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In her novel A Visit from the Goon Squad , Jennifer Egan discusses a number of problems of modern society. Among them is the problem of drug abuse. Through the whole course of the novels story plot, the readers may see how ruinous it can be for people who take drugs. In the following paper, the theme of drug abuse as it is addressed by Egan in her book will be observed from the research-based point of view on the basis of findings by modern specialists. Overall, the evaluation of examples from the lives of a number of Egans characters including Lou, Charlie, and Jocelyn shows that drug abuse is a harmful and ruinous practice that will definitely lead its victim to a dead-end unless he or she tries to fight with this bad habit.
Jennifer Egan often addresses the theme of drug abuse in A Visit from the Goon Squad . This seems to be so because she aims to teach her audience an important lesson regarding the ruinous nature of drug addiction. To do so, the author narrates the life stories of a number of characters and shows how in each particular situation drugs destroy peoples hopes for a bright future and even their lives in general. Among Egans characters that are badly affected by the problem of drug abuse are Lou, Charlie, and Jocelyn.
Lou Kine is one of the books characters, whose life shows how ruinous drug abuse can be. Lou is addicted to coke-snorting. This harmful habit makes him engage in more reprehensible acts such as immorality and child seduction. As the readers proceed to read accounts from Lous life, they may see that many bad actions are committed by this character when he is under the effects of coke (Egan 37, 49, 52). In his book Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse , Gahlinger explains that under the effects of drugs people tend to lose the sense of control, and they may act in a harmful way toward themselves and those around them, which supports Egans description of Lous conduct (Gahlinger 124). According to Gahlinger, the loss of self-control by drug addicts occurs because a special center responsible for this control in their brain becomes damaged (130). As a result, in the condition of drug intoxication, people usually act in a way they would never do when their mind is clear. Also, Gahlinger shows that after a certain period (for each type of drug this period may be different), a person may develop such a damaged condition of the brain that he or she will act inadequately even if one is not in the condition of intoxication. This is explained by the fact that the drug chemicals responsible for ruining the brain accumulate in the body, and continue to affect the processes in it without an end (Gahlinger 142). As readers proceed through Egans narration of Lous life, they may see the support of Gahlingers position regarding the complications that people who are addicted to drugs may develop. In particular, they may see that after decades of his harmful addiction, he becomes a very corrupted person, and his acts are getting more and more unacceptable.
The other character in Egans book, that becomes addicted to drugs, is Charlie. With the development of the story plot, the readers may see that she moves to Mexico, and there she becomes engaged in heavy drug abuse. As a result, her life becomes a total ruin. Again, it is possible to see that drug abuse is a terrible problem nowadays that robs people of their lives. So, Charlie is another example of a person whose life goes downhill because of drug addiction. When Egan describes her life story, there is an impression that this personage is especially incorporated into the story plot of the book to teach young people that taking drugs may lead to a disaster in their future. Also, Egans account regarding Charlie shows that bad decisions, made in youth, will affect a person in middle age. So, young readers of A Visit from the Goon Squad book should keep in mind this useful and practical piece of advice by Jennifer Egan.
One more personage in Egans book, whose life is badly affected by drug abuse, is Jocelyn. She is trying to fight the harmful practice of taking drugs from her youth. Through the story, the readers may see that Jocelyn comes to have a measure of success in her fight, but this measure is not enough for her to forget about the problem completely. For this reason, the heroine has new relapses of drug addiction throughout her entire life. As the book comes to its end, the readers may see that Jocelyn reflects on her life with regret because she is sure that her drug addiction took her happiness and hope for a good future away: like a scientist unwittingly inhaling toxic fumes from the beaker I was boiling in my lab, had, through sheer physical proximity, been infected by that same delusion and in my drugged state had come to believe I was Excluded (Egan 321). It seems that through Jocelyns character, the author is trying to denounce a message of the importance of avoiding even trying drugs to her audience because, in her example, it can be seen that drugs are so addictive that many people are not able to quit using them even if they try very hard. This important lesson by Egan is supported by Gahlingers findings. In his book, Gahlinger acknowledges that for many people the fight with a habit of taking drugs will continue for decades and maybe for their entire life (156). This author also warns people who think of trying drugs just for fun, and says that even one drug-taking experience may turn into a life-long addiction, and may become the reason for an individuals eventual death.
In conclusion, it should be stated that the theme of drug abuse is actively addressed in Egans book. The light, in which the author mentions this theme, shows her disapproval of this harmful practice. In particular, the life stories of Lou, Charlie, and Jocelyn prove that taking drugs can be a disaster for any person. Among the above-mentioned examples, the example of Jocelyn is remarkable because she is trying more than all the other affected characters to get rid of the harmful practice of using drugs, but she regularly fails to do so and has new relapses. Thus, Jocelyns life story is a good lesson for young readers of Egans book to avoid even trying drugs because they are too addictive.
References
Egan, Jennifer. A Visit from the Goon Squad, The United States: Anchor, 2011. Print.
Gahlinger, Paul. Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse, The United Sates: Plume, 2003. Print.
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