Killing the Goat (Tactile Imagery)
When Jojo helps Pop kill the goat, he must perform some gruesome butchering tasks. He must "pull the skin down the animal's leg to the foot, but [he] can't get it off like Pop, so he cuts and snaps." This scene uses tactile imagery in order to convey the difficulty and brutality involved in taking the goat's life. Killing the goat somewhat scars Jojo, and it foreshadows that he will be forced to confront other grisly events as the story proceeds.
Singing (Auditory Imagery)
Singing is a motif that recurs throughout the novel. At the beginning of the story, Jojo explains that he is scared by being alone in the "too quiet house" when he is confronted by "a man singing, singing in a high voice that sounded all wrong, singing the same words over and over." Although Jojo is slightly unsettled by the tone of the voice, the singing signifies a sense of comfort and interconnectedness.
Mam's Hair (Visual Imagery)
Jojo looks at Mam's scalp while she lay sick in bed. He observes that her scalp is "pale and blue-veined, hollowed and dimpled, imperfect as a potter's bowl." Jojo sees that Mam is weak and her body is succumbing to the pressures of the cancer. Her scalp shows the vulnerabilities of the human body, and Jojo realizes that her time left on earth is limited.
Punching the TV (Visual Imagery)
When Leonie takes Jojo to pick up meth with Misty, Jojo meets some eccentric characters. At the home where the meth is cooked, Jojo meets a child who has violent tendencies. He swings his arms "like a windmill" and punches the television until it is smashed to pieces. This scene is riddled with powerful visual imagery, and it emphasizes that drug addiction breeds destruction.
