The Jacket

The Jacket
 


常閱讀，也喜歡Andrew Clements的作品，
他的作品常給我思考的空間。
校園中的一個故事，
卻也是嚴肅的社會議題。
一件夾克，
引發的事件、反思和改變，
深烙在我腦海。
值得一看的書。一件孩童的舊夾克，
由於雇主 (白人) 和清潔女工 (黑人)的情誼而轉贈。
當這件夾克穿在清潔女工的孫子Daniel上，
卻被不知情的雇主兒子Phil 指為偷竊，
誤解、衝突、了解、道歉、合解。
兩位小男孩成長、成熟的歷程。

這件事引發Phil的思考，
字字句句都有其衝擊力：

1. This morning, what if Daniel had been a white kid? Would I have grabbed him like that? If he had looked like he belonged in that jacket, would I have said he stole it?
(p.36)

2. How come you never told me I was prejudiced? (p.37)

3. Dad is ...prejudiced- like me. (p.43)

4. ...Same house, only different people. And practically the same neighborhood, too! (p.74)

書中Phil能為自己的錯誤而道歉，
是值得肯定的行為。
Phil had already said he was sorry. Twice. Because sometimes sorry had to be said twice. Sometimes even more.
(p.87)

一件夾克的故事，
卻可以讓讀者思考：
偏見，存在著。
敞開心扉，
調整心態，
看見真相，
我們就可以發現不一樣的世界，
更美麗的世界。