Issues In Jesse's Ashes

District Common Assessment Essay Ashleigh lives a rough life with tough decisions. In the short story, “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer, it’s winter and Ashleigh had to decide whether she should take money from her mom’s emergency pot for her dad or just keep it there for her mom. Ashleigh’s parents are divorced, so she doesn’t know what her punishment will be for which ever side she will pick. Ashleigh decides to take the money because she wants to make her dad happy, her mom doesn’t appreciate her as much as her dad, and her dad needs it for something that will let him go far in life.

The narrator simultaneously hates and pities Sonny’s friend, who, despite his problems, makes it painfully clear to the narrator just how difficult Sonny’s drug-addicted life has

From the beginning of time, the world has been plagued by various forms of abuse, whether it be emotional or physical. In many cases, the harm inflicted upon others can be a result of one's ignorance or lack of understanding. " From the Ashes" is a memoir written by Jesse Thistle. He tells his own story of growing up in poverty, struggling with addiction, abuse, and homelessness, and eventually finding a way to turn his life around and achieve success. The book focuses on Thistle's journey to overcome the challenges he faced and reclaim his dignity and self-worth.

Jesse wrecked his relationship with his grandparents when his grandma found drugs in his room after they fell out of his jacket pocket. His grandpa warned him if he did drugs that would be it, so he got kicked out and everything got worse he was trying new drugs and getting drunk and ruining his life and his relationships with his brothers because he would not stop being stupid. It was not until much later that Jesse realized he needed to get help. Jesse reclaimed his heritage when he went to rehab and finished his GED and then later went on to university and Jesse took a class in university called Indigenous history. At the end he says, “I remember them.

This significantly affected the choices she made -- especially during the formative years of twelve and thirteen years old. Consequently, her understanding of social and moral values deviated from societal norms. This paper is an exploration of the pathway effects caused by lack of familial support and how Jules addiction created a milieu that leads to Baby being ostracised by society. Suggestions are offered to alleviate their struggles.

Sonny is the narrator’s brother and the focus of the story. The narrator explains throughout the story that Sonny suffers from heroin and other drug addictions and the steps he takes to fight against those addictions. The narrator, who is Sonny's brother, experiences his own trauma as we later find out he struggles to cope with the loss of his daughter. This has made it hard for him to show emotion, even to his own family. Because of this lack of emotion, he ignores Sonny’s cries for help when it comes to drug addiction.

On top of all these hardships, Jesse had no coping mechanisms for this trauma and felt demon thoughts running through his head all the time. As Jesse got older, he saw the shining light coming from drugs and alcohol and turned to them to distract himself from the depression and anxious thoughts he had since childhood. As mentioned, Jesse lived in a suburban and low-class neighbourhood in Brampton for most of his childhood, which was known for mischievous habits such as doing drugs and drinking alcohol, which was normalized in this part of Brampton. The first interaction Jesse had with drugs was through a friend at a local teenage party in the neighbourhood, “Balpreet uncorked the lid, pulled the cigarette out, then thrust the bottle full of smoke in my face. “Suck and hold,” he said.

Haplessly, after their mother’s death, Sonny’s life has been marred by prison and drug abuse. The Narrator makes this clear when he assesses, “He had been picked up, the evening before, in a raid on an apartment downtown, for peddling and using heroin.” (83). This is the first we really hear of Sonny or his drug use, and the statement is direct. There is no sugarcoating the presence of drugs in this story and Sonny’s addiction would ultimately lead him to a life of a convicted felon.

Many traumatic events occurred during his childhood, which had a significant impact on him. In many instances, Jesse had seen his father

Throughout the funeral this question replay in his mind, like the lyrics on a broken cd. When the priest started to begin the closing rites of the ceremony, it hit Grayson that she’d we gone forever. Multiple people came to comfort Grayson with gifts, inspirational bible quotes, and stories about his mother and how incredible she was. This horrific death was something nobody saw coming.

From the very first day, Jesse, encounters issues in Calamus because of his differences being a native american. Throughout the novel we see instances where actions in nature help explain the prejudices that haunt Jesse. One such example of where salmon help explain Jesse's issues is during conversation between Link and Jesse. Link starts by saying, “You never get one if he’s that strong. Moving too fast.’

Junior's father is an alcoholic and spends all his money on gambling and alcohol. For instance, he drank and gambled on Christmas(Alexie 120). This shows that Junior’s father abuses substances as a way of coping with poverty and the consequences of uncontrolled drinking. Junior's fathers drinks because it numbs the pain and allows him to feel senseless and numb. Junior’s father spending money on alcohol and gambling causes the family to have financial problems(Alexie 120), less family time, and Junior having to walk home because they don’t have enough money to spend on gas(Alexie 70).

Like in the case study selected, Gustavo has a problem with addiction. Solving this problem needs the involvement of Gustavo’s relationships, and not the individual’s inner psyche like the traditional therapy methods do. This approach is based on the belief that a change in a person’s behaviour affects the family members and the family functions over time (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). The case study presented is a perfect example illustrating this theory.

Due to his conditions living in poverty and having limited opportunities to evolve, he uses heroin. A major factor of how Sonny’s living conditions look like are caused by racism in his environment. When Sonny came home, both Sonny and the narrator spoke about his feelings about his piano music and addiction to heroin. During this deep conversation, Sonny says, “It’s not so much to play. It’s to stand it, to be able to make it at all.

Addiction is the reliance on a routine. There are many addictive stages. Addiction, as it comes along, becomes a way of life. The persistent use of the substance causes to the user serious physical or psychological problems and dysfunctions in major areas of his or her life. The drug user continues to use substances and the compulsive behavior despite the harmful consequences, and tries to systematically avoid responsibility and reality, while he or she tends to isolate himself/herself from others because of guilt and pain (Angres, & Bettinardi-Angres, 2008).