Prozac Highway is a novel that follows the life of Janice Johnston, later changed to Jam Johnston, an unconventional lesbian by society’s terms, with an unconventional resume which states she is a house cleaner as well as a performance sex artist based in Vancouver, Canada. The story opens with the impending doom of a fatal car crash as Jam narrates her possible last few minutes on Earth. With the first opening paragraph we begin to look into the intricacies of Jam’s mind. After surviving the car crash the events that unfold after divulge the kind of lifestyle Jam lives as an early forties sex artist and cleaner. as we slowly trickle into the idea that Jam suffers from depression.
Prozac Highway was a cynical and vulgar read at times. Despite this, it gave off the ambiance of vulnerability and sensitivity. At times it was quite humorous as the protagonist would poke twisted fun at herself and others with cheeky remarks, while other times the remarks were much somber and fell closer to home. With the constant change in tones, as well as slow
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This is shown when Jam often lies to her doctor and psychiatrist at times. That there were ideas and feelings she had that Jam knew could not reach others. For example, her reason to cut. At the beginning of the novel Jam mentions her habit of cutting, using a razor blade to cut thin lines on her arms and legs. She could not tell anyone that they did not hurt, nor that she did it to feel. During the course we read a testimony by Maggy Ross, which states she cuts to feel in control of her body, it is a silent scream (Ross,1989). In this way Maggy and Jam are similar, the professionals believe that this is a call for attention or an attempt at suicide. However, their personal testimonies state otherwise and the two feel pressured to continue to scream in