Demon Copperhead Essay Questions

How does Demon's view of his mother shift over time?

While Demon is initially angry at his mother for abandoning him and then dying, he comes to have a softer view of her with time. When she dies, he feels that she ultimately loved drugs more than she loved him. After wrestling with his own experience of addiction, he comes to see that she did love him but was caught in the thrall of a terrible illness. He recognizes that she was traumatized from a young age by her experiences of abuse and the terrible death of his father. His view of her changes as he appreciates the complexity of her life and realizes that she was just doing her best, even if he suffered as a result.

What does Demon view as his rock-bottom moment and why?

Demon feels that his rock-bottom moment is the death of Hammer Kelly. After Dori dies, Demon falls into a deep depression. One day, after getting high with Maggot, he learns from Rose that Fast Forward is waiting for him at the local gorge. Furious about his abuse of Emmy, he and Maggot head over there, picking up Hammer, by accident, along the way. Hammer frightens Fast Forward with his shotgun, causing him to fall into the rocks below and shatter his skull. Hammer dives in after him and drowns. Demon feels regret over both their deaths, but especially Hammer's, as he was such a thoroughly good and kind person. He thinks to himself that he should have died in his place. He views this as his rock bottom, as he feels that these deaths are on his conscience, as he partially created the circumstances under which they occurred.

What does Demon praise about Charles Dickens?

Demon speaks highly of a few authors: J.D. Salinger, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens. What he admires about Dickens is his understanding of the plight of orphans and the poor. He says that Dickens portrays these things with such accuracy that he almost forgets that he is British, as he might have suspected he was from Lee County. In this passage, Kingsolver almost seems to be speaking of her own admiration for Dickens and her decision to base this novel on his.

How does Demon frame his experience in rehab?

Demon says that rehab, for him, is a daily commitment. It is not one leap to getting clean, but rather a decision he makes at the beginning of each day to stick to it. He compares it to caring for a sick person, but being both the sick person and the caregiver. He says it is hard at first but quickly becomes pleasurable, as he becomes reacquainted with the small joys of sober living. He also adds that he is mostly able to start over by being away from Lee County, as it holds too many memories from his former life.

Why is it fitting that Demon travels to the ocean with Angus?

It is fitting that Demon goes to the ocean with Angus as she is the person who has loved him the most sincerely. She has never asked him to be anything he is not or to give something to her. Demon has always wanted to see the ocean in person but has been unable to do so. It is appropriate that Angus is the one who finally brings him there, as she is the most dependable, solid person in his life. She, unlike almost everyone else, sticks to her promises. He gets to experience this joyful moment with her, at the end, because they have an honest love for one another.