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Chapter 3
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dopesick, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Poverty as an Obstacle to Recovery
Cycles of History
Race, Healthcare, and Criminal Justice
Fighting the Medical Establishment
The Value of Science
Summary
Analysis
Abingdon is the legal and artistic center of southwest Virginia, and by 2007 it begins to be known for upscale boutiques and farm-to-table restaurants. On July 20, 2007, the relatives of opioid victims gather in Abingdon to see the Purdue executives sentenced.
The fancy shops and restaurants suggest that Abingdon isn’t quite like some of the more rural places where the opioid epidemic took hold (although it is located near them in southwest Virginia and by 2007, the epidemic would have reached cities and suburbs).
Themes
Van Zee can’t make the sentencing, but he sends detailed notes to Sister Beth. Van Rooyan will also be there, as will Ed Bisch and Lee Nuss. They bring protest signs and memorials for their lost loved ones. The Purdue executives fly in from Connecticut on a private jet.
Macy once again contrasts the situations between the activists and the pharmaceutical executives. Van Zee isn’t even able to make the sentencing, but the Purdue executives have private jets that take them there directly, emphasizing how much easier they have it.
Themes
Paul Goldenheim (Purdue’s medical director), Michael Friedman (the CEO), and Udell seem stunned to see the families of the OxyContin victims there. Purdue’s lawyers try to argue that the stigma of a criminal conviction is punishment enough for the men.
Themes
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At the courthouse, many relatives of opioid victims argue that the Purdue executives deserve jail time and that even the multi-million-dollar settlement pales in comparison to the damage Purdue has done to families. The activists are also disappointed to learn that Purdue Frederick is being banned from participating in federal insurance programs instead of Purdue Pharma. (Purdue Frederick is a holding company, which basically acts as a shell company to plead guilty instead of the actual company.)
Themes
The judge in Abingdon is also frustrated by the lack of jail time, but his hands are tied by the plea agreement that Purdue made with prosecutors. The former Purdue people (Goldenheim, Friedman, and Udell) serve out their probation, with Udell dying of a stroke in 2013. Udell’s son remains resentful of the measures taken against his father.
Themes
The sentencing in Abingdon ends up being one of the most dramatic ones the region has ever seen. Nuss, who brings her son’s urn with her into the courtroom, is still disappointed that the Purdue executives don’t apologize or truly admit to what they did.
Themes
