“Status Quo” describes a
student in middle or high school who
feels almost no connection whatsoever with his peers. He demonstrates this by
wearing odd clothing, in order to measure his fellow students’ reaction. The
piece seems to center around alienation; though Jake feels distant from his
peers, he jumps at the first opportunity at companionship, even though Tanner,
his new friend, seems like a bit of a trouble maker.
I like the character
progression. When Jake is sent to the library, he sees that there are
consequences for his affectations, and once he gets there, he finds the
students to be actual people, rather than cartoons. His contempt was not
warranted. I like how calculating Jake is. I liked the piece’s clarity. I
always knew what was going on, and there is a clear narrative arc. The dialogue
is really interesting. Jake seems to always say what he thinks other people
expect. Even though this is at odds with his personality at the beginning of
the piece, by the end the reader can see that to a certain extent, Jake doesn’t
mind conforming to expectations.
Changes to Jake’s
character tend to happen very quickly. He seems to relinquish his unusual attitudes
without hesitation. Does he resist conformity at all? I would also like to see
why he joins Tanner with such eagerness. He doesn’t seem particularly lonely,
though he does seem touched by his invitation to go out. I also wondered if
Jake would feel any guilt about pigeonholing his peers for so long. He moves
from contempt to acceptance quickly. Sometimes, Jake’s explanations can feel a
little forced. While they provide insight into his character, they stop they
action and feel a bit like authorial intrusion.
I think a little more
tension in the piece could help. Jake could resist becoming friendly with
Tanner and the rest. After all, his entire identity seems to revolve around
being distant from everyone. Maybe there
could be students who threaten Jake or find his unique sartorial style
irritating.
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