"Jesus' Son" by Denis Johnson

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the short stories in "Jesus' Son" by Denis Johnson, that upon first reading seems mis-titled. The book features a collection of moments in the life of the narrator who is afflicted with multiple drug addictions and has an apathetic view of life. While the author made an attempt at redeeming the character, the book is disjointed and the stories too open-ended and transitory to allow for the much-needed journey from sin to salvation.

From the Paper:

"Indeed, it seems his prophetic insight and poetic visions of truth might have the ability to turn him into a greater type of being, one capable of being saved from himself. However, he manages to twist the beauty of his feelings, and turn them into grotesque shadows of the potentially beautiful sentiments he has. In this vein, he makes the comment: "That was my idea of sacrifice, tossing yourself away, discarding your body." On the one hand, he has struck upon the Christian ideal of losing the corrupt, sinful body and its pleasures, which can only lead to damnation. In the Christian reckoning, this allows the sacrificed to achieve a moral, spiritual wholeness, which is their reward and redemption. The narrator, however, does not append this colloquy to his statement of sacrifice."

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