Some people survive high school by taking center stage, but others just want to disappear in the crowd. And life is sure a lot easier flying under the radar. Take Leticia in Jumped. Nothing is ever Leticia's fault: not her zero hour, not her being stuck in French class, and especially not Dominique's attack on Trina. Or…is it?
Yeah, Leticia's pretty much the classic bystander, inactive and passive to the core, but because Leticia is the only one who witnesses Dominique's intent to jump Trina (other than Shayne and Viv, Dominique's girls), she has some responsibility for preventing the attack. But Leticia is really good at convincing herself to do nothing, and her inaction partially causes the after-school attack. So even though Leticia's not the only passive character, her passivity has the furthest reaching implications.
Questions About Passivity
- To what extent is Leticia's passivity the fault of self-involved behavior that naturally occurs in teenagers? The fault of her character and personality?
- Other than Leticia, who is the most passive of characters in the novel? Why?
- To what extent are Shayne and Viv responsible for the attack? Why don't they try to talk Dominique out of it?
Chew on This
Leticia's passivity makes her as responsible as Dominique for the damage done to Trina by the end of the novel.
The passivity of the teachers and other students excuses Leticia's passive nature.