Both “My Father, Myself” and “More and More” deal with addiction as the central theme, where it is seen as a destructive force affecting the lives of the narrators. Although “My Father, Myself” focuses on the way the narrator’s father, who has alcoholism, affects his life, in “More and More,” there is an exploration of heroin addiction. Despite the different substances abused by these two characters, their narratives show a common thread of alienation, hopelessness, and helplessness. The speakers in both texts have mixed feelings over their addictions, including remorsefulness, rage, and desire for closeness. They employ these stories to depict how multifaceted addiction can be, disclosing its deep-seated psychological as well as emotional harm to individuals and relationships among them. A closer look at these two texts gives us more insight into how universal themes of drug dependence are put across and what specific impacts they have on individuals’ lives and families.
“My Father, Myself” is about a daughter who watched her father’s battle with alcoholism and said, “I feel like I hate him for his ill example; I think he has led me to the same dreadful place.” (Woodrow et al., 2006). This can be seen from the quote, which is used to portray the deep-seated resentment and self-disgust in the narrator. Identically, in “More and More,” the speaker conveys such emotions by saying: “It’s funny how when you fall apart, addiction becomes something genetic that you learn about only too late.” (Lau, 2012) Both quotes demonstrate their guilt and blame for their addictions, thereby suggesting a feeling of powerlessness and inevitability in these situations. However, there is a significant distinction in their views towards recovery. The speaker in “My Father, Myself” seeks help and goes to meetings, which shows that she wants to change, while “More and More” seems resigned to what happens next. Hence, there are no recovery hopes here.
In both “My Father, Myself” and “More and More,” there are notable similarities in the sentiments expressed about addiction. Both narratives give an indication of the struggle and agony associated with being an addict, displaying the destructive nature of this illness. The two stories present a feeling of no control over the situation that will not let go of them. Additionally, both of the stories have in common a sense of being alone and alienated, with addict narrators feeling very different from others. Also, both books have this element where self-exploration seems to be taking place through the authors’ recollections about their personal lives affected by drug abuse. These kinds of emotions are meant to show that addiction is something that can happen to anyone regardless of their background or history. Either way, we all have one thing in common as human beings – we can become addicted, too! They express feelings of hopelessness filled with a deep desire for change due to the addictive practices engulfing their lives. This shared sentiment between both texts once again highlights how addiction destroys relationships and, at the same time, leads to complex emotional experiences, among many other things surrounding it.
The narrator’s feelings about addiction in “My Father, Myself” are heavily mixed up with their experiences and connections, leading to complicated emotions of fury, depression, and wanting (Woodrow et al., 2006). There is a feeling of bitterness and pain caused by the father’s drug addiction, which has played a role in changing his household dynamics and personal growth. This is about loneliness and emptiness that prevailed due to the father having been an addict. On the contrary, “More and More” presents a more inward-looking reflection on addiction as viewed through the narrator’s eyes that revolves around his fight against suffering from heroin abuse (Lau, 2012. The story depicts isolation and despair, which underline the intense struggle of an individual suffering from addiction, along with self-pitying sensations of guilt or disgrace. Unlike “My Father, Myself,” which looks outwardly, “More And More” delves deep into struggles inside its author, thereby focusing on psychological devastation and emotional upheaval that leads to drug dependency. These differences reveal different kinds of attitudes towards this issue of addiction in literature, suggesting how complex it can affect people on various levels.
In conclusion, both of these stories, “My Father, Myself” and “More and More,” show a bond with the person living with an addiction, the person living with a substance use disorder that exhibits the same characteristics, like feeling guilty, self-pity, and others. But they also differ in that one story expects recovery while the other does not. Both narrators’ feelings about their addictions, as well as their perceptions of their contribution to this condition, the hereditary aspect, and the struggle with a condition that appears almost to be inevitable, manifest a very intricate system. Such narratives introduce the audience to the statements about the range of the disease and the devastating effects that it has on individuals and their families, bringing into the picture compassion, understanding, and support as critical elements of fighting the continuously residual addiction problem.
References
Woodrow, A., Lane, P., & Crozie, L. (2006). Addicted: notes from the belly of the beast. Greystone Books.
Lau, E. (2012). Other Women. Vintage Canada.
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