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Chapter 43
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
Now that football season is over, Coach tells Demon that he should decrease his dosage of Percocet and stop taking oxy altogether. He’ll heal then, and Coach will get him in shape for football next fall. Demon tries to follow Coach’s plan, but he realizes pain is no longer the issue. The problem now is: “how soon will the bottle run out.” Demon feels like Dori is his salvation. The two of them spend most of their time together taking care of Dori’s dad, Vester. To have some time away from Dori’s house and her dad, Demon takes her to Crickson’s farm, which is now vacant. Dori gives Demon the “smallest hit of something,” so he doesn’t feel sick.
Demon initially took opioids for the pain that resulted from his football injury, but the pain that comes from withdrawal is worse than the pain of the injury. Demon might not acknowledge it to himself, but he is already addicted to opioids. The novel shows, then, the slippery slope of Demon’s addiction. At first, he’s only treating knee pain, but before too long, he can’t make it for more than a day without taking pills.
Themes
Demon avoids Angus and Coach to spend more time with Dori. One day, when Demon is in Walgreens to pick up Vester’s prescriptions, he runs into Tommy. Tommy tells him he’s doing layout in the newspaper and got his own place. It’s in a garage without a kitchen or bathroom, but the family in the main house lets him use theirs. He also looks after the kids sometimes. One of the kid’s names is Haillie. It turns out that Tommy lives at the McCobbs’. Mr. McCobb has started a new business selling a weight-loss product called Wate-O-Way. For a $300 fee, he signs other people up to be part of the Wate-O-Way sales team. Demon warns Tommy not to put any of his money into the venture. Tommy says he already has.
Demon’s coincidental meeting with Tommy reveals that the McCobbs are the same as they always have been, always concocting schemes to address their financial difficulties. Notably, as Demon descends further into his struggles with addiction, he avoids Angus and Coach. While Demon says he’s avoiding them to spend more time with Dori, the novel hints that Demon might also avoid them because he knows he is struggling with painkillers and doesn’t want Angus or Coach to find out.
Themes
