David Jones Character Analysis in Jasper Jones

Jasper Jones’s father and Jack Lionel’s son, David Jones was a champion football player as a young man. He fell in love with Rosie, a beautiful Aborigine woman, but though he married Rosie and had a child with her, his father refused to acknowledge her for racial reasons. David and his father then had a falling out. When, later, Jack eventually befriended Rosie, and then accidentally caused her death, David stopped speaking to Jack, and never told Jasper that Jack was his grandfather. In the second half of his life, David fell into alcoholism and grief, and took poor care of Jasper.

David Jones Character Timeline in Jasper Jones

The timeline below shows where the character David Jones appears in Jasper Jones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...tells Charlie that his father hasn’t been in town since last Friday. Charlie suggests that Jasper’s father might have killed Laura, but Jasper immediately disagrees—his father doesn’t have it in him, he... (full context)

Understanding, Innocence, and Sympathy Theme Icon

...identifies at Jasper’s mother, his father, and Jasper himself. Jack tells Jasper that he is Jasper’s father ’s father—Jasper’s grandfather. Jack reveals that it was he who drove the car when Jasper’s... (full context)

...reveals everything Jack told Jasper. Jack was the father of Jasper’s father, whose name is David—he showed Jasper David’s old room, which was full of football trophies. Years ago, David met... (full context)

...nicely whenever he visited her, and Rosie would always make special food for the occasion. David was never present for these visits—he never forgave his father. (full context)

Charlie wonders how Jasper never learned about his father. Even if David never told Jasper, it seems likely that Jasper would have heard something from the other... (full context)