The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel
Critical thinking is one of the 10 skills the World Economic Forum says you need to thrive in the future. So it’s important to have that skill. It might not be something that you’ve thought about but reading mysteries can force you to think critically. I’ve written posts on how reading murder mysteries can help you to hone your problem-solving skills. I never brought critical thinking into the mix. Looking back, I should have. While reading The Midnight Line
, a Jack Reacher novel, I realized that the main character thinks critically throughout the novel.
Have you read?
Main Problem: Jack Reacher sees a West Point ring on display in a pawn shop. The ring is a small size indicating it belongs to a woman cadet, who graduated in 2005. It has SRS engraved on it. West Point is a brotherhood/sisterhood. A graduate would not willingly give up their ring. What went wrong? What happened to the person who owns the ring? Is SRS in danger? The owner of the ring would not willingly part with something that’s meaningful to him or her.
These are some of the questions that Jack Reacher is thinking about because he is also a West Point graduate. He is a problem solver and critical thinker and feels compelled to investigate. It’s worth noting that he used to be a military policeman and was very good at the job. So, he is no stranger to investigating, critical thinking, and problem solving. Jack Reacher also has a sense of justice and will stand-up and fight for what he believes in.
The Midnight Line: 5-Step Critical Thinking Process
- Formulate question
- Gather information
- Apply the information
- Consider implications
- Explore other points of view
Reacher follows these simple steps in The Midnight Line. It’s worth it for you to keep this simple critical thinking model in mind when reading the book. It allows you to apply the key concepts of critical thinking which is important to learn the skill.
The obvious place for him to start his investigation is with the owner of the pawn shop. The owner refers him to Jimmy Rat, who refers him to Arthur Scorpio, who refers him to Seymour Porterfield, who the reader learns died the year before. Throughout the novel you see him traveling from one place to another to solve a problem as he gets another clue. In many instances, Jack Reacher has to get physical to get the information and answers he needs to find out what happened to cadet graduate SRS.
At some point he starts to work with Terrence Bramall, a private investigator. Jane Mackenzie hires him to find her identical twin sister, who is missing. SRS dropped all contact with her twin. It turns out that SRS and the missing person are one and the same – Serena Rose Sanderson. Learning to think critically and solve problems are evident in The Midnight Line. However, I was also thinking about how the experiences we have in life shape us. Are we concerned too much by the way others see us? How much emphasis do we place on outward appearances? If something happened to us that affected our physical appearance, how would we deal with it?
These are some of the issues that come up in The Midnight Line. To gather information, Jack Reacher relies on different sources, which is important in the information gathering phase of any project. He calls West Point to find out about SRS and it’s beautiful the ways he does it to get what he needs. In the course of his investigation he learns that Serena Rose got a Purple Heart medal. This tells him that she was injured, but he doesn’t know how. This is something he needs to figure out. Jane Mackenzie is drop dead gorgeous, and men are always drooling over her. Reacher asks her a series of questions about growing up and being beautiful, and the reader may be wondering why he is asking those questions.
What does being beautiful have to do with the story? What does that have to do with Serena not wanting to have contact with most people? Jack Reacher figures out that the injure Serena sustained while in the army is facial. Many people could easily miss this in the book if they’re not thinking critically and trying to solve the problem outlined above. In trying to deal with the injury and accompanying trauma she turns to drugs.
The story helps us to become more empathetic and emotionally intelligent, which is another of the 10 skills. As I was reading The Midnight Line, I was making note of the way Jack Reacher thinks and acts. In one instance, he wants to get answers from a character named Billy. He takes time to carefully think about the approach that will give him the greatest advantage and the element of surprise. He also runs through scenarios in his mind before acting.
Evident throughout the book is that information is sometimes faulty and inaccurate, so you have to confirm things. You will also discover that it’s impossible to gather all the information you need to make an intelligent decision. You have to fill in the gaps with sound assumptions. Making sound assumptions comes with experience, so work at your craft every day. That’s one way to become an expert at what you do. Sometimes you have to try different things to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Final Thoughts: How The Midnight Line, a Jack Reacher Novel Can Teach You Critical Thinking
Lee Child, a master storyteller, does an excellent job of bringing The Midnight Line
story together. His writing draws the reader in, and you cannot help but root for Jack Reacher, even when he is breaking the law. Who doesn’t like it when someone stands up for the little man?
Have you read?
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