One of the many overwhelming ideas that Ward presents in the novel is the role of drug use on a person and their relationships. For this theme, the novel focuses on Leonie, who struggles with the use of a plethora of illicit drugs. We can see very early on in the novel that Leonie prioritizes her drug use over her children, with an internal dialogue referencing "the toddler sleeping in my bed at home while my son slept on the floor"(Ward, 33) while their mother does lines of cocaine with little to no remorse about the state of her family. She even references "I knew I shouldn't have: I was pregnant" (Ward, 51) discussing the beginning of her heavy drug use after Micheal went to prison.
Leonie is a key image of the wider scale problem of addiction in America, which Ward tries to represent through her. She is seen turning to drugs instead of her loved ones to try to cope with the death of her brother and the absence of Micheal, highlighting the choice that is made whenever an addict decides to continue their use. This behavior conveys the incessant need that one reliant on drugs has when they feel the need to get high, putting aside all other responsibilities. An example of this is when Leonie says, "We can just leave. To get high. To see Given again" (Ward, 273), wanting to leave her family behind even after the death of her mother, a traumatic experience for two children to go through on their own.
Another aspect of drug use that Leonie is an example of is seen in her initial drug use after a traumatic event. Initially, Leonie begins doing drugs after the death of Given as a way to cope with the trauma of losing her brother and seemingly the only character besides Micheal who she doesn't resent. This signifies a larger issue in that many drug users handle grief, guilt, or trauma with drugs, enabling them to temporarily forget their problems in exchange for a fleeting and dangerous bliss. We see this danger conveyed when Leonie swallows the bag of meth in order to avoid trouble with the police, passing out in the car, and rising "from a dark deep place" (Ward, 193) when she eventually regains consciousness.
No physical harm comes to Leonie as a result of her drug use, unlike so many others. However, the emotional trauma is still there, and cannot be silenced or put out by substance abuse.
Ward uses addiction in separate ways throughout this novel. It is obvious that drug addiction is prevalent in this book, and the personal effects drug addiction has on Leonie is a prime example of this. Drugs cloud Leonie's maternal tendencies and cause her to lose empathy towards her children. When Leonie recognizes her mistakes as a mother, and the negative impact she has over her children she turns to drugs as an escape, instead of facing responsibility. “Jojo’s face stuck with me...A clean burning shot through my bones, and then I forgot” (Ward 33). The characterization of addiction goes further than drugs, Leonie herself has an addictive personality. Her fixation with Michael in respect to basing all her life decisions on him is one way addiction is represented in Sing, Unburied, Sing outside of drugs. “All you hear, all you see, is him” (Ward 154). Leonie is also addicted to the idea of a perfect child as a representation of the union between her and Michael. Despite already having two children, creating a third to start over somewhere on the coast is an idea explored several times throughout the book. If this idea is achieved in Leonie’s mind, then her problems can be solved. Hyper fixation on ideas and people demonstrates how addiction feeds all of Leonie’s actions, whether drugs are directly involved.
ReplyDeleteI really resonate with the notion you brought up about Leonie reflecting the wider issue of Drugs in America. I think a common theme for the novel is cycles: the cycles of poverty, abuse, and addiction that are widespread throughout the United States. Ward shows us Leonie’s perspective and we get to see the internal battle she endures between wanting to be a mother, but needing the escape of getting high, especially to see Given, as the quote you used suggested. This creates the cycle of needing a high to forget that she has done a horrible job of parenting, and then not being able to be present for her kids because of getting high. The frustration Leonie feels then manifests itself into abuse when she beats Michaela simply because she is sad Given is dead and resents her daughter’s brother is not. Overall, her situation is saddening because us readers can see such a clear way to escape her situation through going to rehab, but we cannot fathom how difficult it would be to break the cycle of addiction. I think your post helps emphasize the hurt Leonie feels and the role that she plays in exemplifying greater issues across America and the world.
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