Black Swan Green

“Games and sports aren’t about taking part or even about winning. Games and sports’re really about humiliating your enemies.” 

This quote touches on the motif of masculinity that runs throughout the book. Jason remarks that games are not about participation, winning, or friendly competition. Rather, they’re about something more violent: Proving your strength and dominating your peers, which is how the village boys measure each other’s place in the social order. Although such behavior does not fit Jason’s personality, he plays along because he wants to fit in and be accepted by his peers.

“War’s an auction where whoever can pay the most in damage and still be standing wins.” 

This line separates two scenes: a fight between Jason’s parents and Jason’s thoughts on the Falklands War. By placing this observation between these scenes, the text draws a parallel between the two events. Though the conflict at home is small compared to the international conflict unfolding on TV, both are significant events in Jason’s life. The quote also reveals an antiwar sentiment that aligns with Jason’s general disapproval of violence.

“Me, I want to bloody kick this moronic bloody world in the bloody teeth over and over till it bloody understands that not hurting people is ten bloody thousand times more bloody important than being right.” 

As the Falklands War seems to stall and Tom Yew’s death hangs heavy, Jason erupts in this angry tirade. Although he makes this statement in reference to the war, it echoes his opinion about violence in general and reflects his resentment that acceptance from the popular boys requires cruel and senseless acts at the expense of others.