Meth
Crank is a slang name that was once common for a highly addictive form of methamphetamine. “Meth. The monster.” The narrator has another term for the drug. In her world, meth is nothing more or less than a monster of the kind that is capable of hiding in the shadows until it lurches forth from the darkness to attack. Throughout the book, this metaphor will recur to describe the various aspects of addiction.
Passion
One of the effects of the meth monster is that it severely impairs one’s judgment. “Crank-revved, pistons firing full bore, / passion firecrackered in tiny bursts / from thigh to belly button.” This metaphor-drenched poetry written in the form of verse that comprises the entire novel describes the drug-fueled beginning of a consensual sexual encounter. The narrator’s figurative language indicates that at the beginning she is all in on the encounter. That eagerness may be due in large part to meth messing up her cognitive faculties. Eventually, the judgment collapses completely as the encounter no longer becomes consensual on her part.
White Bread
The narrator does not even try meth for the first time until she is almost a junior. Up to that point, she has been a dutiful honor roll student who has not stuck out from the crowd. Later, she will be casually addressed with a nickname: “Luscious? Plain old white / bread me?” The metaphor of being plain white bread is a common one used to describe a person viewed by others as boring, bland, and flavorless. To be described as luscious is akin to being seen as exotic for the first time for such a person.
Life or Something
Near the end of her tale, the narrator is considering undergoing an abortion. And then, “I felt a flutter / in my belly, no more than the / whisper of an eyelash.” This movement so imperceptible as to feel no stronger than an eyelash tickling against one’s skin becomes a huge moment for the narrator. A doctor will inform her that she is far too early into her pregnancy for there to be any movement by the fetus inside. A movement that is itself only metaphorical is literal enough for her to reverse the decision to consider abortion.
First Time
Considering what everybody has heard about addictive drugs by the time they first encounter it, one of the more amazing things about addiction is how easily it seems to start. “Like magic, a mirror and / razor blade appeared.” The simile used here to compare the experienced junkie’s ability to quickly introduce the paraphernalia of drug abuse is effectively resonant. The apparent ease with which a newbie takes that first step toward addiction does seem to be a kind of dark magic.
