The Individual in Society

Jick is a boy who sees himself as one part of a larger whole. He thinks of himself as one person in a unit of four, his immediate family. He considers himself a member of his community, a Park Ranger's son, a worker on the haying crew, Ray Heaney's best friend, a member of the community of English Creek and a Montana native. He repeatedly seeks out his links to people and tries to identify himself as a part of the groups to which he feels connected. He wants to hear the local history upon which the community life is built. He wants to hear of other people's experiences of youth and reflects on the universality of certain experiences. Just as the name "Jick" suggests, Jick is a boy who can be identified by a suit while still holding an individual place.

Contrasting Jick's attachment...