Jesus’ Son: Stories by Denis Johnson is a collection of twelve short stories centered around their narrator, “Fuckhead.” The narrator is a drug addict whose spiritual malaise reveals itself through his nihilistic, vacant outlook. Throughout the stories, we witness Fuckhead’s gradual journey from tragedy to recovery.
In ‘Car Crash While Hitchhiking,’ Fuckhead is thrown from a car accident into an alternate dimension where time is suspended and he contemplates the utter arbitrariness of death. Here, Fuckhead learns important lessons about the meaning of existence.
In ‘Work,’ Fuckhead is introduced to the reader at a bar. His struggle with alcohol is hinted at here and portrayed fully in other stories. He talks with a fellow alcoholic, Georgie, who tells him a story that serves not only as a moral lesson, but also as a reflection of Fuckhead’s own life path.
The short story ‘Dirty Wedding’ chronicles the life of Mary, a waitress in an Oregon diner with a drug habit and an addiction to risky behavior. She takes a chance on romance with a drifter, who ultimately deceives her. This story serves as an all too accurate reflection of Fuckhead’s own mistakes and insecurities.
The story ‘Steady Hands at Seattle General’ follows Fuckhead to a hospital where he visits a pregnant girl he picked up hitchhiking. Here, we see the giving spirit in Fuckhead that shows glimmers of hope for his redemption.
In ‘Steal’ we get a glimpse into Fuckhead’s criminal past, which leads him to a car accident and ultimately lands him in prison. Here we also meet Bill Houston, a convict and seemingly the only person in Fuckhead’s life who pays attention and cares about him.
The next story, ‘Emergency,’ tells of Fuckhead’s mother’s death, and his subsequent drive to Oregon with Bill Houston that serves as an existential journey. We watch as Fuckhead slowly returns to humanity, and witnesses a birth that serves as a metaphor for his own rebirth.
The collection of stories continues with ‘Out of Control’, set in a Minnesota town where Fuckhead falls in love with a waitress and has a spiritual experience when sleeping in a field. This story is instrumental to Fuckhead’s spiritual journey, and is an important turning point in his life.
The last story in the collection is ‘Beverly Home.’ Here, Fuckhead is among a group of protagonists in a halfway house, who together find the courage to admit their faults and start anew. Here we see Fuckhead finding his own redemption and growth, and rebuilding his life spiritually.
Jesus’ Son is a collection of stories that serves as a journey towards spiritual recovery, in which Fuckhead finds himself and learns to forgive those he loves. Through these stories, the reader gets to witness a self-destructive person’s rebirth, as well as the risky depths to which someone can sink before ascending.
