A Literary Analysis Of Jesus Son By Denis Johnson

The book Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson is a collection of short stories, which are all written in first person view. In the book, the narrator doesn’t give many background details about who he is, and leaves the audience to conclude for themselves. For example, throughout the book the narrator is never referred to by name, and he immediately starts off sharing stories about the chaotic downfalls of his life. The narrator shares struggles to keep a constant relationship in his life, and throughout the book he recalls many different memories with several companions during his chaotic drug-induced life. The Narrator engages in drug use, crime, and almost encounters death but later on in the book he ends up finding stability and is able to put a cease to his drug use.
Throughout the book,

the narrator encounters many people all of which had an impact on his chaotic lifestyle.
• The family in the car crash while hitchhiking
• Richard and Tom
• Dun Dun
• Wayne
• Michelle
In the beginning of the story, the narrator recalls hitchhiking in four different vehicles, first with a Cherokee, then a salesperson, then a college student, and finally a family composed of a husband, wife, and baby. During the hitchhike, the narrator is given alcohol and amphetamines by the car salesman, to the point where the narrator’s jaw begins to ache. The narrator is dropped off and later on gets picked up by the college student. He is given hashish (weed), by the college man and then gets let out, leaving the narrator to sleep in the rain, then continue his journey with the family the following morning. During the narrator’s care ride with the family, the weather is bad, raining rather profusely, which blinds the man who is the driver and the family ends up in a vicious head-on collision. Everyone in the car survives. The other car, with which the family collided with, composed of a husband and wife. The narrator recalls seeing the husband unconscious and still breathing, but somehow knowing he’d end up dying. The narrator is taken to the hospital and later on sees the wife from the car crash scene. The wife is given the news of the death of her husband and shrieks. The narrator hears her reaction and states, “It felt wonderful to be alive to hear it! I’ve gone looking for that feeling everywhere (Jesus9).”
During the story the narrator has two companions, Tom and Richard, who both are cynical troublemakers who seem compatible with the narrators persona.

The narrator recalls the group burglarizing a pharmacy at one point. During the story the narrator is leaving the bar with his friends, and discovers a stranger asleep in the back seat of his Volkswagen. The narrator awakens the man, and the stranger signals that he couldn’t hear or talk. So the group assuming he’s deaf, agree to give the stranger a ride home. The unknown man using sign language to communicate shows the narrator where to take him. The group is directed to a few homes the deaf stranger has signaled them too, and later ends up at a home, but the stranger is unwelcomed. The group is also later on informed by the occupants of the home that their presumed deaf acquaintance is not even deaf or mute, and has history of trying to fool people. The group ditches the stranger and heads to the car, and while pulling off the stranger chases them down and grabs a handle of the car door. The stranger ends up hitting his head on the stop sign forcing him to let go. The group leaves the stranger behind and drive all the way back to

town.
The narrator has another acquaintance that is the most violent and he is nicknamed Dun Dun. He is portrayed in the story as impulsive, psychotic and emotionally cold. He proves his character by shooting a man for reasons that aren’t made clear in the story, ending up with the narrator having to take the victim to the hospital. The victim ends up passing away before making it to the hospital and Dun Dun, and the narrator agree to throw the victim out the car leaving him in the dry plains of Iowa.
In the story, the narrator has a close friend named Wayne, which he encounters at a bar. Throughout all the characters in the book the narrator speaks the most positively about Wayne. Claiming that, “all the good times happened when Wayne was around (Jesus 53).” Wayne and the Narrator share something in common, and that is they’re friendship is fueled by drug use and alcohol. The short story starts off with Wayne bringing up a job proposition to the Narrator, by which the narrator accepts. The narrator is taken to an abandoned house and they both begin to use pry bars and start tearing away the walls of the house. Wayne explains that they will sell the copper wire under the sheet rock to make some money. When they finish the job, Wayne and the Narrator split the money and later on that evening end up at the bar. While at the bar the narrator describes his encounter with the female bartender and remembers her with such grace and generosity, and recalls that day being the best of all those times.
The narrator has a lover in the story named Michelle. She is mentioned a few times throughout the story, which gives the impression that she was an important/memorable character to the narrator. Considering the fact that most characters in the book were only mentioned once. They both shared a drug habit and their relationship was very toxic and intense. They have a history of violent physical fights, with the narrator at one point elbowing her in the stomach. During the story, Michelle and the Narrator’s relationship finally come’s to an end when they are in the abortion clinic, and the narrator treats her insensitively the entire time. The narrator lies and tells Michelle that, “he had actually gotten a vasectomy and that someone else made her pregnant (Jesus 76).” After being treated so callously after the abortion, Michelle permanently left the Narrator for another man.
Towards the end of the book the Narrator takes a positive turn with his life and finds a job at a hospital. He is encountered with different types of mental illnesses and deformities that make him feel normal. The narrator also enrolls in a detox program attending AA meetings frequently, and recalls this as good place in his life.
Throughout the book the narrator meets different people that mold him throughout the book. His love of drugs took him on a journey of unforgettable memories, and attracted him to people with the same emptiness. Throughout his drug filled journey, he finally reaches a stopping point, and its one that brings him into a better reality. He enjoys it with a sober mind and with his new job is happy to know that there is a place for people like him.