52 pages • 1 hour read
J M ForsterShadow Jumper
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Literary Context: Children’s Adventure Novels
Shadow Jumper fits within the genre of children’s adventure novels, which are often characterized by young protagonists going on quests or solving mysteries. Building upon the tradition of children’s adventure novels, Shadow Jumper involves a hero’s quest and features young characters who endure difficult circumstances and assume adult responsibilities.
Shadow Jumper features a young male protagonist who employs a trusty sidekick and pursues the restoration of his home. Jack has a personal stake in the mystery that drives him. Jack and Beth explore the forbidden and break rules that other children must follow. As part of the quest, Jack and Beth must leave home without permission, explore a new mode of transportation, overcome obstacles, and support each other as they encounter new dangers. They bond through their abilities to help each other and work together.
Children’s literature often features children who are orphans or estranged from their parents. In this novel, Beth, whose parents recently died in a car crash, learns to accept her grief and carve out her place in the world without the aid of her parents. Like the eponymous protagonists Harry Potter, Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, and Anne of Green Gables, Beth must demonstrate resourcefulness and resilience after losing the stability of her family and her home.
Shadow Jumper also reflects contemporary children’s literature’s increased efforts to be more inclusive. Jordan Scott’s I Talk Like a River (2020), R. J. Palacio’s Wonder (2012), and Sharon M. Draper’s Out of My Mind (2010) also have protagonists whose appearance or disability causes them to feel different from their peers, In recent years, the children’s publishing industry has made a considerable effort to highlight more inclusive narratives and feature characters with disabilities. Through the lens of anti-ableism, this branch of children’s literature emphasizes that mental and physical differences do not preclude a child’s right to happiness and exploration. Shadow Jumper ends with the assertion that Jack has more control over his destiny than he previously thought.
Medical Context: Solar Urticaria
Jack Phillips, the protagonist, has a medical condition called solar urticaria, which means he is allergic to sunlight. This, understandably, is extremely isolating because he cannot participate in many activities that take place out in the sunshine that are popular with peers his age. Because of this, Jack chooses to spend his time shadow jumping on rooftops. However, it is impossible for Jack to completely avoid sunlight, and he experiences bleeding, itching, oozing, and other dermatological conditions as a result of his allergy.
There are several types of sun allergies, some of which are hereditary. Polymorphous light eruption, the most common type of sun allergy, results in a rash when skin comes into contact with sunlight. Steroids are often part of a treatment plan for severe allergies. Symptoms of sun allergies include skin redness, itchiness, blisters, hives, stinging, and raised patches on the skin.
The science of allergies evolves every day. An allergic response occurs when one’s immune system reacts to something like dust or a type of food. During an allergic reaction, the body determines an allergen is harmful, induces a histamine reaction, and produces antibodies. Most allergies cannot be “cured,” but the seriousness of the allergy may change as people age. Allergy treatment is available for several types of allergens; these treatments may include weekly exposure via shots that will give the immune system a chance to learn how to encounter the allergen without producing antibodies to fight it.
