Saturday, September 15, 2018
RIP Mac Miller
In Sing Unburied Sing, by Jesmyn Ward, Jojo’s mom, Leonie, is addicted to cocain, heroin, and more. She smiles, shoots, snorts all through her adult years even in her pregnancy (terrible, right??) ever since her brother Given (aka Given-not-given). She does this to fill the void of her brother’s death. One interesting thing that I’ve thought about whilst reading this novel and discussing it in class is that there weren’t many realistic life repercussion’s, like overdosing or miscarriages. Yes she does experience her visits with Given when she gets high but no real life conditions take place. I guess it was just good luck that Jojo and Kayla both survived through their times in her womb because it was certainly not due to good healthcare. It also comes as a surprise to me (though not as much) that she didn’t overdose at any point in the story. I think this would have been a good opportunity for Jojo to experience another type of death or grieving experience. Obviously being it was his absentee mother, that would resonate differently than the death of Richie or Mam. Overdoses are a real life situation that take place hundreds of times per day. It’s sad that the world has come to that point of addiction, really. One specific and more recent instance is the death of rapper Mac Miller. He overdosed earlier this month and his autopsy for what specifically caused the overdose has yet to be released. Mac Miller was an icon to the rap and music industries. He was the first rapper I personally had ever experienced. And it is a true shame that he left the world the way he did. RIP Mac.
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I also thought it was remarkable how Jojo and Kayla were born so healthy with Leonie as their mother. I also think that Leonie was just as surprised as well. As she accidentally became pregnant in her high school years, it was clear it was way to early for her and Michael to start a family together. To me, her substance abuse during both of her pregnancies shows us that she obviously didn't care whether or not her babies lived, which is terrible to even think about. However I think that the reason that she never overdoses or anything is ultimately because of herself and because of Michael, whom her life revolves around. She would rather compromise her childs' health over her own.
In conversing about drugs in Sing, Unburied, Sing, there's always thematic significance, relating drug abuse to escapism. Leonie, specifically, tries to run away from her reality through drugs. A reminder that she is escaping comes to her often, however. This is through the appearance of her dead brother, Given. From his presence from when he is high, she realizes that she really cannot escape, which additionally terrifies her and worsens her abuse. In turn, she turns to Michael for distraction and for a false sense of stability. She has turned to Michael ever since Given's death and continues to cling to him. She furthers their dependency to each other by having his children. Leonie also isolates herself through her addiction, making other characters have difficulty as well: specifically her parents. Regardless of Leonie's addiction and failure as a mother, her parents cling to her because they are scared of encountering more loss. They have endured enough in the loss of their son, Given. Ultimately, Leonie can't escape the past. Once Michael goes to prison, Given returns in her hallucinations, filling a gap that she won't recognize exists. She doesn't tell anyone about Given's appearances because she doesn't want her emotional suffering to be real. This escapism is directly related to Leonie's addiction and therefore, the nature of drug abusers in general.
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