In Denis Johnson’s fiction collection, Jesus’ Son, readers follow the narrator, who is an unnamed man, through various moments in his life, spanning several years, as he battles addiction. Themes such as self-perception, identity, interpersonal relationships, and eventually, hope for redemption and sobriety are portrayed through an extremely deep transparency in his character. Johnson attempts to show the truth of what addiction and dysfunction can do to a person and their community. Through the different themes Johnson writes, readers can get a more realistic picture of what addiction is and can do. This collection of short stories could result in readers becoming more sympathetic to the circumstances of addicts and their journeys through
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He especially has a negative perception of his mother and her treatment of him. Thoughts of his mother occasionally creep up within his narration when he’s considering other women in his adult life, often when other women are placed in emotional scenarios, like a car crash, or when he’s flirting with them. “Your husband will beat you with an extension cord and the bus will pull away leaving you standing there in tears, but you were my mother.” (Pg. 66. The narrator alludes to the fact that his mother didn’t protect him and didn’t do right by him while he was growing up. Another example is in the tumultuous relationship with the narrator's on-and-off girlfriend Michelle. After Michelle attempts to kill him, the narrator decides, “She wanted to hurt me as only a child can be hurt by its mother.” His relationship with women ultimately returns to the first woman he ever knew, his mother. As aforementioned, the main character wishes to be liked, he desires a sense of community and genuine companionship. Even in upsetting situations, he aspires to be enjoyed and regarded well by others. “People would talk about it, and I hoped I would be liked,” …show more content…
There is a casual culture of encouraging addiction, as seen with the character Wayne. The main character enters The Vine after arguing with his significant other the day previously, during this visit, he sees another patron named Wayne, sitting at the bar. Wayne is shaking so badly that he cannot drink, so our main character helps out by bringing it to his lips for him. “The Vine was still cold. Wayne was the only customer. His hands were shaking, he said. He couldn't lift his glass. I put my left hand on Wayne's shoulder, and with my right, opiated and steady, I brought his shot of bourbon to his lips.” (Pg. 56. The nlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnl The community at The Vine isn’t long-lasting, but it is what our main character knows and is stuck coming back to. There is a pull in The Vine that speaks to our main character and the people he knows along the way. It’s a safe space for them to comfortably engage in their respective addictions and relationships, where they won’t be questioned, and they won’t be pressured to confront the issues that ultimately led them to The
He especially has a negative perception of his mother and her treatment of him. Thoughts of his mother occasionally creep up within his narration when he’s considering other women in his adult life, often when other women are placed in emotional scenarios, like a car crash, or when he’s flirting with them. “Your husband will beat you with an extension cord and the bus will pull away leaving you standing there in tears, but you were my mother.” (Pg. 66. The narrator alludes to the fact that his mother didn’t protect him and didn’t do right by him while he was growing up. Another example is in the tumultuous relationship with the narrator's on-and-off girlfriend Michelle. After Michelle attempts to kill him, the narrator decides, “She wanted to hurt me as only a child can be hurt by its mother.” His relationship with women ultimately returns to the first woman he ever knew, his mother. As aforementioned, the main character wishes to be liked, he desires a sense of community and genuine companionship. Even in upsetting situations, he aspires to be enjoyed and regarded well by others. “People would talk about it, and I hoped I would be liked,” …show more content…
There is a casual culture of encouraging addiction, as seen with the character Wayne. The main character enters The Vine after arguing with his significant other the day previously, during this visit, he sees another patron named Wayne, sitting at the bar. Wayne is shaking so badly that he cannot drink, so our main character helps out by bringing it to his lips for him. “The Vine was still cold. Wayne was the only customer. His hands were shaking, he said. He couldn't lift his glass. I put my left hand on Wayne's shoulder, and with my right, opiated and steady, I brought his shot of bourbon to his lips.” (Pg. 56. The nlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnlnl The community at The Vine isn’t long-lasting, but it is what our main character knows and is stuck coming back to. There is a pull in The Vine that speaks to our main character and the people he knows along the way. It’s a safe space for them to comfortably engage in their respective addictions and relationships, where they won’t be questioned, and they won’t be pressured to confront the issues that ultimately led them to The