Sing Unburied Sing Quotes

In our world today, there are a profuse amount of ways to deal with a disorderly environment: therapy, drugs, hobbies, etc…The way one person’s mind is wired to cope may be through playing a sport while others may enjoy meditation. In the novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward, both Jojo and Leonie reveal that everyone's minds work differently when coping with a challenging environment.

Burdened with a lack of guidance from his parents, Jojo tends to cope by healing those around him. For example, when Jojo’s little sister Kayla becomes sick, he understands that he must take care of Kayla on his own, as their mother is not a dependable guardian: “Kayla need to eat. I can tell by the way she keep crying…I can tell there is something wrong

Since birth, Jojo’s only guidance is through a semi-bond with his grandparents. As the novel moves on, Jojo becomes closer to his grandfather through Pop’s storytelling. Therefore, when Pop found the courage to tell Jojo this tragic story, he was able to surrender his emotional trauma by telling Jojo, and Jojo was ultimately able to relieve Richie of the enduring mystery of his death. This instance of Jojo healing both Pop and Richie allows him to overcome some of the anguish that is rooted in his parent's absence. One last example of Jojo healing the people around him is when Jojo rejects Leonie’s feeble-minded attempt at creating a potion for Kayla that seems to make her feel worse: “I carry Kayla into the bathroom and stick my finger down her throat and make her throw up… all the while, my heart beating so hard I can hear it in my ears, because I knew what Kayla was saying. I knew. I love you, Jojo… I heard her” (Ward, 118). Here, Leonie’s attempt to cure is passive as she persisted that Kayla’s feeling was only “carsickness”. Jojo shows a

For example, when Leonie experiences a ‘high’ from drugs, she can see and talk to her dead brother Given: “Three years ago, I did a line and saw Given for the first time” (Ward, 51). When Leonie begins to overuse cocaine, Given begins appearing frustrated towards Leonie's actions. In this sense, Given is a symbol of the guilt and torment Leonie feels because of the way she treats her family. Leonie later swears to Given that she will quit cocaine, but of course, never does. This inability to quit shows that through the constant distress of her environment, Leonie resorts to drug use when coping. Another example of Leonie’s addiction takes place on a road trip on the way to visit the lawyer of Leonie’s imprisoned husband, Michael. They stop by the house intending to have a meal, however, Leonie does not arrive empty-handed: “When Leonie comes in from the car, holding her weeds in one hand, she trips on the rug… and a bag falls from under her shirt… and what was inside was the crinkled brown paper slides out. It is clear, a whole pack of broken glass, and I’ve seen this before” (Ward, 113). Here, Jojo narrates that he is familiar with Leonie’s habit of using crystal meth. Jojo’s immediate identification of meth displays Leonie’s constant use of drugs, even around her children. Through Leonie’s drug use, she comes across as a neglectful mother as her addiction comes