The starting of the book sets the tone for a brutal story. James allows us to see how severe his condition is. When talking with a doctor at the center, this conversation with a doctor sets the stage for the story, "At fifteen I was drinking every day, at eighteen I was drinking and doing drugs every day. It has gotten much much heavier since then" (28). After reading about how usage, I became anxious and nervous. James's honestly reveals to us that he's not in denial about needing help, and that he realizes how bad his problem is. The first 100 pages include alot of descriptions about his detox and withdrawl, "I haven't had a drink in three days and I haven't done coke in five so the sickness isn't as bad as normal, but I'm starting to feel sick in other ways... I wonder what is hapenning to me" (33). Also included in James withdrawl are dreams, "I had a dream, a bad dream, and it completely fucked me up.
When Alcoholics and Addicts stop drinking and using drugs, their subconsvious minds still crave them. That craving is sometimes manifested in dreams that can seem startlingly real and, in a sense, are real" (53). These quotes give us insight on how long and hard Jame's journey will be, and it makes me question whether or not he'll be able to handle the recovery.
In A Million Little Pieces, James continually shows us how tough he is. James has an accident at the beginning of the book, and it misplaces his teeth. He has a procedure to cap teeth, replace them, and have root canals. The doctor says right before the procedure, "This is going to be incredibly painful. Because your'e currently a Patient at a Drug Treatment Center, we can't use any anesthesia, local or general, and when we're done, we can't give you any painkillers" (64). During the procedure, James explains his feelings, "The sander vounces slightly and white electric pain hits my mouth and the sander comes bakcn and holds and pain spreads through my body from the top down and every muscle in my body flexes and I squeeze the balls and my eyes start to tear and the hair on the back of my neck stands straight and my tooth fucking hurts like the point of a bayonet is being driven through it" (65). The procedure ends and James paints because of the pain. His willingness to continue with the extremely painful surgery tells us that he's perseverant, and i think this trait will get him through rehab. The book is sickening and interesting, and it makes me want to keep reading in hopes that James will Recover.
