Leering at Leonie’s friend, Misty, Jojo shows a sexual curiosity just like any other boy his age. (68) Although very responsible of him, this overdevelopment contributes to his illness, as he is still an adolescent. He can tell she’s ‘her animal self’ in his arms and she can always count on him to let her be in them. Possessing an almost telepathic bond, Jojo and his sister are effectively ‘each other’s light’ (92). A substitute parent to both Jojo and Kayla, Pop is a compassionate and selfless influence on Jojo’s care for his sister. Brown skinned tinged with red and family oriented, Jojo’s ideal male paragon is his grandfather. ‘I don’t want him to read my slowness as fear, as weakness, as me not being old enough to look at death like a man should'(3). Willing to participate in visceral disembowelment, Jojo naively perceives that through emulating Pop and acting untroubled, the label of manhood would be bestowed upon him. I try to look like this is normal and boring so Pop will think I’ve earned these thirteen years, so Pop will know I’m ready to pull what needs to be pulled, separate innards from muscle, organs from cavities.
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