P7 Literary Theory Review. by Stephanie Faucette

How does the narrative structure of Sing, Unburied, Sing, contribute to the overall meaning of the novel?

steph_faucette — 2024-08-12 01:37:55 UTC

The multiple narrative perspectives used in Jesmyn Ward's novel Sing, Unburied, Sing reveal how trauma is passed down from generation to generation. From the viewpoints of Richie, Leonie, and Jojo, readers learn about River's suffering at Parchman prison in the mid-1900s. However, the trauma the family patriarch endured haunts not only himself but also his daughter, Leonie, and grandson, Jojo. The shifting points of view prove that the hardships of older generations significantly impact the younger generations, as traumas are passed down through storytelling and collected in memories.

How does Given's death impact Leonie's relationship with her children?

2024-08-15 18:37:56 UTC

Given's death traumatizes Leonie to the point of hallucinating his ghost when under the influence. Her addiction developed thanks to his death and likely from outer influence. Her addiction to drugs and Michael distract Leonie from her children, who are clearly much happier with each other than they are with her. She despises Given for dying because she misses ever having a relationship like Kayla and Jojo's. She envies how much they love each other and their caring codependence for each other, and so she seeks out drugs and sex and Michael to cope with the fact she has no clue on how to be a present mother.

How does the adamant racism from generations in Mississippi affect Richie, Leonie, and Jojo? Compare.

2024-08-15 18:37:58 UTC

For Richie, he died by mercy killing around the time of the civil rights movement because Riv knew that if he was caught by the white mob, he would experience a worse fate. For Leonie, growing up in the late 80s to early 90s as a black woman, she was more subject to the addiction of crack. In the heat of the crack epidemic, the most affected communities were poor, African American communities of which Leonie was part of both. Jojo, however is learning from the mistakes of the past and growing. He knows he does not want to be like his mother. In the ever-changing modern world, as do the generations of his family, getting better as time goes on.

How does Leonie's actions and treatment towards her family contradict societal views of women and mothers in this time period?

2024-08-15 18:38:06 UTC

Leonie never aspired to have a family of her own or children so when she became a mother for Jojo and Kayla, she lacked the maternal instinct society expects of women. Instead of Leonie caring and raising her own children, Pop and Mam were forced to take on her role as a mother. Leonie saw motherhood as a burden and distanced herself from her children. She went against the societal norm of being a woman and having the desire to become a mother.

How does the time period influence how the Characters in Sing Unburied Sing interact within their circumstances?

2024-08-15 18:38:14 UTC

The novel was written in the early 2000s, and racial division was prevalent in southern Mississippi, where the book is placed. The author, who works at Tulane University, lives in the south and has most likely seen or experienced racial hate crimes in this time period, which would lead her to write about how she feels against the effects of racism. In Jesmyn Ward's novel, Sing Unburied Sing, the two families clash because of racial differences. This causes tension between Michael's two families. Michael is greatly affected in the way he treats his kids because he could hold unconscious resentment towards them due to his circumstances.

How does the novel incorporate common archetypal characters, symbols, themes, and what significance do they hold within the story?

2024-08-15 18:48:31 UTC

The novel uses the Leonie and Micheal as the deadbeat parent archetype. Leonie and Micheal are addicts who beat their children. Jojo is the big brother archetype. Jojo is forced to take on a parental role because he is the oldest sibling and his parents prove to be inadequate in caring for their children. These characters illustrate what many others go through and can empathize with.