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Okay... I guess this is what you wanted? Actually, I haven't finished it completely yet, so there's no beginning.
Why Does Jared Keep Denying Their Relationship?
First, we need to understand Jared and Evan’s relationship. In the novel, it is mentioned that Jared comes from a wealthy family that runs a real estate business. That is how the two boys met. After Evan’s parents divorced, Jared’s parents provided housing for Evan and his mother, and the two families maintained friendly interactions.
What is intriguing is that when they were younger, they seemed even closer than they were by the time they reached high school. They played video games together, celebrated holidays together, and even changed into swimsuits in front of each other. The author never clearly explains why they grew apart. Evan only casually remarks, “We don’t really hang out anymore.”
Their distance is obvious from the very beginning of the story. When Evan asks Jared to sign his cast because they are friends, Jared responds dismissively, “I told you, we’re just family friends.” That phrase appears repeatedly throughout the story to define their relationship. They only spend time together when their families gather. Jared even bluntly tells Evan that the only reason he is friendly toward him is so his parents will continue paying for his car insurance. On the surface, it seems that Evan is merely a convenient obligation to Jared. Yet elsewhere in the story, Jared behaves in a completely different way.
When Evan asks Jared to help him write fake emails, Jared initially demands payment. However, after Evan pleads, Jared lowers the price to almost nothing. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Jared never actually charges Evan and continues helping him write more emails. Evan even notes that when he sits next to Jared at lunch, Jared seems happy about it. Jared is one of only two characters who regularly message Evan on social media, and their conversations are frequent. Normally, if someone truly wanted to distance themselves from another person, they would avoid interaction rather than seek it out. This suggests that Jared does not genuinely want to cut Evan off.
However, distancing himself from Evan is not what Jared wants; it is what he feels he must do. This has everything to do with Evan’s status at school. School functions as a miniature version of society, complete with its own hierarchy. The story makes it clear that Evan is at the bottom. He has no friends, is frequently mocked, and when he is pushed to the ground, no one helps him. He has already been labeled a loser. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Anyone who is friends with Evan risks being labeled the same way.
Evan has already given up on climbing the social ladder, but Jared has not. His behavior shows that he tries hard to appear cool and normal. He longs for the aura of popularity. He boasts about making out with a girl at summer camp and constantly exaggerates his supposed achievements. Arrogance often hides insecurity. More than once, Jared brags to Evan about his success with girls, yet Evan quietly exposes the truth. The photos Jared sends are taken from the internet. He pretends to be confident, but he is anything but. Jared knows that the things he boasts about are not real. That is precisely why he must inflate himself to gain status and validation. To maintain that status, he feels he has to separate himself from unpopular Evan.
Is Jared Really Just Funny?
Jared loves to show off his wit. One could call it humor, though it often crosses into being crude and tactless. The story introduces him with an explicit dirty joke. Throughout the narrative, he repeatedly makes sarcastic remarks, often targeting Evan’s awkwardness and anxiety. Every time Jared makes one of these jokes, Evan feels embarrassed.
From a theatrical perspective, Jared provides much of the show’s comic relief. Some audience members may assume his behavior exists purely to lighten the mood. But it is more complicated than that. As discussed earlier, Jared actually cares about Evan. His sarcasm is not simply meant to hurt him.
Because Evan symbolizes social failure, Jared must publicly distance himself from him. Yet he still wants to care about him. So he chooses one of the worst possible methods: mockery. Many of his jokes carry a second layer of meaning. In the musical Dear Evan Hansen, Jared sings a number describing the trouble Evan will face after his letter is stolen. Although the lyrics are mocking, one must ask: if he truly did not care, why would he bother warning him at all?
More often, however, Jared’s jokes conceal something deeper. Jealousy.
One early example is when he mocks Evan for spending the entire summer working as a park intern while claiming he himself met several girls. Evan later reveals that this is false because the photos Jared provides are taken from the internet. There are two possible reasons for this lie: to boast, or to provoke a reaction from Evan.
Although Jared repeatedly denies their friendship, his behavior constantly seeks Evan’s attention. The clearest example occurs when he learns that Evan has started dating Zoey Murphy. Jared repeatedly remarks with thinly veiled contempt, “You’re really helping the Murphy family.” Later, when he invites Evan over but is turned down because Evan has a date, Jared’s irritation is obvious. He repeats the same line with heavy sarcasm.
While writing the fake emails, Jared frequently inserts flirtatious lines directed at Evan under Connor’s name. In the author’s supplementary notes, it is emphasized that although the emails are signed as Connor, the voice is clearly Jared’s. After all, neither of them truly knew Connor. In short, the fake emails become Jared’s outlet for expressing thoughts he cannot say openly.
