Character profile — Jess the Traveller (Revelations)

Please note — This text is from the official Revelations site. I'd love to write my own version of this but I haven't seen a single episode of Revelations. If someone would like to write a piece, please send me a message.

Jess is the main character in Revelations and in addition to facing many adventures in his journey, Jess also encounters a diverse range of characters.

The series Revelations follows a sixteen-year old youth's journey through life and across time; the sixteen-year old is a boy called Jess, who is the narrator in the series — and it is from his eyes that we watch each unfolding story.

Jess represents us all in our shared humanity — young and old, male and female — on the journey through life. He walks across the face of the planet through different periods of history. He was there when news of the Great War broke — he knows what it is like to starve on the streets of Victorian London — or how it feels to be bullied at a modern school. He stared wondrously at the starlit sky with ancient civilisations — and later, watched modern mankind reach the stars.

Throughout the different periods of history Jess meets a diverse range of people — each of whom is struggling to deal with a problem or crisis in their lives. With help from Jess and others, these people may be able to find answers — and Jess knows that if he tries his best, he can make a difference to the people he meets.

It isn't easy though. During his journey Jess will be tested and needs to show (and learn) many characteristics of the human condition — courage as well as restraint, enthusiasm but also patience, impulsiveness and wisdom, cunning and honesty, a sense of duty to others but also to oneself, compassion and love.

Jess will also encounter occasions where there are moral dilemmas and issues where a difficult decision is needed on how to act. Sometimes it seems there is no right way to proceed — and like everyone else, Jess will often struggle to do what is right for all concerned. The watching audience may share empathy with Jess's predicaments and wonder what they would do in his place.

What of his personality? Jess is kind and compassionate to others. He is sympathetic to the welfare of those in need and does his best to help them. He loves nature and is elemental. But Jess is not solely a well-meaning person — he is fun loving, enjoys meeting people, and has a great sense of humour. And he has his own problems too — he is no invincible superhero. At times Jess has weaknesses, fears, suspicions, doubts, and negativity — this is natural because like the audience — and every one of us — Jess is merely human...

In the course of his journey through life, Jess meets all kinds of people — each of whom is going through a crisis or predicament in their own lives. There are people who are young and old, male and female, from a great range of cultures, religions and time periods (from the Roman Empire to the present day). Characters occupy contrasting places in society — there are poor and rich people, from those who are famous and powerful to those who are vulnerable and in need. Each represents characteristics of the human condition — some are kind to others, some are selfish and self-centred. Some are content, others jealous or sad. Some are honest and sincere — others are devious and manipulative.

Jess is on a journey through life and across time — let the initial journey begin.