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.