Looking for JJ

These chapters unveil more about the crime that sent Jennifer Jones to prison for six years. The novel portrays this crime in a mixed light: Jennifer is indeed troubled, angry, and sometimes aggressive. Her final act of murder is a selfish one—she does not want to lose her friend. However, the other information included in the novel allows us to sympathize with Jennifer’s actions. Jennifer has few outlets for her fear and anger and knows that she is coming precipitously close to a dangerous world in the form of her mother and Mr. Cottis. Jennifer’s only haven is with her friends, and when they threaten to leave her, she acts violently in desperation. These passages are the culmination of the novel’s persistent themes of guilt, innocence, and the possibility of change. While Jennifer may indeed be guilty of murder, her actions are not entirely irredeemable. In fact, they are largely situational, suggesting the possibility that Jennifer is not a born killer and that events could have turned out differently had Jennifer been raised in a more supportive environment. The feral cat who witnesses the murder again adds to the mood of uncanny dread, suggesting that Jennifer is like a wild and lawless animal who can only think of its own survival and revenge.

In these passages, Carol’s character arc has hit a new low as she suggests that Jennifer pose for child pornography to make more money and get better jobs. Although Jennifer doesn’t quite understand what she is being asked to do, she realizes that something about it is wrong and does not want to do it. Rather than accede to her daughter’s wishes, Carol insists that Jennifer do the shoot, placing her own financial and personal gain above her daughter’s physical and emotional well-being. These passages make it clear for both Jennifer and the audience that Carol does not truly care about the safety and happiness of her daughter. While she might, in some respects, love her, she is an unfit mother and a poor influence on Jennifer. These chapters emphasize the theme of mothers and the maternal bond, suggesting that not all mothers are able to provide a healthy and supportive environment for their children, and some may even be actively harmful.

Carol’s pornographic photo shoots also play a pivotal role in the scene at the lake. When the girls find the photos tucked away in Lucy’s brothers’ den, Jennifer is sure that Lucy has stolen them and reacts violently and angrily. Later, Michelle is disgusted by Jennifer and her mother and no longer wants to be her friend. In these moments, Jennifer feels her world collapsing around her, with no haven to turn to. These scenes characterize the negative way in which pornography and sex work are viewed throughout the novel, tarnishing both Carol and Jennifer by association. The photographs also represent a recurring motif throughout the story, raising questions of representation, identity, and the gaze of the other.