On Beauty

On Beauty

by

Zadie Smith

Jerome Character Analysis

Jerome is a student at Brown and the eldest of Kiki and Howard’s three children. Jerome is a bit of an outsider in his own family—he’s the only family member who doesn’t live in Wellington during the school year, and he has strong Christian beliefs none of the other family members share. Jerome sets in motion many of the events in the story, with his short-lived and disastrous engagement to Victoria helping to reignite a rivalry between his father and Victoria’s father, Monty. Jerome’s engagement is motivated largely due to his desire for a close-knit family like the Kippses, who are the opposite of his own family, in which everyone acts more independently. Jerome’s character subverts conventional depictions of youthful rebellion, showing how in a liberal family like Howard’s, rebellion can take the form of typically un-rebellious activities like going to church or wanting to spend time as a family.

Jerome Quotes in On Beauty

The On Beauty quotes below are all either spoken by Jerome or refer to Jerome. 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:
The Nature of Beauty Theme Icon
).
Kipps and Belsey: Chapter 1 Quotes

Hey, Dad – basically I’m just going to keep on keeping on with these mails – I’m no longer expecting you to reply, but I’m still hoping you will, if that makes sense.

Related Characters: Jerome (speaker), Howard, Monty, Victoria
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis:
Kipps and Belsey: Chapter 2 Quotes

Kiki slapped the table. ‘Oh, God, this isn’t 1910 – Jerome can marry who the hell he wants to marry – or are we going to start making up visiting cards and asking him to meet only the daughters of academics that you happen to –’

‘Might the address be in the green moleskin?’

Related Characters: Howard (speaker), Kiki (speaker), Monty, Jerome, Carlene, Victoria
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
On Beauty and Being Wrong: Chapter 12 Quotes

‘Well, my God. What a tricky bastard. Moral majority my arse. Well, you’ve got him. My God! You should go in there and spit-roast him. Destroy him!’

Zora forced her fake nails, left over from the party, into the underside of the table top. ‘That’s your advice?”

Related Characters: Howard (speaker), Zora (speaker), Monty, Jerome, Carl, Victoria, Chantelle
Page Number: 432
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jerome Quotes in On Beauty

The On Beauty quotes below are all either spoken by Jerome or refer to Jerome. 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:
The Nature of Beauty Theme Icon
).
Kipps and Belsey: Chapter 1 Quotes

Hey, Dad – basically I’m just going to keep on keeping on with these mails – I’m no longer expecting you to reply, but I’m still hoping you will, if that makes sense.

Related Characters: Jerome (speaker), Howard, Monty, Victoria
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis:
Kipps and Belsey: Chapter 2 Quotes

Kiki slapped the table. ‘Oh, God, this isn’t 1910 – Jerome can marry who the hell he wants to marry – or are we going to start making up visiting cards and asking him to meet only the daughters of academics that you happen to –’

‘Might the address be in the green moleskin?’

Related Characters: Howard (speaker), Kiki (speaker), Monty, Jerome, Carlene, Victoria
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
On Beauty and Being Wrong: Chapter 12 Quotes

‘Well, my God. What a tricky bastard. Moral majority my arse. Well, you’ve got him. My God! You should go in there and spit-roast him. Destroy him!’

Zora forced her fake nails, left over from the party, into the underside of the table top. ‘That’s your advice?”

Related Characters: Howard (speaker), Zora (speaker), Monty, Jerome, Carl, Victoria, Chantelle
Page Number: 432
Explanation and Analysis: