A person’s childhood often determines their actions later in life. Throughout Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward, Pop’s actions can be traced back to his time as an inmate at Parchman. He bonds with Jojo in an atypical way, while using stories of his time there to better connect with her.
Pop’s experiences in Parchman, a Mississippi State Penitentiary, change how he connects with those around him. Rather than playing a game with Jojo on her 13th birthday or taking her somewhere to celebrate, Pop has Jojo help him kill a goat. Jojo, wanting to impress Pop with her ability to handle such putrid tasks, forced herself to stay as Pop began to dissect the animal. Pop’s violent methods, such as bonding with his granddaughter by killing an animal, can be traced back to his time in Parchman - he was fifteen when he was arrested and was subjected to bigotry-fueled violence during his time there.
To better connect with Jojo and to inform the reader about the realities of deep south racism, Pop tells Jojo the story of his time in Parchman. In the beginning, Pop recounts his bond with Richie, explaining that they connected right away as Richie “followed [Pop] out to the latrines and breakfast and sat down next to him in the dirt” (25). It was this menial act in the start of Richie’s time there that left the deepest of impacts on Pop and Richie’s relationship. As Richie begins to adjust, he finds a father-figure in Pop, and the two form an inseparable bond.
As the novel progresses, Pop continues to recall his times at Parchman, but he never finishes his story about Richie. Piqued by this, Jojo one day asks Pop why he “never told [her] the end to that story” (249). Ashamed, Pop begins to explain what had led to his freedom from Parchman - how Blue had raped a woman and Richie had run with him. Without sparing details, Pop recalls the torture Blue had been put through, with his fingers being cut and skin being peeled. Wanting to prevent Richie from a similar fate, Pop justifies putting “A shank in [Richie’s] neck” - he explains to Jojo that the “damn blood ain’t ever come out,” referring to the guilt he had (255-256).
After finding out the real ending of Pop’s Richie story, the relationship between Jojo and Pop changes. Feeling that she’s grown up and matured, Jojo begins to address her parents by their first name around Pop (278). She’s completed her connection with Pop and walks away understanding the realities of where she’s from.
Throughout the novel Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward uses stories to contextualize and develop Pop and Jojo’s relationship. Starting off with a violent way of bonding, Pop proceeds to explain the realities of Prison to Jojo as the novel progresses. At the end of the work, Jojo walks away with a better understanding of the realities of where she lives and how African Americans are treated.
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ReplyDeleteFamily Bonds in Sing, Unburied, Sing
Throughout the novel, it is very evident that the family is extremely dysfunctional. However, since the family is extremely dysfunctional, and still living in grief after Richie’s death, they have to interchange roles within each other. For example, Jojo acts as a parental figure towards Kayla, and Pop acts as a parental figure towards Jojo and Kayla both. Since everyone has to fill in every role, it allows certain family members to develop deep bonds with each other. However, the most noticeable and emotional connection that is strengthened throughout the story, which is a focal point of the novel, is between Jojo and Kayla.
Even though Jojo is only 13, he is Kayla’s primary caretaker, acting as her parent. Additionally, since they are siblings, they are also able to connect on a deeper level. Kayla and Jojo sleep cuddled up with each other every night, and they seem to know each other’s thoughts without ever speaking a word. Leonie notices the strength of their bond. This creates an inner conflict within her as she still grieves the loss of her brother. In Chapter 10, Leonie says, “That girl: so lucky. She has all her brothers” (page 48). Here, the reader is able to see Leonie’s jealousy, which then helps explicate why she struggles so much to be a good mother for her children. Leonie is jealous because she was robbed of a strong sibling connection due to Richie’s murder. Therefore, it is hard for her to witness her kids’ close connection because it reminds her of what she was unable to have. A noticeable conflict that Leonie has is in Chapter 10 when Leonie, Michael, and the kids go visit Michael’s family. Jojo points out that Kayla is hungry. Leonie thinks, “I should leave. I should leave Michael to his family. Take my daughter home and feed her, fill her stomach, quiet her whimpering. But I don’t. I can’t” (47). She severely struggles to be the mother her kids need as she lives in a world of grief, drugs, and Michael, forcing her children to rely on each other a bit more.
If Sing, Unburied, Sing has taught the reader about grief, it’s that everyone deals with grief differently. Some people, such as Leonie, completely lose sight of themselves. It is an underlying root of several issues, even when people don’t realize it. Additionally, losing a loved one completely uproots the entire family dynamic for years to come. Due to their mother’s absence, Kayla and Jojo are able to rely on each other. They fulfill this sense of family, guidance, and love within each other. Kayla and Jojo truly illustrate what it means to be part of a loving, comforting family with each other.