Jared Christensen Character Analysis in Dear Justyce

Jared is one of Justyce’s best friends. They were classmates in high school during the events of Dear Martin and are now classmates at Yale. In Dear Martin, Jared was obnoxious, entitled, and racist. However, the murder of their Black classmate Manny brought about a change in Jared. He’s still annoying and entitled at times, but he makes more of an effort to recognize when his privilege clouds his interpretation of something. Along with Justyce and SJ, Jared throws himself into proving Quan’s innocence after Quan shares that he didn’t kill Officer Castillo. Jared is the one to point out that with Officer Castillo’s partner, Officer Tison, dead, the prosecution has no witnesses—and therefore, no case against Quan. Justyce is extremely surprised when Jared connects with Brad, a white member of Black Jihad. Though they come from very different backgrounds and have taken different paths, Jared and Brad laugh and joke like brothers.

Jared Christensen Character Timeline in Dear Justyce

The timeline below shows where the character Jared Christensen appears in Dear Justyce. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up Theme Icon

From the backseat, Jared groans and asks if they’re there yet. Justyce’s girlfriend, Sarah-Jane, nicknamed SJ, snappily asks why... (full context)

Identity, Support, and Community Theme Icon

...spits that an Black person would be in jail or dead if they’d been in Jared’s situation. Justyce and Jared are silent. What SJ doesn’t know is that Jared knows and... (full context)

...a “young (almost) man’s freedom is on the line.” Justyce thanks Attorney Friedman, Doc, Liberty, Jared, and SJ for coming. He lays out the facts: Quan has been incarcerated since September... (full context)

Justyce brings up the fact that Quan’s gun didn’t fire the fatal shots. Jared is confused as to why they arrested Quan without running ballistics first, but Attorney Friedman... (full context)

Jared asks if they even need more than a witness or two, since the state doesn’t... (full context)

Jared insisted on coming on the grounds that it would be educational, enlightening, and that he’d... (full context)

...lucky to have a friend like him and tells him to leave. Outside, Justyce finds Jared, Trey, and Brad laughing about keg stands and college. Justyce feels free. (full context)

Survival, Poverty, and Violence Theme Icon

...nods. He was at Martel’s the other day to help DeMarcus with an essay, and Jared and Brad took the opportunity to joke like brothers. Quan sighs. Months ago, Justyce shared... (full context)

...Quan admits he’d love to find someone like Liberty, and Justyce laughs and shares that Jared ran into Liberty at a restaurant. She chewed him out for trying to flirt with... (full context)