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Stanzi Westaway
Jack Husting is the narrator of the third chapter, and Connie’s lover. Although Jack grew up next door to the Westaways, he never took notice of Connie throughout his childhood until he was sent away to boarding school and then to work out west on a ranching station. However, when Jack returns to see his parents for a visit, he is immediately enamored with Connie and goes to see her. Although Jack is an adult when he comes home to visit, his mother, Mrs. Husting, does not know how to treat her grown son and tries to hover and dote on him like she would if her were a child, causing consternation for them both and exemplifying the conflict between mother and son as the son transitions from a boy to a man. Although Mrs. Husting wants Jack to marry a different girl, Jack falls in love with Connie, and they have sex in his parents’ stable the night before he is sent off to war, leaving Connie pregnant. Although Jack hopes to marry Connie when he returns, he dies fighting in North Africa.
Jack Husting Quotes in Nine Days
The Nine Days quotes below are all either spoken by Jack Husting or refer to Jack Husting. 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:
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Chapter 3: Jack Quotes
I can imagine [Mrs. Husting’s] face close to the keyhole. She’s been pacing up and down the hall for the best part of ten minutes. She’s imagining what she might be disturbing. She is unsure how to mother a grown man.
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While Jack is home visiting from working on a ranch out west, he realizes that neither he nor his parents know how to interact with each other now that he is a grown man. When he does not emerge from his room early enough to suit his mother, Mrs. Husting, she frets and paces. Jack and Mrs. Husting’s relationship embodies the conflict between mother and son, particularly as the son enters his adulthood and grows into a man. Mrs. Husting’s consternation at how to interact with her son, specifically when he does not meet her expectations, demonstrates the difficulty many Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beata
“A girl photographer.” [Francis] raises his arms and pulls on the clothesline, which explains its condition. “That’s stupid.”
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The first time that Jack has a real conversation with Connie—he went to the backyard with her on the pretense of fixing her clothesline—he listens with interest as she tells him about her dream of becoming a professional photographer, but Francis emerges from behind the corner of the house and pronounces it a “stupid” dream. Although the encounter occurs in Jack’s narrative, it reveals far more about Francis than anyone else. In addition to Francis’s arrogance and other despicable character traits, he is also generally bigoted toward women and other groups he views as inferior to himself. Francis not only Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium e
Although even then, Mum says, Kip will never make anything of himself, (“that’s plain”), and if we have to send boys to fight overseas—here she gives me a nervous glance—“it’s layabout boys with no responsibilities, the Kip Westaways of the world, who ought to be going.”
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When Jack asks his mother what she thinks of the Westaway family, she reveals that she thinks very little of Kip in particular, and believes his kind ought to be the ones sent to their death in the war. Mrs. Husting’s statement is grim and quite damning, since it expresses her belief that lives like Kip’s are ultimately worth less than other human lives and suitable to be thrown away. This is particularly cruel considering that Kip demonstrates tremendous responsibility at a young age, earning a portion of his family’s income after his father passes away. The nervous glance she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in.
Chapter 8: Alec Quotes
From what [Kip] says, it seems like all kinds of stupid things had to be kept secret back then. When he says that his sister didn’t die from the flu, Stanzi just nods. Charlotte gets on her high horse about ridiculous sexist taboos and lies and nothing to be ashamed of. Grandma [Annabel] smiles. You can’t imagine what it was like back then, she says. So much pain, all covered over.
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After Alec finds a photo of Connie kissing Jack and shows it to his grandfather, Kip, Kip explains to the family that Connie did not die from the flu like he’d told them, but from an abortion. Alec and Charlotte’s reaction to this news provides the most overt critique in the story against old notions of abortion, and gendered stigmas, clearly arguing that the “ridiculous sexist taboos” of those days were absurd, and that society has a much less regressive attitude toward women in the modern age. Annabel’s response provides the appropriate counter to such anger: the world was simply Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusa
Chapter 9: Connie Quotes
It seems that all my life I’ve had nothing I’ve desired and I’ve given up having desires at all. Now I know what it feels like to want and I’ll give anything to have it.
