The Significance of Starting and Ending with January Man
In Black Swan Green , David Mitchell intentionally begins and ends Jason Taylor’s story with the use of repetition of the title and scene, “January Man.” We follow him during his thirteenth year of life, going month by month throughout the year. Later, it’s revealed that each chapter’s scene is used by Jason as the setting for his poems under the pseudonym Eliot Bolivar. Among other things, the pen name is referenced by his older sister, Julia, in the final chapter. She tells Jason, “I hope he hasn’t given up writing altogether. He’s got literary promise. When you next run into him, tell him from me to stick at it, will you?” (296). The fact that the chapter got documented felt like a subtle confirmation that he decided to take his sister’s advice and continue writing. This repetition of “January Man” reinforces the idea that Jason’s coming-of-age journey was not this insane, transformative shift that people typically associate with the trope. Rather, ...