‘What’s going to happen today?

’ Nine Days is about understanding past experiences rather

The novel nine days delves into the crucial concept of social standing, reputation and past
experiences whilst giving prominence to the role that these factors play in the difficulties
and challenges individuals face. Jordan accentuates the idea that sometimes people must be
involved in dramatic or transformative moments in their past for them to truly grasp a solid
understanding of the present- and modern-day world around them. The 9 sententious
chapters allow Jordan to direct her attention on exploring the pivotal moments that each of
the character face in an attempt to push past the rigidity of their lives, subsequently
allowing themselves to experience a freeing and exciting change in course. In light of this
rigidity, Jordan emphasises how toxic femineity, masculinity and the tropes that surround
these social standards can often hinder individuals from living a life of morality and integrity.
Moreover, Jordan purports the vitality of breaking away from these unwavering and
stagnant social pressures in an attempt to seek fulfilment through love and connection.

Throughout the text, Jordan highlights the role society has in terms of gaining control over
one’s actions, thoughts and livelihood. This burning desire to feel validated by others, as
well as uphold ones own ‘sensitive reputation’ is a prominent aspect and a driving force
behind many individuals’ actions during the 1940s and present day. The rigidity and
stagnancy faced in the past was ultimately a catalyst for many characters downfall in life,
causing them to become stuck in this unwavering cycle of social standing and ‘respectable
reputations. Jean Westaway is a character that embodies this burning desire as she is one
who bases many of her life decisions in an attempt to uphold her social position of being
‘halfway up the hill’. This often was the main contributor to many of her downfalls. Jordan
clarifies how it is often reputation and this urge to be validated by those around them that is
fundamentally a governing factor behind the tragic decisions people can choose to make in
many adverse situations. When Connie Westaway is forced into a fatal abortion by her
mother, Jean in order to ‘do away with it (the pregnancy) …’, she becomes a victim of
societal pressure. This hunger for repute was the fundamental cause of Jean’s fatal decision,
it was this thirst for admiration and to be seen as ‘respectable’ that clouded her judgment
and interfered with her core morals and values, neglecting to stay true to herself but also to
stay true to Connie’s wishes, to ‘hav[e] it (the baby)’. This saddening death of Connie
subsequently wedges a deep fracture in the relationship between her and Jean as ‘we all die
alone’ and this realisation truly impacted Jean, preventing her from ‘getting out of bed..’
most days and leaving her to die a lonely and guilty death. Ultimately Jordan conveys the
consequences of falling victim to the pressures of society and how this can basically lead to
further sadness during the pursuit of reputation. She also makes mention to the way in
which this pursuit can hinder people from ‘living life in the moment’.

Sometimes this moment of self-discovery and the adoption of a new lens on the world can
occur as a direct result of past events and experiences. Jordan demonstrates this concept
through the character Kip Westaway. Following the death of his beloved sister Connie
Westaway, Kip takes on the world with fresh eyes, cultivating a new and gracious mindset,
understanding that ‘the secret to being happy in life is to be grateful’. Through this
realisation Kip has, Jordan makes mention to how sometimes people must experience past
sadness or heartbreak in order to come to important consummations in their current lifes.
She also sheds light on the idea that how sometimes these adversities or challenges can
sequentially cause one to rediscover what it means to be human. Kip later shares this new
understanding of life with his grandson Alec Westaway, coming to the knowledge that ‘you
must hold onto those you have in life because you never know when they may disappear’.
This sharing of awareness around those special and beloved people in one’s life helps Alec
to undergo a massive psychological transformation, viewing his life with more happiness
and seeing his family as more sacred and special. Alec realises what many people come to
see later in their life (when it is often too late) that the significant people in his life will not
be there forever and that soon ‘[they’ll] be gone, and [you] won’t have them anymore.’
Jordan makes clear that it can sometimes the help from those we have around us as well as
the follow on from often saddening or sometimes even tragic events, can catalyse these life-
altering moments in one’s life, thus helping people arrive at important revelations about the
world around them.

During the novel, Nine Days, Jordan makes sure to also purport the magnitude of impact
that connection and relationships can have on the generation of courage that it takes to
decide a new course of action in one’s life. It is the attachment and love connection
between Connie and Jack during that one night in the 1940s that Jordan emphasises as it
helps her communicate the true influence that forming these supportive bonds with others
can have on altering not only one’s pathway in life but subsequently their mindset. Jack and
Connie are both heavily impacted by the pressure to conform to the likes of societal
normalities as well as the pressure to uphold a certain ‘reputation’ and social standing.
Connie is subjected to the lack of ‘your body, your choice’ in the 1940s, thus being forced
into a fatal abortion and Jack being driven into the enlistment process for World War ll in an
attempt to avoid being perceived as ‘one of them spinless blokes’. It is these societal
expectations that are placed on young people that can heavily impact their ability to live
integral lives, in alignment with their own morals and values instead of the ones culminated
by the favour of society. They both as a result use each other as anchors and turning points
to ultimately adopt a new and progressive mindset with a more modern-day attitude. The
pair later come to a major actualization that ‘[they’ve – the world] have had their time and
[the] now belongs to you and me.’ and that at last, ‘everything will be all right.’ Jordan
conclusively values the significance of experiencing that support and love from another
purpose and how in the fullness of time this mutual love can help a person generate the
intrepidity to take charge of their life, especially when they live in a society that is so rigid
and unmoving in regards to their past.

Ultimately Jordan gives prominence to the idea that social context and pressures can have a
heavy and noticeable impact on the blockage of growth from one’s past, subsequently
preventing them from living life inside of the moment with moral values at the core of their
actions. Jordan also demonstrates how sometimes one must sometimes experience
hardship or adversity that may prove tough but in the end, can set them up to view life
through a new, transformative and gracious perceptual lens. Finally, it is the idea that
connection and relationship can help individuals break free from the burden of their past,
thus helping them to culminate in an enlightening sense of fullness and freedom in their
present.