Text response: The Town: The Clearing

“I’ve already got my reputation, Waldo. There’s nothing I can do about that, no matter how untrue or hurtful it might be. But yours-you can be a stud or a dud.”This is a quote extracted from the book: Town by James Roy. Each chapter has a new story with different character, which each has their own unique reputation. The Clearing is a perfect example of how reputation is portrayed in both good ways and bad way in the book. From this quote the reader is able to tell that reputation is really important in the book, as it is the key factor that links all the stories in the book, the reader could also tell that in the book reputation affect how the character feels about themself and their actions.

Reputations are really important in the book. Each character in the book has their own unique reputation, it is what they are known for and cannot be change, because reputation is the first impression of someone you know or you do not know, it will spread like rumours although it might not be true. It can be shown through their action, their dialogue and their feeling, and at the same time it affect their action, their dialogue and their feeling, but worst how they are treated by other characters in the book. In the chapter The Clearing, Josh Waldron invited Veronica to a party on the cliff. But because Veronica had a reputation that she would go in bed with any boy, although it was really untrue, Josh forced Veronica to do something with his brother: Sam against her will.”That’s my reputation right there, Waldo. That is what thinks I’m like, even though I’ve never been like that, ever. But that’s what people want to think.”Page 114. By looking at this quote it reveals a lot about how reputation is misused.  And if she doesn’t do it will his brother, Josh Waldron will use her reputation, and tell everyone that Veronica did a lot of boys at once. This is a perfect example of misusing somebody’s reputation to offend them. But Josh Waldron also misused his own reputation because he is popular so anyone will believe what he said. 

Josh Waldron is a popular character in the book, he has literally the best reputation in the book, as people describes him as “handsome, well built popular, drove a nice car. In his high-school days he’d been a bit of a local footy star.” By looking at this quote the reader will think that he is popular and his is quiet a nice person. But really he is not a nice person at all, he blackmailed Veronica and force Veronica to do something against her will with his brother: Sam. This is an example of reputation being misused and causing problems. Josh Waldron is also know, because he works at the local pub, and that is why he is so popular and has a great reputation.

Reputation is sometimes misleading and false, as it is demonstrated it many of the chapters of the book. The best example of this Veronica. Veronica nickname is: Carbo, this is because carbon will go out with anything, and this was her reputation she made out with a lot of boy. Although many characters in the books know that this reputation is false, but many still know Veronica as that, like Josh Waldron.  But other character such as Josh’s brother: Sam, tend to not think about the reputation too much, which suggest that they know the reputation was false, but there is nothing thy can do about it, as it is what she is already known for.

Reputation was really important in the book, because Josh Waldron was definitely was known more by reputation than anything else by Veronica, as he had a good reputation, which was more truthful than Veronica’s reputation, which is totally not truthful, and this is why Josh Waldron treated Veronica so unwell because of her reputation.