complicity analysis

Complicity
By, Tim Parrish

Quote-" Maybe he didn't think there was anything he could do. Nobody got hurt. Maybe he didn't think it was so wrong". pg. 5

           I chose this quote for the significance it holds for the growth and actions of the main charter.  In particular the quote speaks very well to the meaning behind the title  of the story , which is complicity. During the short story, the main character Jeb comes a realization that line between right and wrong when it comes to revealing the truth   is not as black and white as he had childishly   perceived it to be. Contrary to the moral lessons young children such as Jeb are taught, in which they must always speak the truth in order to be good and virtuous, Jeb gains awareness of the reality this principle during the story.  Rather than clearly defined black and white  lines of  what is right and wrong,  there are  instead  grays  areas in which  one first must consider their position and weigh the benefits and detriments of speaking the truth before they act. Then if one reasons that the cons outweigh the pros of telling truth, usually the truth remains hidden under the sometimes blanket of deception known as complicity.
            In the quote chosen, Jeb's mother provides him a great example of how the reality of complicity can play out through the example of a racially charged  act of vandalism. Jeb's mother states that his father had knowledge of the person who had bombed the pool dressing room, yet for the various reasons given in the quote Jeb's rather decided not to speak up.Maybe like  the quote suggests Jeb's father  felt powerless to right the wrongs of the person who did it, and maybe due to his own racist views he felt the integrated park should be destroyed. Either way, it seems  Jeb's father had weighed the pros and cons of speaking up about who committed the crime, and decided that it was in his best interest to stay quiet.  Jeb's initial disillusionment with this idea that wrong and right to most are two distinct entities with no overlap was displayed when he said, "I wasn't sure why he should have told, except hat not telling seemed somehow a lie". This must have been a jarring revelation for Jeb to encounter being that as a young child he must have often been told that lying is a very bad thing to do.
      Another interesting aspect of complicity this story explores is the role of power dynamics in what one is willing to accept and what one is willing to stand against. Take for example Jeb's contemptuous relationship with Mr. Park's son. Because Mr. Park seems to have a lot of power in the community as a member of the police force, both Jeb's mother and his brother urge him to be compliant against  the bullying from Mr. Park's son. For example, after Jeb hits Rickey in retaliation he is told by his brother that he needs to be nice to ricky because Mr. Park got Bob his job on the police force . In addition  in the story Jeb stated that Mr. Park's bullying  and intimidation often made him feel small, but he felt powerless to do something and speak up about everything due to the power dynamics of the situation.