Genre
Memoirs
Setting and Context
The time is nowadays, but with the flashbacks to the author’s past. The place is the United States.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is written by the first person perspective, and author is the narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is depressed. The mood is disturbing.
Protagonist and Antagonist
David Sheff and his son Nic are the protagonists, and addiction is considered as an antagonist.
Major Conflict
At first the novel seems to be just about the author and his son’s experience in drugs addiction, but with a deeper insight it is obvious that the conflict is wider. The major conflict is a mistaken understanding of addiction as a chosen way of behavior of a person, but it is wrong – addiction is a disease which requires treatment and cure.
Climax
The novel lacks climax in its traditional meaning, as the end stays open. David, though his son is ‘clear’ for a year, lives in a constant fear of relapse.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
David feels responsible for his son’s addiction and puts much of it on himself, leaving his wife on the background; thus, Nic’s mother’s role is understated.
Allusions
The novel contains many allusions to real people, such as Van Gogh, Ha Jin, John Lennon, Stephan Jenkins and many others.
Imagery
The novel contains images of despair and fear, images of conflicts and troubles, as well as of nature and every day routine.
Paradox
The paradoxical is an idea that a person can overcome addiction himself if he really wants it.
Parallelism
“Fortunately I have a son, my beautiful boy
Unfortunately he is a drug addict.
Fortunately he is in recovery.
Unfortunately he relapses.
Fortunately he is in recovery again.
Unfortunately he relapses.
Fortunately he is not dead.”
The parallel construction shows how unstable a situation with an addict can be. It reminds the move of the waves, when one wave moves away the other is coming closer, and this process is never ending.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“This is the way that misery does love company: People are relieved to learn that they are not alone in their suffering, that they are part of something larger, in this case, a societal plague --an epidemic of children, an epidemic of families.” (‘plague’ is metonymy for ‘drugs’)
Personification
“Since reason and love, the forces I had come to rely on in my life, have betrayed me, I am in unknown territory.” (‘reason’ and ‘love’ are personified)
“Drugs pervade every college campus in America, and every city, so a young adult must learn to live among them.” (‘drugs’ are personified)
