Jasper Jones

When Jasper and Charlie speak at Jasper’s clearing one night, Jasper expresses regret over what happened to Laura. He believes that her death is his fault because he was supposed to protect Laura. This demonstrates that he takes responsibility for those around him, even if this responsibility is sometimes beyond his control to exercise. He also takes responsibility for what happens to Charlie. This dynamic becomes apparent when he apologizes for getting Charlie involved in the cover-up of Laura’s death. By apologizing, he takes responsibility for what happens to Charlie as a result of his decision to involve his friend in his problems. However, Charlie reassures Jasper that he made his own decision to help Jasper, thus demonstrating a measure of responsibility for his own actions despite his frequent difficulties in this area. Furthermore, Jasper routinely assures Charlie that he will protect Charlie from harm, and Charlie trusts this to be true. Thus, Jasper is shown to be a mature person who has a greater sense of responsibility than Charlie does at the beginning of the story.

For much of the novel, Charlie is unwilling or incapable of taking care of others. When Mrs. Lu is attacked, for example, he gets angry at adults for their inaction even as he fails to take action himself. When Mr. Lu is attacked, he calls for his father to come to the rescue; although this shows a bit more agency than simply standing by, it is not quite the same as taking full action himself, for he is still relying upon other people’s strength and judgment. Similarly, when Eliza is sexually harassed, he does nothing to stop the verbal assaults against her. At this point in the novel, he is not yet willing or able to take responsibility for protecting others. This dynamic is further exemplified when Charlie and Jasper encounter police cars after being away together. Charlie knows he should let Jasper go because Jasper has already been beaten by the police and could possibly be beaten or arrested if he were to be found with Charlie, but Charlie cannot do this at first. He needs his friend’s comfort and presence, and he is willing to put his friend’s safety in danger for a bit longer in order to maintain that comfort before he finally lets him go.

This pattern finally changes after Charlie kisses Eliza and begins to feel protective toward her. He also starts to feel proud of himself because he knows that if something were to happen to Eliza, he would protect her. This shift in attitude shows that she has helped him to progress on his path to mature adulthood. He is no longer dependent upon other people to fix mistakes and to protect people. He is now learning to take responsibility for himself.