Jane

The main character of “I Dare You” by Eileen Merriman is a 15-year-old girl named Jane (l.7), who is also the narrator. Jane lives in Dunedin (l. 68), a city on the South Island of New Zealand, with her mother (l. 71) and most likely with her older brother, as he is a boy racer (l. 134) and the legal age to drive in New Zealand is 16. Her favourite car is a Porsche (ll. 14-15).

There is little reference to Jane’s outer characterisation in the story. She compares her looks to Carrie’s, and she believes that she is plain by comparison: “I was just Jane, plain Jane, the girl no one looked twice at.” (l. 11). Another one of her statements indicates that she is at a development stage where she does not look like a child anymore, but also not as a woman yet (ll. 7-8).

Jane’s inner characterisation is constructed through her language, her thoughts, and her actions.

We are introduced to the rivalry between Jane and Carrie from the beginning of the story. Jane and Carrie are at the park together, and Jane jumps from the swing to show off: “I wanted to be higher, faster, more daring than Carrie. So I jumped off the swing, right when it reached its dizzy peak, and tumbled into the grass below.” (ll. 4-5).

Carrie suggests that Jane is acting like a child. Because Jane is 15, she is in the middle of the transition from a child to a young woman, and this makes her uncomfortable: “Being fifteen sucked – not quite a kid, but not quite a woman either.” (ll. 7-8). The fact that Jane is aware of this, however, hints that she is an intelligent young woman.

Jane’s trouble with her identity is made worse by the fact that she compares herself to Carrie, who she believes is more interesting and beautiful: “I was jealous of Carrie’s perfect skin, her coltish legs, her movie-star name. I was just Jane, plain Jane, the girl no one looked twice at.” (ll. 10-11).

Jane’s words also indicate that she wishes she could get more attention from her peers (as Carrie presumably does) and that she has low self-esteem.

Because she feels plain in comparison to Carrie, Jane wants to prove herself. This is why she takes on Carrie’s dare to ask for a ride from a stranger driving a Porsche: “Because if I said no, then I was always doomed to be a moon, a colourless moon orbiting Planet Carrie.” (ll. 18-20).

At the same time, Jane also wants to test Carrie’s bravery, so she suggests a game: “ ‘Dare for a dare’ I said, the words falling between us. Leaden. Solid. Irretrievable.” (l. 21). Jane’s words also suggest that she cannot take her words back, emphasising the importance both girls place on their agreement.

Like many teenagers, Jane puts emphasis not only on looks but also on material things – her dream car is a Porsche. When she sees one approaching the park, she seems fascinated by it: “ ‘A Porsche,’ I breathed, taking in the white convertible with red leather seats and chunky alloy wheels.” (l. 14).

This is emphasised later in the story, when Jane ignores the potential d...