sees his father. His desire to conform directly comes from his father's approval. Jason's need to conform slowly breaks down as we see his father's image slip in chapter eight, "Souvenirs," where Jason bluntly sees his father's personality flip when they encounter his boss, Craig Salt. Jason is disgusted and frankly shocked seeing his father's actions and the fake persona he adopts to impress his boss and fit into the social hierarchy of being an adult in a corporation. Even with his efforts, his father lost his job in the end. Which begs the question to Jason, does it even matter if I fit the social hierarchy if living my whole life to fit into it just knocks me down time and time again? 

    The parallels between the two men are striking, but also serve as a moment of growth for Jason's character and score as one of the central themes under the coming-of-age theme at the heart of this story. Jason finally stands up to the boys at school by smashing a calculator and snitching to a teacher about the horrific acts done by his tormentors. Instead of being in fear of retaliation, we see him come to terms with living apart from the social hierarchy he has centered his life around. With his view of his father now crushed as he is revealed to have an affair and tears the family even farther apart, Jason now looks back on the life he once lived with sorrow but he is finally able to live a life without hiding himself or his identity,  or for the approval of his peers or the approval of his father.