A Land More Kind than Home: Jess's Growth into Adulthood
Eng310
September 27, 2013
Jess’s Growth into Adulthood
“Even in my dreaming I knew I’d already seen more than I ever wanted to” (Cash 82). Jess’s character in A Land More Kind than Home, experiences moments of adulthood that includes emotional turmoil and witnessing events that will forever change his future. Jess’s growth on adulthood gradually rises throughout the story. Jess is a nine-year-old boy who experiences fear, guilt, and sadness when he sees, hears and knows about his town and his family. When Jess witnesses an event at his home and in the church, Jess will see the world in a new horrific way. Jess’s character lets the reader go into the eyes of a child and explore his experiences on how Jess sees, views, and handle adult situations. In Jess’s hometown of Marshall, his mother warns Jess and his mute brother, Stump, not to spy on grown-ups. In this small town, spying is something that would get Jess in trouble. The first incident that had taken place was when Stump was caught spying on his mother and pastor Chambliss, “…I should’ve never let Stump climb up there because we shouldn’t be spying. But I forgot about all that when I saw Pastor Chambliss” (Cash 43). This incident questions Jess’s curiosity of the pastor. This also shows Jess’s growth of the adult world when he knows there was something wrong going on. Later Jess is spying again but on Stump, and he witnesses the church “attacking” him. This incident later causes major and terrible future events when Jess calls out for his mother, in hopes to stop the church people from putting their hands all over Stump. Jess is confused and upset to see the grown-ups in town in a different way. Jess at this point had emotions of fear, confusion, and sadness that distraught his thoughts. He also felt guilty because he cannot tell his mother that he called out to her in the church, instead of Stump. Jess fears to tell his mother the truth about seeing Stump, because he knew not to be spying on
September 27, 2013
Jess’s Growth into Adulthood
“Even in my dreaming I knew I’d already seen more than I ever wanted to” (Cash 82). Jess’s character in A Land More Kind than Home, experiences moments of adulthood that includes emotional turmoil and witnessing events that will forever change his future. Jess’s growth on adulthood gradually rises throughout the story. Jess is a nine-year-old boy who experiences fear, guilt, and sadness when he sees, hears and knows about his town and his family. When Jess witnesses an event at his home and in the church, Jess will see the world in a new horrific way. Jess’s character lets the reader go into the eyes of a child and explore his experiences on how Jess sees, views, and handle adult situations. In Jess’s hometown of Marshall, his mother warns Jess and his mute brother, Stump, not to spy on grown-ups. In this small town, spying is something that would get Jess in trouble. The first incident that had taken place was when Stump was caught spying on his mother and pastor Chambliss, “…I should’ve never let Stump climb up there because we shouldn’t be spying. But I forgot about all that when I saw Pastor Chambliss” (Cash 43). This incident questions Jess’s curiosity of the pastor. This also shows Jess’s growth of the adult world when he knows there was something wrong going on. Later Jess is spying again but on Stump, and he witnesses the church “attacking” him. This incident later causes major and terrible future events when Jess calls out for his mother, in hopes to stop the church people from putting their hands all over Stump. Jess is confused and upset to see the grown-ups in town in a different way. Jess at this point had emotions of fear, confusion, and sadness that distraught his thoughts. He also felt guilty because he cannot tell his mother that he called out to her in the church, instead of Stump. Jess fears to tell his mother the truth about seeing Stump, because he knew not to be spying on