Throughout the novel, the reader sees how Leonie’s life is
shaped by drugs. Not long after Leonie is introduced, we see how drugs offer
her an escape: “The shoes I didn’t buy, the melted cake, the phone call. The
toddler sleeping in my bed at home while my son lay on the floor, just in case
I’d come home and make him get on the floor when I stumbled in. Fuck it” (Ward
33). Leonie knows she isn’t being a good mom, but she is so overwhelmed by her
life and being a single Mom that she thinks drugs are her only escape. Unfortunately
for her kids, this causes them to be even more neglected, and Jojo has to take on an even bigger role with Michaela. This also causes Jojo to resent
his mom.
We also see how drugs are an enticing way to escape poverty.
When faced with the opportunity to smuggle drugs, Misty says to Leonie “You and
Michael could have enough for a deposit. Y’all could get your own place” (Ward
91). Leonie is a hard worker who doesn’t make much money and knows she is being
a bad parent. Having a little more stability and her own apartment is appealing.
Plus, Leonie is already involved in criminal activity (doing and possessing drugs),
so the jump to drug smuggler isn’t as daunting to her. This path that Leonie is
following is common, especially for poor black men in this country. They see
dealing drugs as a way out and are willing to take legal risks if it means a
chance at a better life.
Leonie quickly sees just how risky moving drugs are, and
what the consequences are. After getting Michael from jail, a policeman turns on his siren and pulls them over. Since there is a
bag of meth in the car, Leonie decides to grab the bag and “shove it in my
mouth. I work up some spit, and I swallow” (Ward 161). A seemingly easy crime has
suddenly turned life-threatening. By taking the risk of moving drugs, Leonie
has invertedly caused herself to have to take a potentially lethal dose of meth.
This also relates to real life, as it isn’t uncommon for people to put
themselves in harm's way to avoid an arrested or jail time.
To summarize, while drugs allow Leonie an escape, they also
make her a worse parent and cause her to put her life in danger. Many of
Leonie’s struggles relate to the struggles of other poor people in America. One
lingering question I have about Leonie is: how much of this is her fault? Leonie
has faced racism, poverty, drug addiction, and other struggles. However, she
seems to have been born with more opportunities than her parents, so how much
of her situation falls on her bad behavior?
This question that concludes the post is an important one for not only the novel but society as a whole. Is it always the addicts fault or can the blame shifted to others in some circumstances? In Leonie’s case I think she takes most of the blame. She constantly surrounds herself with people like Michael and Misty that perpetuate her drug problem. She even continues to express her grief through fits of frustration and tantrums such as at Given’s grave site. It is easy to feel little sympathy for Leonie for how she has mistreated her children and spiraled into a drug addiction. However, she seems to have very few other outlets available for a positive support system. Her parents are clearly upset about the loss of their son and she has nobody to turn to for emotional support. At the time there weren't many mental health institutions or outlets, especially for a black woman in rural Mississippi. While many of Leonie’s actions are inexcusable as she physically beats her kids and neglects them time and time again, she can’t be the sole holder of the blame. This can be true of people even in society today, they may turn to drugs or other harmful activities because there aren’t any other support systems available. I think it would be interesting to see the story unfold if Leonie had access or the ability to reach out to a positive support system.
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