Sing, Unburied, Sing: On Ghosts and Their Roles

 The back cover of the book isn’t lying when it says Sing, Unburied, Sing is a ghost story.  They abound throughout the pages and play central roles in the plot and character development. Ward uses the supernatural to tell a complex, winding story--one that tugs the reader back and forth through time.

Several chapters in the novel are told from the point-of-view of the ghost Richie. A young boy seeking closure, Richie incorporates vivid imagery and harsh realities in his narration. He latches onto Jojo, whom he recognized as Pop's family "as soon as the little red dented car swerved into [Parchman's] parking lot" (Ward 133). This creates a tenuous yet critical relationship between the two. Richie needs Jojo in order to find Pop, who he believes might finally give him closure by telling the ending to their story in Parchman. The moment when Pop finally reveals his mercy killing of Richie is a tipping point in the story, one at which the living and dead are briefly united. Pop confronts his grief over Richie’s death, while Richie gets the closure he thought he needed from Pop. That entire aspect of the plot would not exist without Richie being a ghost, and Jojo being able to interact with him.

Jojo, of course, is not the only family member seeing ghosts. Leonie is plagued by phantom of her brother, Given. Their interactions are different from Jojo and Richie’s, though. Rather than acting as a companion to Leonie, Given haunts her when she’s high. He admonishes her with his silent gaze and reminds her of the grief she has yet to face¾grief from a past in which the family was still whole and resembled something normal (52).

The scene of Mam’s death is a culmination of the spiritual elements in the novel. Given and Richie are both there, contesting the privilege to escort Mam into the next world. Kayla sees what no one else does: the black vulture, seemingly looming to scavenge after Mam has gone. This is also the first time Given speaks, telling Richie that Mam is “not…your…mother” (265-266). Ward brings the ghosts and humans into conflict for a climactic moment to show the reader that the memories of the dead weigh heavily on the current moment. Mam is Given’s mother and Pop’s wife, so it makes sense that Richie and Given are present in her final moments.

With the amount of involvement Ward grants the dead in this novel, the title Sing, Unburied, Sing rings true. Ghosts propel the plot forward, break characters down, and ensure that no one ever escapes their past completely.