JOHN TATE

• [Beginning- VIOLENT]

  "New rule; that word is banned... are you on our side Cathy?"

  • This is a severe reaction to the group using a word that John Tate does not like.-> His dislike for the word exists due to his inability to face the consequences of his actions.
  • Asserts himself as a leader during a time of uncertainty. Perhaps this is Kelly's implicit criticism of tyrannical and dictatorial leaders who historically fail due to their disregard for what's better for their society. Perhaps this link to tyrannical leadership is to foreshadow that John Tate will not last as leader.
  • doesn't know how to be a role model because he never had a role model, thus society should intervene.
• CONTINUED...

  • Manipulative language
  • "banned" connotes to being restrictive/ law/ cannot be disputed.
  • "our"- A group of people
  • John Tate is being manipulative and asserting his dominance and control by making Cathy feel like she is on her own if she doesn't agree with him. This would immediately make Cathy listen to him as we know how desperately teenagers want to feel as though they belong in the 21st century.
• "If anyone says it I'm going to have to ,you know, bite their face. Or something."

  • Attempt of aggression -Empty threat- cannot be taken seriously, because of the stuttering/ undermining of his own threat.
  • Unsure- shows his uncertainty at what he will do if someone disobeys him.
  • John Tate appears almost desperate, to remain in power within his gang as a way of reiterating how teenagers are ostracised within society and will therefore result to desperate measures to feel a sense of belonging.
  • animalistic-> bestial language.
  • Kelly exposes the rise in violent crimes within gang culture in modern society-> due to the lack of moral guidance as society neglect to provide moral guidance to the youth.
• "That just leads you Brian, you crying little piece of filth"

  • Escalation of violence when addressing Brian who is the weakest member of the group -> Arguably this is what all ineffective tyrannical leaders do- they use the most vulnerable as examples to instil fear within them to follow their orders. Again, this foreshadows his inability to lead the group.
  • He dehumanises Brian by reducing him to "filth" thus suggesting he is unimportant and valueless. This also exposes the toxic traits and hierarchies within groups like these.-> desperation to remain in power
• [Middle- INEFFECTIVE LEADER AND ISOLATED]

  "They say John Tate's lost it though, he won't come out of his room"

  The hyperbolic description of his mental decline shows us that he is consumed by guilt for what/ the group has done. His self- confinement could symbolise his inability to face his own actions and wrongdoings.
• [End- RELIGIOUS MORAL]

  "John Tate's found god... He joined the Jesus army"

  • The extreme reform of his character by the end shows us his desperation to repent. His motivations have now changed- he wants to spend his life creating positive change as opposed to enforcing suffering - he has ultimately learned the moral lesson.
  • He has left the group
  • Equally a limited change as it does not free the innocent man who is imprisoned and it does not bring Adam back to life.