Jasper Jones by Silvey Craig

The novel Jasper Jones by Silvey Craig has the theme of truth vs. lies, or secrets. In the book, one of the main characters, Charlie Buckton, has to keep the secret of seeing the dead body of Laura Wishart after Jasper Jones shows him.

A secret is something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others. After Eliza, Laura’s sister, and Charlie tells Eliza about hiding Laura’s body and Eliza tells him about watching Laura kill herself, it is a release to them both to have let the secrets out. Before Eliza and Charlie talks about Laura’s death, Charlie feels like he is going to burst and tell everyone and suffer with the consequences of Jasper Jones possibly going to jail or Charlie, himself. Secrets and lies can’t be stopped and they can’t be hidden forever because at some point the truth will be exposed. Charlie was affected by Laura’s death and finding out about his mother’s affair.

The novel reflects the theme of truth versus lies in its exploration of how Charlie, the protagonist, keeps the secret about Laura’s death, the significance of the reveal about Charlie’s mother, and the way that the truth of Laura’s life and death can be covered by lies. First of all, after Charlie finds out about Laura’s death, he has trouble keeping the secret with Jasper only coming by on occasion. In the end, with the secret revealed and Charlie’s mother gone, they are happier and things are calmer. With the unfolded secret affair Charlie and his father are happier, letting the secret out can be better in the end.

Next, the reveal about Charlie’s mother’s secret is significant, making it easier for Charlie and his father to function in the end.Charlie and his father do the work needed to be done without Charlie’s mother there. Jasper, Charlie, and Eliza had to learn to cope with the heaviness of Laura’s death on their shoulders, it could have been prevented if there were no lies to result in her death.

In the end, secrets and lies affect everyone, whether it is bad or good is for you to determine. Jasper ends up asking Charlie to help him cover up what happened until they can figure out who did the act. Eliza tried to keep everything to herself, the outcome is horrific,