The Jacket

Phil is the primary character and protagonist of The Jacket. In Chapter 3 when Phil insists he’s prejudiced, his mom tells him to stop saying that because “you’re just a kid, and you’re a good kid, too” (39). While this doesn’t negate the racial bias Phil has discovered in himself, it brings up one of the primary points of Phil’s character—that having implicit biases doesn’t make someone a bad person. Everyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or other factor, holds prejudices, many of which they are unaware of. Phil is primarily a good kid who gets along with most people, helps with chores, and, with exceptions, doesn’t get in trouble at school. At the opening of the story, the worst he can be accused of is not realizing the hidden biases he holds, and as the story progresses, he works on these biases by thinking through them and educating himself about Daniel’s family and life. Phil’s character arc shows that we shouldn’t be ashamed of having biases—rather that we should accept that bias is a part of life and do our best to overcome as many of them as we can.