“When a woman is assaulted, one of the first questions people ask is, Did you say no? This question assumes that the answer was always yes, and that it is her job to revoke the agreement. To defuse the bomb she was given. But why are they allowed to touch us until we physically fight them off? Why is the door open until we have to slam it shut?”
― Chanel Miller, Know My Name: A Memoir
Hi Jack
Genre: Road trip, Drama, Coming-of-age
Length: 126 pages
Language: English
Location: South California
Logline:
A fresh-off-the-boat Chinese teenage girl goes on a road trip with the uncle of her host family and tries to save herself from the potential danger of sexual assault.
Writer Statement:
I never called myself a feminist or an activist for any kind of rights and social movements. I write stories. I write about the concepts I want to explore, ask questions, and put my voice into the stories I tell. I have viewpoints on a lot of things and things I believe in. Maybe I am an (x)ist? But it never feels right to carry a label when I write. I don’t consider myself eligible to speak for a group of people. I don’t write with the purpose of representing a community but with the hope of connecting individuals. Having my story touch, console, cure, help, inspire, or even bring a tiny change in individual souls is my biggest reward as a storyteller.
The story of Hi Jack is based on a personal experience I had many years ago. Sexual harassment is no longer a topic that’s left out of the conversation in our society. People bring the issue of sexual assault into light, but does openly talking about the problem provide a resolution to it? The train of civilization arrives at the stop where we have the freedom of speech, but we’re far from the destination.
Sadly, I couldn’t find a solution to all the wrongness in this story. It is an extremely uncomfortable journey to endure for both the protagonist and the audience. People might raise questions like “Why does she go on this trip with him alone when she doesn’t feel comfortable with him?” “Why does she get into the car?” “Why doesn’t she run away in the middle of the journey?” “Why doesn’t she tell an adult or call the police for help?” “Why doesn’t she stop him from talking?” At the end of the story, we still don’t know whether Jack is really going to physically assault Aria. Maybe he won’t. If he doesn’t make any move, then how should Aria react? Everything seems to happen underneath.
There’s a blurred boundary between what is uncomfortable and what can be called morally wrong. Being a teenager, Aria doesn’t know how to protect herself from this nonphysical hurt. Jack is not a super high-intelligent criminal. But he’s smart enough to take advantage of his teenage victim, dancing in the gray area without receiving any consequences. That’s why many villains like Jack don’t need to make perfect plans to get away with their crimes.
I hope this story, if not bringing any hope, will make the audience realize how common sexual harassment to teenagers is. It has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen to us, to our loved ones, to strangers, quietly.