Jayber Crow

Though Jonah’s childhood is marred by the loss of his parents and then his guardian aunt and uncle, he still enjoys a peaceful and contented life in Squires Landing. His life in the orphanage is a stark contrast to the experience of thriving in the bonds of community and nature. As a result of the austere and strict rules of Brother Whitespade, Jonah (now called J.), cultivates a rich interior life that sustains him. His nameless state mirrors the loneliness and isolation he feels trapped inside the walls of the institution. The by-product of his contemplations is the emergence of doubt, particularly about matters of faith. J. sees a discrepancy between what he learns about religion and God and what he feels to be true in his heart. Though he accepts what he thinks is a call to serve God as a pastor, he can find no peace or spiritual confirmation through prayer. Literary characters like Huckleberry Finn endure similar struggles. Like Huck, J. also sees hypocrisy in those around him. Through J., the author displays the universal experience of all humans to grapple with the meaning of their existence. In the coming-of-age journey, individuals find meaning more easily in the context of a family or community. Without those structures, J. is left to search for value internally. J. sees more divinity in nature than in the walls of any institution of learning, driving him to leave his education and forge his path of discovery. In a world that is constantly driving toward expansion, growth, and progress, J. desires to make his world smaller.

Through these chapters, the author establishes nature as an important theme in the novel. Rather than focus on his studies or cultivate relationships, J. prefers to stare out the window or take long walks through the meadows surrounding the school. Nature is at first an act of rebellion for him and his school friends, but eventually J. progresses to solitary, contemplative walks and prefers to spend his time outside alone. One of J.’s chief struggles with religion is the perception that the world and human bodies are completely sinful and corrupt. In his mind, anything God created cannot be completely evil. He cannot fully accept a belief system that scorns the natural world, a place that brings him so much joy and peace. Having lost his family and lacking a home or roots, J. chooses to plant himself in nature and allows the serenity of the grass, flowers, and stream to be his teachers. Maintaining a close relationship with the land and seasonal rhythms become an important part of J. as a person. The author includes a reference to Walden by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 19th-century Transcendentalist writer. Emerson, disenchanted with the rising industrial fervor on the east coast, moved to a small, spartan shack on the banks of Walden pond to live in solitude for several years. Walden chronicles his days and what he learns during this time. With J.’s aversion to authority and institutions coupled with his love of nature, it stands to reason he is more drawn to the beliefs of the Transcendentalists than traditional Protestantism.