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As Connie and Kip start to have sex in the the Husting’s stable at night, Connie realizes that for the first time in her life, she knows what true desire feels like. Connie’s realization that she has kept herself from desire for her whole life until this point suggests that she has been burdened by societal expectations as a young unmarried woman, and by the responsibilities of helping to maintain her family in the absence of her deceased father. As a young woman in the 1940s, she has never been encouraged or permitted to have any sort of desire, especially Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint ape
The secret to happiness is to be grateful. I think about Ma [Jean], widowed with three children, and Nan who was a slave all her life, first in domestic service and then to Pop, then back to the ironing factory when she was widowed. I have a wonderful job. I have my mother and Francis, and I have Kip my darling Kip.
And here is the most wonderful thing of all. I have had one night with the man of my heart and, just this once, I have had something that I wanted.
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After Jack has shipped off to war, Connie reflects on her own life and realizes that she is grateful to be alive, and is happy in spite of life’s many hardships. As the final narrator in the story, Connie ends with a realistic yet hopeful note. On one hand she recognizes that as a woman, her role in society is limited, and her mother and grandmother (never mentioned before now) had even harder lives than she will. Even so, in spite of society’s repression and sexism and prejudice toward women, Connie realizes she can still be grateful and happy with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus
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Jack Husting Character Timeline in Nine Days
The timeline below shows where the character Jack Husting appears in Nine Days. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Kip
...Before returning inside, Mrs. Husting briefly mentions dinner plans for the evening on account of Jack, their son, having just returned home—Kip has been cleaning their yard all week in preparation....
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Chapter 3: Jack
Jack Husting wakes in his childhood bedroom. The bed is too small for him, his body...
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Through the window, Jack can see Connie Westaway, whom he knew in school but not well. He watches, entranced,...
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Having spent the last several years in several different boarding schools, Jack feels as if he’s had many different parents and many different homes. Between his time...
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The morning passes as Jack does menial chores, but by the afternoon Mrs. Husting has been hovering so long that...
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When Jack gets home, Mrs. Husting tells him to clean up and shave. Though she’s never done...
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An hour later, Jack wears his best jacket and knocks on the Westaway’s front door, met by Kip and...
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Jack has a bag of lemons with him that he claims are extras from his parent’s...
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Connie tells Jack about her job helping Mr. Ward at the newspaper with his photography. She loves photos...
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When Jack gets home, he asks Mrs. Husting about the Westaways and how they’ve fared since their...
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That evening Jack goes walking again, and sees Connie’s light on in her window as he passes her...
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The first night Jack was back in his parent’s house, he stayed up late in the night talking with...
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Chapter 6: Annabel
Mac asks what happened to Jack Husting, and Kip answers that he was killed in North Africa. The crowd goes silent...
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Chapter 7: Jean
...“keep a civil tongue.” Next door, the Hustings are mourning the death of their son Jack. News of his death just arrived last night. Kip tries to reminisce about his fondness...
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...tree in the backyard, hands on her stomach. She looks terrible, and she’s weeping for Jack. Jean is unsympathetic. She tries to get Connie up, since she needs to be at...
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Chapter 9: Connie
When Connie opens the door and steps out again she sees Jack watching her, waiting for her. She steps out to meet him in the night and...
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Jack and Connie talk and pet Charlie. Jack says he wished he’d come home from the...
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Jack puts his hands on her waist and tells Connie that he thinks about her every...
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As they continue kissing, Jack takes Connie’s breast in his hand. They both try to stop themselves but unable. Connie...
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...thinking about how she needs to get home and bathe before the sun comes up, Jack tells her that he doesn’t expect her to wait for him while he’s at war—he...
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Kip spots Jack leaning out of a train car window and points him out to Connie, calling out...
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