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Chapter 38
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Son of a Trickster, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dysfunctional Families, Responsibility, and Maturity
Love vs. Violence
Escapism and Confronting Problems
The Environment and Human Destruction
Summary
Analysis
A party is starting in Jared’s living room, and a grizzly bear rambles through the kitchen, unnoticed by everyone except Jared and his mom. Another ghost—a white woman with dirty-blond hair, approaches Jared and asks him to tell her daughter that she was killed. Jared’s mom reaches through the woman, causing her to evaporate. Jared’s mom then asks Jared how he’s doing, and he feels shaky. She again asks him to learn some protection spells, but he refuses—he has trouble caring about it. Jared wonders if he should just drop out of school and bake cookies.
Just as his mom predicted, ignoring the magical world doesn’t allow Jared to escape it. In this way, the book doesn’t tie up Jared’s story neatly, as he still has trouble accepting and combatting the problems that he is now facing.
Themes
Jared goes up to his room, and Dylan and Martina Yelan come in an hour later to get high. They make out on Jared’s desk, and Jared starts to miss Sarah. Shortly after, they leave to head out to the lake, and then Alex Gunborg and his Goth friends come to Jared’s room and give him beer, so he lets them drink in his room. The bear doesn’t like this, so it puts its head through the wall to try and sleep. As Jared drinks, Alex comments that Jared has “the life.”
Alex Gunborg thinks that Jared has “the life” because he can drink in his room, which illustrates the stark contrast between Jared and other kids his age. Jared is only able to drink in his room because his parents neglect him and leave him to his own devices, something that doesn’t seem to cross Alex’s mind. Jared has faced dire problems in the past year—including many that stem from substance abuse—which alienates him from his peers’ more innocent and lighthearted concerns.
Themes
Later, Jared winds up at the lake, and Dylan throws him off the dock. Jared sinks, and for a second he’s back in the cave, thrashing in the water. The otter bites have healed, and he doesn’t miss his toe anymore, but as he treads water, he wants to get drunk—to get out of his head and never go back in.
Dylan drops Jared in front of his house, and Jared looks over at the Jakses, remembering all the times he was there. At that moment, Jwa’sins drives down the street in her burgundy Caddy, asking if Jared wants something to eat. Watching the monster under her skin, Jared agrees. Jwa’sins drives Jared to a Dairy Queen and tells him that Wee’git is her brother. She explains that Jared is one of 532 children, and that they’ve been alive since the mountains were lumps of gravel. She says that she just wants as normal a life as she can manage.
Like Jared, Jwa’sins is also avoiding magic to some extent, as she wants as normal a life as possible. And yet, as she noted earlier, not using magic has made the monster under her skin angry, again suggesting that avoiding one’s problems will only make them worse.
Themes
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After ordering Jared a chocolate dip, Jwa’sins asks if Jared has any questions for her, and he says no. She’s surprised, as he was very curious when they met the last time. Jwa’sins tells Jared that he hurt Wee’git’s feelings—he has a lot of children to watch, after all. As they get their order, Jared starts to sober up, and Jwa’sins takes him to a nearby park. Jared eats a bit of the ice cream and then hurls in the bushes. Jwa’sins says that it seems like Jared is in a lot of pain, and she offers to show him a place where he can find peace.
Although Mrs. Jaks alluded to Jared’s substance abuse in Chapter 38, Jwa’sins is the first person to explicitly spell out that Jared’ coping mechanism—drinking—is only adding to his pain. Instead of drinking to avoid his problems, regaining control of his life requires abandoning the escapism that he has relied on for so long.
Themes
Jwa’sins takes Jared to a nearby church basement, where people are joining an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Jared is annoyed at being there, but he doesn’t have anywhere else to go, so he grabs coffee and stays. The stories are sad—the people at the meeting are broken, like he is, but they aren’t trying to fake a good time. When the leader asks for first-timers, Jwa’sins makes Jared stand, and he introduces himself, saying that he’s drunk and doesn’t know if he’s supposed to be there—but the leader assures him that he’s welcome.
In noting that the other people at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting are broken like he is—but that they aren’t trying to hide it—Jared recognizes that a key part of dealing with one’s problems is admitting them and not trying to escape them or put a veneer over them. Instead, the book suggests, the solution is to confront them directly rather than avoid them in this manner.
Themes
As Jared starts to leave, Mr. Wilkinson approaches him and shakes Jared’s hand. He says that he’s proud of Jared for taking such a big step, and Jared starts to cry, feeling like a phony and a loser. Mr. Wilkinson takes Jared home and gives him a recovery chip. The party is now in full swing, and Jared goes to his room and looks at the chip’s words: “One day at a time” and “Recovery…begins with one sober hour.”
Jared’s interaction with Mr. Wilkinson is a turning point for him, as he wants make Mr. Wilkinson proud. The only way to do so, Jared acknowledges, is to avoid the alcohol that has caused his life to spiral out of control. The chip’s message becomes especially important as Jared returns to the same party that was going on earlier. Whereas before he chose to get drunk, here, he is choosing to spend his time differently—and in doing so, he may be able to regain control of his life.
Themes
