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Chapter 49
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
Demon meets up with Angus at a small park in Jonesville. Angus tells him that U-Haul is spreading rumors that the art teacher, Ms. Annie, has been having sex with someone behind Mr. Armstrong’s back—and that if people want proof, they should ask Demon, who saw it happen. Demon is furious and wants to strike U-Haul. He also tells Angus about the difficulties of his relationship with Dori. Angus tells him, “Whatever you love about her, you get to live with. And the other stuff, you live with that too.”
The novel continues to show that U-Haul is a malicious person who wants to take others down, highlighting his willingness to make up stories and spread rumors. Meanwhile, Angus shows again that she is a good friend to Demon. She cares about and is willing to listen to him, even though she thinks he has made mistakes by leaving Coach’s house and not going to school.
Themes
After talking with Angus, Demon goes to the high school to see Ms. Annie. Ms. Annie tells him she hopes he’ll come back to school. Demon tells her he wants her to know he has nothing to do with the rumors about her and Mr. Maldo, the janitor. Ms. Annie tells him that there’s a contingent of parents who say they want Mr. Armstrong fired for “being a Communist,” but the real reason is racism. She also tells him that she likes his comic strip and asks him why he doesn’t sign it with his name. Demon says if it’s terrible, he doesn’t want people to know it’s his, and if it’s good, signing it would feel like bragging. Ms. Annie tells him that art is work.
While Demon is always searching for a sense of belonging, in this chapter, the novel shows that community in and of itself is not good or bad but can be used as a force for good or evil. A group of people can band together for horrible reasons, and that a community conspiring to commit evil—like the group of racist people who want to take down Ms. Annie and Mr. Armstrong—can still provide a sense of belonging to its members. With that in mind, the novel suggests that Demon’s goal isn’t just to find belonging: it’s to find belonging in an inclusive community that supports all of its members.
Themes
Demon follows Angus’s advice and goes home to live with Dori. Trash bags are piling up and dishes grow mold in the sink. When Dori starts stealing from the person who runs the basement salon where she works, Demon gets angry. They talk about getting married. Dori plans what dress she’ll wear and thinks about how beautiful she’ll look. Because she’s high, though, Dori doesn’t remember the conversation later.
Demon’s life seems to be falling apart. His house is full of trash, and he and Dori are unable to make plans to change how they’re living. Demon’s anger at Dori begins to mount, too, hinting at ways that Demon may have internalized the toxic masculinity Stoner displayed earlier in the novel: for instance, he struggles to resolve conflicts without resorting to anger.
Themes
