“Sing, Unburied, Sing” digs deep into how trauma uniquely affects individuals. Pop and Leonie are two characters that exemplify differences in coping. Both experienced loss, yet each displayed very different reactions. Pop reacted by internalizing his grief, while Leonie reacted by doing drugs and having angry outbursts.
Pop internalizes his grief. In his time at Parchment, Pop stabbed Richie in the neck to spare him the pain of further suffering from the guards. There is no doubt that this traumatic event had a great impact on Pop. Throughout Jojo’s youth, Pop never talks of Richie’s death, which points to the deep wound Pop has surrounding it. At the end of the novel, Jojo says to Pop, “You never told me the end to that story” (249). When Richie’s death is finally revealed to Jojo, he holds Pop like he normally holds Kayla. Pop had internalized his pain for so long, and the readers see the depth of that pain when he is consoled. Another event that Pop endured was the death of his son. The novel describes Given being shot by Michael’s cousin, who was outraged at losing a bet. The whole story is never told to Jojo though, which can be inferred by the book reading, “Whenever Leonie or Mam or Pop talked about how Given died, they said: he got shot” (226). This lack of discussion surrounding Given’s death points to Pop internalizing his grief. The novel describes Pop as a caretaker; first, he cared for Richie, and then he cared for his own family. This sense of responsibility to care for others may be the reason for internalizing his own pain.
Leonie, however, coped with her trauma through anger and drugs. The death of her brother was the traumatic event that shaped Leonie’s childhood. Leonie says, “Given that came to me every time I snorted a line, every time I popped a pill” (34) Her dependence on drugs is strongly correlated with her visions of Given. She feels as though without the drugs, she could not be in his presence; therefore, his death would be solidified. This results in her addiction to drugs and friendship with Misty. Another coping method that Leonie demonstrates is anger. The novel continually describes Leonie’s abuse of her children. The novel states, “Michaela kicks my seat again, and I turn around and slap her leg so hard my palm stings. Jealousy twins with anger. That girl: so lucky. She has all her brothers” (197). This shows that when Leonie dwells on her dead brother, it makes her lash out in anger. Both of these examples show Leonie’s outward displays of grief. The expressions of grief can be attributed to the young age of Leonie at the time of her brother’s death.
“Sing, Unburied, Sing” demonstrates how trauma can affect people in many different ways. There are many different ways to cope with trauma, and the novel shows that well through the characterization of Pop and Leonie.
I think this is an excellent dissection of Leonie and Pop's characters, and I wanted to expand on the points you made about Pop even further. Pop justifies internalizing his grief out of his love for others, wanting to protect them from the troubles of the world. His character is established as one who protects even before the first truly traumatic event in his life, killing Richie. After Sunshine Girl told Pop and Richie about the lynching she witnessed before being sentenced to Parchman, Pop admonishes her for telling Richie the story, because "just 'cause he in here don't mean he can bear that. He shouldn't have to." (189). Pop, out of his love for Richie, wants to shield him from the horrors which black people, especially in the South, experience, because Richie shouldn't have to grow up before his time and face that reality. Similarly, given that Jojo is around Richie's age when he finishes the story, Pop doesn't want him to face that reality either. As such, when Pop is telling the end of Richie's story, Jojo has to convince him that he can handle the knowledge: "[I] tell him without saying it: I can hear this. I can listen" (250). Pop needs convincing because he doesn't think Jojo should have to endure the pain, just as he believed with Richie. As such, he justifies his silence by reasoning that he is protecting those he loves by internalizing his pain, protecting them from the underbelly of a racist world.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post, especially the contrast between Pop and Leonie. In addition to the different comping mechanisms already said, I would like to add that Pop's trauma caused him to mature, yet Leonie's trauma caused her to do the opposite.
ReplyDeletePop often reflects on his time at Parchment by stating that he was very young to be in prison. Yet, his time in prison matured him, especially when Richie arrived. Pop mentions, "...So I gave Richie what he wanted. He was just a boy" (Ward 25). In this moment, the reader can infer that Pop's fatherly role started with Richie. Even though Pop was wrongfully put in jail, he saw that he was not the most vulnerable and decided to care for Richie.
On the other hand, Leonie chose to self-destruct once her brother, Given, was killed. She started dating Michael, and he became her healer (Ward 54). He introduced her to drugs, and this caused her to loose touch with reality. She struggles with her two addictions: Michael and drugs, and this causes her to forget about what she really wants. When she found out she was pregnant with Jojo at 17, Leonie decides to keep the baby because she thought it would make Michael happy (Ward 158). This shows that she is like a child wanting to please Michael. Like a child, Leonie does not see the consequences of her decisions.