Sing, Unburied, Sing
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1: Jojo Chapter 2: Leonie Chapter 3: Jojo Chapter 4: Leonie Chapter 5: Jojo Chapter 6: Richie Chapter 7: Leonie Chapter 8: Jojo Chapter 9: Richie Chapter 10: Leonie Chapter 11: Jojo Chapter 12: Richie Chapter 13: Jojo Chapter 14: Leonie Chapter 15: Jojo
Themes
All Themes Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Animals and Nature Illness, Wounds, and Death Feeding, Healing, and Care Racism
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Jojo Pop (River) Mam Kayla (Michaela) Leonie Michael Given Big Joseph Richie Stag Misty
Symbols
All Symbols Singing Parchman The Gris-Gris Bag
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Sing, Unburied, Sing

by

Jesmyn Ward
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Given Character Analysis

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:
Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Theme Icon
).
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: Leonie (speaker), Kayla (Michaela), Michael, Given
Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Theme Icon
Illness, Wounds, and Death Theme Icon
Feeding, Healing, and Care Theme Icon
Racism Theme Icon
Page Number: 150
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: Mam (speaker), Given
Related Symbols: Singing
Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Theme Icon
Animals and Nature Theme Icon
Illness, Wounds, and Death Theme Icon
Feeding, Healing, and Care Theme Icon
Page Number: 237
Explanation and Analysis:
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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:
Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Theme Icon
).
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: Leonie (speaker), Kayla (Michaela), Michael, Given
Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Theme Icon
Illness, Wounds, and Death Theme Icon
Feeding, Healing, and Care Theme Icon
Racism Theme Icon
Page Number: 150
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: Mam (speaker), Given
Related Symbols: Singing
Family, Heritage, and Homecoming Theme Icon
Animals and Nature Theme Icon
Illness, Wounds, and Death Theme Icon
Feeding, Healing, and Care Theme Icon
Page Number: 237
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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