Previous
Michael
Given is Leonie’s older brother, the only son of Pop and Mam. As a senior in high school, Given was a dedicated football player, close with both his white and black teammates. Ignoring Pop’s warnings about hanging out with white people, Given would go hunting with white people and one day struck up a bet with Michael’s cousin about who could kill a buck first. When Given won the bet, Michael’s cousin shot and killed him. Given then returns as a spirit, haunting the characters in the novel and particularly his sister Leonie. Given does not speak to Leonie, so his purpose as a ghost remains unclear. However, the fact that he appears whenever she is high suggests that Given is trying to encourage Leonie to stop engaging in self-destructive behavior and be a better mother to her children.
Given Quotes in Sing, Unburied, Sing
The Sing, Unburied, Sing quotes below are all either spoken by Given or refer to Given. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7: Leonie
Quotes
This is a miracle, I think, so I close my eyes and ignore Given-not-Given, who is sitting there with a sad look on his face, mouth in a soft frown, and think of Michael, real Michael, and wonder if we had another baby, if it would look more like him than Michaela. If we had another baby, we could get it right.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11: Jojo
Quotes
I ain't never have the talent for it. Seeing the dead. I could read people, read the future or the past in they bodies. Know what was wrong or needed by their songs: in the plants, in the animals, too. But never saw the dead. Wanted it so bad after Given died––
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Sing, Unburied, Sing LitChart as a printable PDF.
Given Quotes in Sing, Unburied, Sing
The Sing, Unburied, Sing quotes below are all either spoken by Given or refer to Given. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7: Leonie
Quotes
This is a miracle, I think, so I close my eyes and ignore Given-not-Given, who is sitting there with a sad look on his face, mouth in a soft frown, and think of Michael, real Michael, and wonder if we had another baby, if it would look more like him than Michaela. If we had another baby, we could get it right.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11: Jojo
Quotes
I ain't never have the talent for it. Seeing the dead. I could read people, read the future or the past in they bodies. Know what was wrong or needed by their songs: in the plants, in the animals, too. But never saw the dead. Wanted it so bad after Given died––
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
