Social Hierarchy and Arbitrary "Coolness"

Jason has the most awareness of social status and tendencies to self-edit among any of the narrators we have read in this class. One of the aspects of Black Swan Green that interested me was the mob mentality behind the social hierarchy amongst the kids and how in some ways much of those mindsets have endured in schools today. Much as Jason’s actions or self-edits are driven by this idea of not wanting to be seen as “gay,” such as by publishing poetry under a pen-name or lying about the Christmas presents he received. 

Firstly, we notice this idea that somehow just associating with the right group of people will make or break Jason’s status. Dean Moran is probably his one real friend in the entire book, yet when introducing Dean, Jason refers to him as “Moron” because that is what the bullies, or kids higher up on the social hierarchy refer to him as. He hesitates to talk to Dean or sit by him on the bus too much, as if somehow he is going to lose status just by association. In the “Spooks” chapter, he is so excited by the invitation to go through the “initiation” ritual and become a Spook, yet somehow Dean getting the same invitation takes away some of his feeling of clout. His eagerness to become a Spook in the first place is also driven by the idea of associating with the right people, because Spooks were so “hard” that nobody would bully or question them, and live under a certain freedom by “not giving a toss”. 

It is really interesting to note what kinds of things are deemed “cool” versus “gay” in Jason’s world, because despite their seemingly arbitrary assignment, it is clear that they are compelling and have been passed down from one kid to another. This reminds me of a lot of the things I worried about when I was in middle school in California that determined whether or not I would be “popular” or not. There were small things about the way you dressed — owning a plain-colored (preferably black) Jansport backpack was the only acceptable type of backpack, and during P.E., you had to roll up the long gym shorts high enough to seem like you cared about not looking tomboyish but not high enough that they became too short and you were looking for attention. If you were among one of the “gifted kids,” it was important you also had to act effortlessly enough that you weren't branded a total “try-hard” by asking the teacher too many questions. There is also a fragileness to one’s social status. We see this in Black Swan Green, where even for those who seemed to check all the boxes and conform in all the right ways, one wrong move and you might end up as the next Jason Taylor. In the fight between Grant Burch and Ross Wilcox, Grant’s entourage immediately is downgraded for simply picking the wrong side. 

Popularity also seems to be a vicious cycle perpetuated not just by the bullies on top, but by everyone who doesn’t want to be on the bottom. Even Jason realizes that the only way to become not “maggot” is by pushing the title onto someone else. On page 227, the issue of the Village Camp Counsel Committee petitioning against the gypsies causes him to realize that “the villagers wanted the gypsies to be gross, so the grossness of what they're not acts as a stencil for what the villagers are.” By defining what is different and wrong about another group, we are simultaneously defining ourselves. By branding this title “maggot” onto someone, you’re pushing all the “uncoolness” onto them so that you appear normal.