Jason Taylor: Justified but not Morally Right
In “Goose Fair,” Jason Taylor steals the wallet of his archnemesis Ross Wilcox. Upon finding out that Ross’s dad is violent and abusive, he feels a sense of power and vindication, saying “I’d be pounding Wilcox into a pulp. Me. Via his dad. . . . It’s the perfect revenge” (Mitchell 252). Stealing the wallet is the “perfect” revenge since not only does Ross Wilcox not know who stole his wallet, Ross’s dad will do the dirty work for him. Although I can understand Jason’s motive for revenge after everything Ross has done to him, I was disappointed in Jason, since although his actions might have been justified in a “legal” sense, I was hoping that he would take the high road and return the wallet immediately. (That being said, it's a lot easier for us to tell Jason to do the right thing than it is to actually do the right thing.)
Later on, however, Jason gives the wallet back to Ross, perhaps partly as a way to “one-up” Ross. However, he also realizes that even though Ross is a horrible person, no one deserves to be beat and abused by their father, the same father that once beat his wife so hard she went to the hospital. I think he also gives the wallet back out of genuine compassion for Ross, as he understands that Ross’s nature is shaped by the environment he lives in. This in itself shows a moral and intellectual development for Jason: he begins to understand people are complex and not everything is black and white. Even the worst of our enemies have their own struggles and hardships.
I wasn't really disappointed when Jason didn't give the wallet back immediately, I thought about his actions more like karma in that scene. However, I did support Jason when he did decide to give the wallet back in the end because he was adapting to new information that he received. Jason makes the right choice even though it wasn't easy for him to pass up on.
ReplyDeleteEven though I knew it probably wasn't the best path for Jason to take, I found myself rooting for him to keep the wallet and I was a little disappointed when he decided to give the wallet back. However, I do think that Jason's decision to give the wallet back was a major indicator of his growth, especially since he became aware of how anyone might be undergoing difficult circumstances. In a way, this decision still allowed Jason to get back at Ross by proving that Jason was the better and more mature out of the two—Ross might've felt a little embarrassed/awkward having to be saved by one of his main bullying targets.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that his actions were really justified legally either. However, I think we view Jason's actions as justified because we dislike Wilcox's character and think he deserves retribution. Finally, I don't think Jason returning the wallet is really to "one-up" Wilcox either, but instead because he realizes that inflicting pain onto Wilcox by stealing his money is ultimately a hollow action that would cause him to feel guilt later. Though I may be interpreting Jason's reasoning incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteI think Jason figured that giving back the wallet would give him moral high-ground over Ross, which it did, and since he didn't know if he actually use it to his advantage, it shows a lot of maturity to give the wallet back. I agree that I was disappointed in him for wanting Ross' dad to beat him up as it seems really cowardly and straight up awful of him, but at the same time, he ended up giving the wallet back, so I think that's the action we should take into consideration the most.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that while taking the wallet at first was a justified move, given that Jason endured a lot from Wilcox, the fact that he gives it back shows he is not the kind of person to hang on to resentment, nor hold grudges of any sort, and definitely gives him high morality, knowing to do what's right.
ReplyDeleteJason did make the right move in giving the wallet back although it was justified. When looking at this moment its more impressive, we are looking at the morals like Jason is an adult so to see him make that morally right move we think "yes, that's what a respectable person would do". But Jason is only a middle schooler so making that decision is very mature.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting suggestion that Jason is maybe "one-upping" Ross by returning the wallet, as if flaunting what a good person he is, thereby driving home what a bad person Ross is. This idea is definitely supported by Jason's passive-aggressive (but totally justified!) line about "I'm sure you'd've done the same for me, really." Clearly he is sure of precisely the *opposite*--there is basically NO WAY Ross would have done the same for him--but he does seem to be trying to get Ross to recognize this fact here. "You don't deserve me to be so nice to you, and your bullying of me almost cost you your life, but here's the wallet. No, don't thank me!"
ReplyDeleteThe wallet is a super interesting way of testing Jason's morals, as there are so many positives if Jason keeps it, like his bully getting what he deserves and even being able to buy things for himself. Practically the only thing in the way of keeping it is the idea of "stealing," so he is forced to confront that. I actually think if he had given it back immediately I would have been more disappointed than if he had kept it, as it would show just how much of a pushover he still was, not even considering keeping it, just blindly being "loyal." During the time he had it he was able to think and show us that he understood what was on the line.
ReplyDeleteI like this idea of Jason one-upping Russ in terms of taking the moral high ground, but you have to wonder if that's a competition Russ cares about in the slightest. It was really disappointing to see the reaction Russ had to Jason returning his wallet. You would think that this *might* be a moment where his bully façade drops and he's grateful (and in a cliché Jason and his bully become friends or something) but he continues to be awful. However, in a way that isn't his fault. You offered a really interesting analysis, and I would say I mostly agree. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI feel like by not returning the wallet immediately, it made room for future development, so I wasn't really disappointed when he didn't return the wallet. It also helps that Ross is an inherently dislikable character, so it's harder to not want to keep the wallet. However, Jason returning the wallet at the end was a nice way to show how he was grown and this was ultimately the right and more mature decision.
ReplyDeleteI also like your one-upping idea, I never thought of that before.