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A Jericho Fan Fiction Archive
i enjoyed this story very much. i have always seen jonah as a very interesting and complex man. not bad on the eyes either! i think collie may see more than just a story in him also. i ALMOST felt bad about emilys death, but i got over it pretty fast. i know that i have told you many times before how real you make the characters seem to me, but this time i wanted a cigarette, really wanted one and i have not smoked in years. thank you matty
I saw this over at fanfiction.net and left a review for you there, but I figured I'd say a few words here, too.
When I first opened the story, I wasn't expecting it to be about Jonah. With that said, I found it fascinating. I'm glad you didn't fall into the trap of diluting Jonah or trying to turn him into some romantic hero. That's not who he is, and I've seen others try that and fail miserably.
The scenario behind Jonah's imprisonment and interview was so interesting. I really felt for Emily and have to admit to being more than a little disturbed by what befell her.
I'm curious about several things. Who gave Jonah the information he needed to get to Tomarchio? Will Collie ever find out? Will Jonah change his mind and decide to cooperate with her? Is the new government really bad, or is Jonah just being bitter? Will there be a sequel?
This one really got me thinking.
Thanks, AveryB! I definitely didn't want to fall into the trap of making Jonah into some kind of romantic lead or to try to water down his behavior. Jonah's not a nice guy. Period. That doesn't mean he's without feeling, certainly, but he's pretty amoral, imo.
I actually struggled a little bit with whether to make Emily's fate so terrible. In the end, I decided it was necessary to propel Jonah to this place and time.
About your questions...I wish I could say that I knew all the answers (and I do know a few of the them), but for now, I guess I'll just leave the answers up to your imagination for now. In case I ever do want to revisit this story, I've got to have a few surprises to work with. ;)
Thank you again!
Interesting stuff, Sandra.
A week or two ago, I was asked which 2 Jericho characters I most/least/"middle of the road" identified with, and I picked Jonah as a least. I really don't get him, and I don't have much interest in understanding him.
While this story doesn't change my feelings, you at least gave me something to think about, along with some intereseting possible tidbits of explanation. One that really got me was Jonah causing trouble in school to hide problems with his eyesight (or a learning disability like dyslexia?).
Disclaimer aside, I must now admit that I have been contemplating the meaning of Jonah's actions for the last few days. He said it was personal, and I believe that, but I don't know that I believe that it was as much about avenging Emily as it was about him. Maybe Jonah was -- as he thinks more than once -- running scared, and Emily's murder was a good excuse to go out in a blaze of glory. 'Suicide by cop.' Just my theory.
Like I said, interesting stuff.
Thanks, Marzee. I'm glad I was able to pique your imagination a bit where Jonah is concerned. He's certainly not the character I relate to the most, but I do find him strangely compelling. I think from my perspective, a bit reason he's compelling is that he is so unapologetically flawed. There is also quite a bit of backstory that we never got on him from the show, so the part of me that likes to fill in the blanks had a field day with this one. I'll leave Jonah's rationale for seeking revenge up to you. I have my thoughts on this, but I was trying to leave some of his behavior ambiguous. I think it makes it more interesting that way. Thank you for again your comments. It's always interesting to hear what you think. :)
Author's Response:
Wow!
I hoped something interesting would come from issuing this challenge, though of course I didn't know quite what to expect, and and I'm not sure quite what to say about this story - it was fascinating. Unexpected and fascinating.
At first I was thinking that we go on a journey through Jonah's mind, his experience after the bombs, and I realized that actually we never go inside his head at all. We get an outsider's perspective as he tells his story in his own words. And yet I'm left with a sense of having had a view into the emotional world of Jonah. I think maybe it's because he's restrained, holding back a lot but implying a lot with the words he does choose that I get a sense of so much more going on. He doesn't tell us but I imagine his history with both his children, his sense of regret and helplessness at what happens to them, the process he must have undergone as he decided to do the one last thing he could to express his love for his daughter, what she meant to him, in a world that seems to play by the rules of violence and survival that he has adapted to.
And what happened to Emily...I'm left feeling shocked and horrified. I'm sure that's the effect her death and dehumanization is supposed to garner. Jonah only has a few words to describe this to us, but I get a sense somehow, from what he is not saying, of everything else - the life and humanity Emily had, the memory Jonah has of her, and the way what has happened seems naturally to lead to only one logical conclusion for him. He can't give her back dignity or life, it's too late to protect her, but he reacts to this violence with an equally destructive counter.
This was a very different piece and I enjoyed this glimpse into a character we don't see much (though I just keep thinking poor Emily!). Thanks for sharing it with us!
Thank you for your comments, Penny Lane. I was hoping you would like it, as it was your challenge. :)
I think "challenge" is an appropriate word. In delving into the Jonah character, I was challenged with the dilemma that Jonah isn't a man who invites examination. He would, in my opinion, never divulge his full story, only what he thinks people want/need to hear. I suspect that with the way he's lived his life, he's not been particularly reflective, either. I wanted a scenario where he would be compelled to speak, but being Jonah, there was no way he was going to make it easy for the journalist.
I must admit to some trepidation with using the gruesome/horrific end to Emily. I really debated with myself but decided that it had to be done. It was the only scenario that I thought would bring Jonah out of the life he was leading to intersect with his victim.
Thank you for your comments and for reading!