Shadow Jumper

Jack’s journey to making peace with his sun allergy and better understanding the reasons for his photosensitivity enables him to become a better person.

The text conveys the impact that physical conditions have on mental health. Through Jack’s character arc, the text portrays the psychosomatic effects of stress and anxiety. Throughout his life, Jack has been rendered “different” because of his appearance, and this has led to not only a considerable diminishing of confidence, but also to social isolation and limited abilities to interact with peers his own age.

Jack’s photosensitivity is an example of an invisible disability since he can often cover the portions of his skin that have been affected. His arms and legs seem to be the most sensitive. An invisible disability such as cystic fibrosis or a heart condition means that casual observers cannot see evidence of disability. Within disability studies, there is considerable debate surrounding the needs and goals of the invisible disability community versus the visible disability community. Because Jack can “pass” as someone without a disability, he experiences both sides; he sometimes has the luxury of appearing as if he does not have a debilitating allergy, but he copes with its effects in relative isolation.

Jack has always had to cope with his allergy to sunlight, but his quest to find his dad forces him to wonder if the exacerbation of his condition is his dad’s fault, since the evidence he and Beth discover indicates that his dad may have experimented on him:

He was willing to risk his son’s life for the sake of an anti-ageing drug. Jack had no idea whether it was for money or fame to save his reputation as a scientist. It didn’t matter why; the fact was he didn’t care about his family. A sharp twinge shot up his damaged skin – Dad didn’t care about him (162).

Jack realizes that Tom did not actually experiment on him, but that Tom’s absence and lack of communication are the catalyst for Jack’s worsening skin condition. The understanding of the role his emotions and his dad’s action play offers Jack the possibility of control over his skin; one of the most stressful parts of his skin condition is his apparent lack of control over it. Learning that “mental factors, such as stress and anxiety” (183) exacerbate physical symptoms highlights the paradoxical nature of the relationship between mind and body: We are told to emphasize physical wellness, but worrying about physical unwellness only aggravates symptoms. This creates an unrelenting cycle of exhausting mental worries and exhausting physical pain.

With the help of Beth, Jack learns to tackle his psychosomatic pain and gain the confidence to master his physical health.