Character Comparison: Jason from She Wasn’t Soft and Ned from Termination Dust (Analytical Response D.)

Most recently our group read She Wasn’t Soft and Termination Dust, which featured some very interesting characters, including Jason from She Wasn’t Soft and Ned from Termination Dust. It is easy to see that both of these characters committed horrendous acts, fueled by some sort of passion which they felt, as Jason, overcome by lust, raped his girlfriend Paula and drugged her when she was coming to the finish of the triathlon, ahead of her rival Zinny Bauer; while Ned kills Bud, because he believes that Bud took Jordy back to Boynton without her consent. However, there are many differences between Ned and Jason.
Probably the biggest difference between the two characters is that Jason is not a very determined person, while Ned seems to work very hard for what he has, as he seems to have spent a good deal of money just to come to this kind of date auction, and his finances are limited when it comes to the amount of money which he can bid on Jordy, while money does not seem to be an obstacle for Jason, who basically had his parents, both doctors, fund his business. It was interesting that T.C. Boyle chose characters that are different in this way as one seems to be pretty determined and responsible, while the other one seems to be very lazy, and put them in similar situations of love, which both yield the same result; each man hurts the woman whom they love. Perhaps, Boyle is trying to make a commentary through these two characters that love or the want for love is a very powerful thing which we all want to attain, but no matter who we are whether good or bad, the power of love may corrupt us as we become blind to the truth behind a certain situation as in Ned’ case when he tracks down Bud and Jordy, after he thinks Bud took Jordy to Boynton against her will. In some twisted way Jason and Ned also feel that these things which they have done will bring them closer to the people that they love. This may illustrate that we as humans want to love more than anything else and do good, but it is easy to become corrupted by something so powerful. These characters also have a commonality in the isolation which they encounter whether self-imposed or not. As Ned lives in the last place one can drive on the continent, and he has very little human interactions except with the people who are patrons at his bar, while Jason kind of is in a self imposed exile, as he goes into a bar, watches sports, while getting very drunk, this limits his interaction with people around him as well. Certain aspects of these characters are very relatable in the life of the average person, as we all want to love, and sometimes idealize it, and it is easy to become corrupted by something so powerful, as our vision gets skewed from the truth. We also exile ourselves from contact with others, and this really is not beneficial, I think that this is why Boyle made these characters deal with the similar problems, but put them in different situations. Boyle is driving home the idea that these problems are quite common and are part of the human condition whether one is trying to win a date through an auction in Alaska, or one has someone whom they love, but they just don’t realize to what extent, and how ultimately we are all susceptible to committing sins, especially against ones we love.
Mike Verity