He cannot admit any of this directly because it touches the most vulnerable part of himself. So he builds walls out of humor and sarcasm to disguise his true intentions. This is a common psychological defense mechanism. Smiling and joking can mask deep wounds and unspoken feelings.
What Does Evan Mean to Jared?
By now, it is clear that Evan is important to Jared. But how important?
Near the end of the story, the two argue. Jared accuses Evan of spending too much time with Zoey and neglecting his old friend. It is worth noting that here Jared strongly emphasizes that they are friends. Unlike others, he does not care about being left out of the Connor Project; he cares that Evan is leaving him behind.
Their argument reveals that Jared’s social life is not as impressive as he claims. Evan is the only person who truly listens to his bragging. At this moment, Evan’s significance becomes undeniable. He is Jared’s only real emotional support. The story never elaborates on Jared’s family life, but Jared never speaks warmly about his parents. This suggests possible tension at home. In such circumstances, Evan becomes Jared’s only emotional outlet.
This explains Jared’s earlier sarcasm about Evan’s involvement with the Murphy family and his girlfriend. Jared wants Evan to truly see him as a friend. Perhaps he even wants to be something more important than that. That is why he reacts so strongly once Evan begins dating.
Jared’s resentment toward the Murphy family also stems from this. He struggles desperately to be someone Evan values. When he sees the Murphys effortlessly draw Evan in through a lie, he naturally feels intense jealousy.
At the same time, earning Evan’s attention becomes central to Jared’s sense of self-worth. Because Evan matters so much to him, being acknowledged by Evan feels like proof that he himself has value and is worthy of love.
Perhaps we must admit that Jared can be a jerk. His behavior is often irritating. But he did not become this way without reason. In order to survive the harsh and exclusionary environment of high school, he hides behind jokes, sarcasm, and mockery to protect his wounded self. He is afraid of losing peer approval. He is afraid of losing the identity he has constructed. Maintaining that facade exhausts him. When his deepest fear, losing Evan, is finally exposed, the fragile mask he wears begins to crack.
Jared is an extremely complex character. The author portrays him vividly, which is why audiences can see reflections of themselves in him.
Don't be shy, show that Kleinsen article you made ☺️☺️☺️
Okay... I guess this is what you wanted? Actually, I haven't finished it completely yet, so there's no beginning.
Why Does Jared Keep Denying Their Relationship?
First, we need to understand Jared and Evan’s relationship. In the novel, it is mentioned that Jared comes from a wealthy family that runs a real estate business. That is how the two boys met. After Evan’s parents divorced, Jared’s parents provided housing for Evan and his mother, and the two families maintained friendly interactions.
What is intriguing is that when they were younger, they seemed even closer than they were by the time they reached high school. They played video games together, celebrated holidays together, and even changed into swimsuits in front of each other. The author never clearly explains why they grew apart. Evan only casually remarks, “We don’t really hang out anymore.”
Their distance is obvious from the very beginning of the story. When Evan asks Jared to sign his cast because they are friends, Jared responds dismissively, “I told you, we’re just family friends.” That phrase appears repeatedly throughout the story to define their relationship. They only spend time together when their families gather. Jared even bluntly tells Evan that the only reason he is friendly toward him is so his parents will continue paying for his car insurance. On the surface, it seems that Evan is merely a convenient obligation to Jared. Yet elsewhere in the story, Jared behaves in a completely different way.
When Evan asks Jared to help him write fake emails, Jared initially demands payment. However, after Evan pleads, Jared lowers the price to almost nothing. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Jared never actually charges Evan and continues helping him write more emails. Evan even notes that when he sits next to Jared at lunch, Jared seems happy about it. Jared is one of only two characters who regularly message Evan on social media, and their conversations are frequent. Normally, if someone truly wanted to distance themselves from another person, they would avoid interaction rather than seek it out. This suggests that Jared does not genuinely want to cut Evan off.
However, distancing himself from Evan is not what Jared wants; it is what he feels he must do. This has everything to do with Evan’s status at school. School functions as a miniature version of society, complete with its own hierarchy. The story makes it clear that Evan is at the bottom. He has no friends, is frequently mocked, and when he is pushed to the ground, no one helps him. He has already been labeled a loser. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Anyone who is friends with Evan risks being labeled the same way.
