All American Boys

by

Jason Reynolds

English Jones Character Analysis

English is one of Rashad’s best friends. He is extremely handsome, kind, and captain of the basketball team. English is at first concerned when tensions over Rashad’s arrest threaten appear to threaten the basketball season, but eventually insists on the importance of protest and, with Quinn, decides to name a new play after Rashad.

English Jones Quotes in All American Boys

The All American Boys quotes below are all either spoken by English Jones or refer to English Jones. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism, Stereotyping, and Police Brutality Theme Icon
).
9. Tuesday: Quinn Quotes

“Why does it automatically gotta be Rashad's fault? Why do people think he was on drugs? That dude doesn’t do drugs. He's ROTC, man. His dad would kick his ass. You do drugs, asshole.”

“Just a puff here and there, man, come on. I don’t do drugs."

"I’ve seen you smoking a blunt. Metcalf sold you that shit. Metcalf––a white dude, by the way. Man, that shit could have been laced with crack, or fucking Drano. You don’t know what you talkin’ ‘bout.”

Related Characters: Quinn Collins (speaker), English Jones (speaker), Rashad Butler
Page Number: 175
Explanation and Analysis:

Now I was thinking about how, if I wanted to, I could walk away and not think about Rashad, in a way that English or Shannon or Tooms or any of the guys at school who were not white could not. Even if they didn't know Rashad, even if for some reason, they hated Rashad, they couldn’t just

ignore what happened to him; they couldn't walk away. They were probably afraid, too. Afraid of people like Paul. Afraid of cops in general. Hell, they were probably afraid of people like me. I didn’t blame them. I'd be afraid too, even if I was a frigging house like Tooms. But I didn't have to be because

my shield was that I was white. It didn't matter that I knew Paul. I could be all the way across the country in California and I'd still be white, cops and everyone else would still see me as just a “regular kid,” an “All-American” boy. “Regular.” “All American.” White. Fuck.

Related Characters: Quinn Collins (speaker), Rashad Butler , Paul Galluzzo , English Jones, Shannon Pushcart, Tooms
Page Number: 180
Explanation and Analysis:
16. Friday: Rashad Quotes

Me, Spoony, Carlos, English, Berry, and Shannon were in the front of the crowd, and all of a sudden, our arms locked and we were leading the way like—the image came to me of raging water crashing against the walls of a police dam. Marching. But it wasn’t like I was used to. It wasn't military style. Your left! Your left! Your left-right-left! It wasn’t like that at all. It was an uncounted step, yet we were all in sync. We were on a mission.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), Spoony Butler, English Jones, Shannon Pushcart, Carlos Greene, Berry Jones
Page Number: 306
Explanation and Analysis:
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English Jones Quotes in All American Boys

The All American Boys quotes below are all either spoken by English Jones or refer to English Jones. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism, Stereotyping, and Police Brutality Theme Icon
).
9. Tuesday: Quinn Quotes

“Why does it automatically gotta be Rashad's fault? Why do people think he was on drugs? That dude doesn’t do drugs. He's ROTC, man. His dad would kick his ass. You do drugs, asshole.”

“Just a puff here and there, man, come on. I don’t do drugs."

"I’ve seen you smoking a blunt. Metcalf sold you that shit. Metcalf––a white dude, by the way. Man, that shit could have been laced with crack, or fucking Drano. You don’t know what you talkin’ ‘bout.”

Related Characters: Quinn Collins (speaker), English Jones (speaker), Rashad Butler
Page Number: 175
Explanation and Analysis:

Now I was thinking about how, if I wanted to, I could walk away and not think about Rashad, in a way that English or Shannon or Tooms or any of the guys at school who were not white could not. Even if they didn't know Rashad, even if for some reason, they hated Rashad, they couldn’t just

ignore what happened to him; they couldn't walk away. They were probably afraid, too. Afraid of people like Paul. Afraid of cops in general. Hell, they were probably afraid of people like me. I didn’t blame them. I'd be afraid too, even if I was a frigging house like Tooms. But I didn't have to be because

my shield was that I was white. It didn't matter that I knew Paul. I could be all the way across the country in California and I'd still be white, cops and everyone else would still see me as just a “regular kid,” an “All-American” boy. “Regular.” “All American.” White. Fuck.

Related Characters: Quinn Collins (speaker), Rashad Butler , Paul Galluzzo , English Jones, Shannon Pushcart, Tooms
Page Number: 180
Explanation and Analysis:
16. Friday: Rashad Quotes

Me, Spoony, Carlos, English, Berry, and Shannon were in the front of the crowd, and all of a sudden, our arms locked and we were leading the way like—the image came to me of raging water crashing against the walls of a police dam. Marching. But it wasn’t like I was used to. It wasn't military style. Your left! Your left! Your left-right-left! It wasn’t like that at all. It was an uncounted step, yet we were all in sync. We were on a mission.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), Spoony Butler, English Jones, Shannon Pushcart, Carlos Greene, Berry Jones
Page Number: 306
Explanation and Analysis: