Between the cliquey social politics of high school, meeting parental expectations, and figuring out just what the heck you're going to do with your life, being seventeen isn't exactly easy. Think that's tough? Try being abused and abandoned with little knowledge or memory of where you come from or who your family is. Yep, Taylor's got serious identity issues, and Jellicoe Road mainly recounts her quest not just for answers, but affirmation that there are people out there who care about her. When everything from your family to your name to your very existence is in question, it results in serious questions and a drive to discover the truth.
Questions About Identity
- How are Taylor's questions of identity wrapped up in her relationship with her mom? What false beliefs have caused her insecurities?
- What about the five characters in Hannah's manuscript does Taylor relate to so intensely?
- How does Taylor's lack of a personal history prevent her from connecting with others?
- Taylor spends a lot of time delving into the original five's favorite music from the 80s. What songs from the present day do you think Taylor would identify with? Don't worry about limiting yourself to songs from 2006 (the year the book was published)—we'd like to think Taylor is living a happy, fulfilled life in her fictional universe and is still enjoying her tunes.
- While we're on the subject, what do you think Taylor is doing today, anyway? How did her search for her past and her time on the Jellicoe Road transform her vision of the future?
Chew on This
The story about Webb's dream of meeting Taylor provides the ultimate evidence that she not only has an identity, but also has always been loved.
In absence of her own history, Taylor attempts to relate to the history of the characters in Hannah's book. Good thing that works out.