Evan has already given up on climbing the social ladder, but Jared has not. His behavior shows that he tries hard to appear cool and normal. He longs for the aura of popularity. He boasts about making out with a girl at summer camp and constantly exaggerates his supposed achievements. Arrogance often hides insecurity. More than once, Jared brags to Evan about his success with girls, yet Evan quietly exposes the truth. The photos Jared sends are taken from the internet. He pretends to be confident, but he is anything but. Jared knows that the things he boasts about are not real. That is precisely why he must inflate himself to gain status and validation. To maintain that status, he feels he has to separate himself from unpopular Evan.
Is Jared Really Just Funny?
Jared loves to show off his wit. One could call it humor, though it often crosses into being crude and tactless. The story introduces him with an explicit dirty joke. Throughout the narrative, he repeatedly makes sarcastic remarks, often targeting Evan’s awkwardness and anxiety. Every time Jared makes one of these jokes, Evan feels embarrassed.
From a theatrical perspective, Jared provides much of the show’s comic relief. Some audience members may assume his behavior exists purely to lighten the mood. But it is more complicated than that. As discussed earlier, Jared actually cares about Evan. His sarcasm is not simply meant to hurt him.
Because Evan symbolizes social failure, Jared must publicly distance himself from him. Yet he still wants to care about him. So he chooses one of the worst possible methods: mockery. Many of his jokes carry a second layer of meaning. In the musical Dear Evan Hansen, Jared sings a number describing the trouble Evan will face after his letter is stolen. Although the lyrics are mocking, one must ask: if he truly did not care, why would he bother warning him at all?
More often, however, Jared’s jokes conceal something deeper. Jealousy.
One early example is when he mocks Evan for spending the entire summer working as a park intern while claiming he himself met several girls. Evan later reveals that this is false because the photos Jared provides are taken from the internet. There are two possible reasons for this lie: to boast, or to provoke a reaction from Evan.
Although Jared repeatedly denies their friendship, his behavior constantly seeks Evan’s attention. The clearest example occurs when he learns that Evan has started dating Zoey Murphy. Jared repeatedly remarks with thinly veiled contempt, “You’re really helping the Murphy family.” Later, when he invites Evan over but is turned down because Evan has a date, Jared’s irritation is obvious. He repeats the same line with heavy sarcasm.
While writing the fake emails, Jared frequently inserts flirtatious lines directed at Evan under Connor’s name. In the author’s supplementary notes, it is emphasized that although the emails are signed as Connor, the voice is clearly Jared’s. After all, neither of them truly knew Connor. In short, the fake emails become Jared’s outlet for expressing thoughts he cannot say openly.
He cannot admit any of this directly because it touches the most vulnerable part of himself. So he builds walls out of humor and sarcasm to disguise his true intentions. This is a common psychological defense mechanism. Smiling and joking can mask deep wounds and unspoken feelings.
What Does Evan Mean to Jared?
By now, it is clear that Evan is important to Jared. But how important?
Near the end of the story, the two argue. Jared accuses Evan of spending too much time with Zoey and neglecting his old friend. It is worth noting that here Jared strongly emphasizes that they are friends. Unlike others, he does not care about being left out of the Connor Project; he cares that Evan is leaving him behind.
Their argument reveals that Jared’s social life is not as impressive as he claims. Evan is the only person who truly listens to his bragging. At this moment, Evan’s significance becomes undeniable. He is Jared’s only real emotional support. The story never elaborates on Jared’s family life, but Jared never speaks warmly about his parents. This suggests possible tension at home. In such circumstances, Evan becomes Jared’s only emotional outlet.
This explains Jared’s earlier sarcasm about Evan’s involvement with the Murphy family and his girlfriend. Jared wants Evan to truly see him as a friend. Perhaps he even wants to be something more important than that. That is why he reacts so strongly once Evan begins dating.
Jared’s resentment toward the Murphy family also stems from this. He struggles desperately to be someone Evan values. When he sees the Murphys effortlessly draw Evan in through a lie, he naturally feels intense jealousy.
At the same time, earning Evan’s attention becomes central to Jared’s sense of self-worth. Because Evan matters so much to him, being acknowledged by Evan feels like proof that he himself has value and is worthy of love.
Perhaps we must admit that Jared can be a jerk. His behavior is often irritating. But he did not become this way without reason. In order to survive the harsh and exclusionary environment of high school, he hides behind jokes, sarcasm, and mockery to protect his wounded self. He is afraid of losing peer approval. He is afraid of losing the identity he has constructed. Maintaining that facade exhausts him. When his deepest fear, losing Evan, is finally exposed, the fragile mask he wears begins to crack.
Jared is an extremely complex character. The author portrays him vividly, which is why audiences can see reflections of themselves in him.
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