Previous
Chapter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Demon Copperhead, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Exploitation
Class, Social Hierarchy, and Stereotypes
Pain and Addiction
Toxic Masculinity
Community and Belonging
Summary
Analysis
Murrell Stone, whom people call Stoner, shows up, and Mom immediately likes him. He drives a Harley, is bald as a cue ball, has bulging biceps, and has gauges in his ears. In other words, to Mom, he’s the ideal of masculinity. Mom tells Demon this over shared menthol cigarettes, even though Demon is still a little kid. Over pizza one night, when Mom is gone but Demon is there, Stoner asks his friends what they would do if they found a cherry Camaro they wanted, but it had a trailer attached to it. Stoner and his friends keep making jokes, and Demon is confused by what they mean. After school is out for summer after fourth grade, the Peggots offer to take Demon with them to visit Maggot’s aunt June in Knoxville. Demon is sure Mom will say no, but, surprisingly, she agrees.
To Mom, Stoner is the ideal of masculinity, but the novel portrays him in a negative light, highlighting the traits of toxic masculinity he embodies. He also jokes that he would get rid of Demon if he could, showing his callousness and hinting at how badly he will treat Demon throughout the course of his relationship with Mom. The passage also shows that Mom and Demon are close, but not in particularly healthy or helpful ways: for instance, they share cigarettes. This detail illustrates how a person can inherit their family’s hardships.
Themes
