In the book Glass, by Ellen Hopkins, the main character Kristina ends up getting extremely addicted to crystal meth. Before she tried the drug, she was a quiet, studious girl. But after she experiments with it, she creates an alter ego for herself that "Kristina" never could be, called Bree. Bree gets Kristina into situations Kristina never would have dreamed of, such as getting raped and getting pregnant because of it. This made me think about the philosophy of addiction. Once people have something they are addicted to, they physically are unable to cope without it. Addiction is classified as a disease, but should it be? I think all humans are addicted to something in their life, whether they know it or not. Glass also made me think about how a child should be raised. Kristina loves her child, Hunter, whether she wanted to have him or not. But he ends up getting taken away from her because she is considered an inadequate mother. But what is an adequate mother? And what isn't?
Everyone on this Earth has something that they need. Something that isn't required to live, but it's a necessity. The wealthier the person, the more addictions they have. I think this is because they know that they can get more, and getting can be an addiction as well. Most kids expect presents on Christmas and on their birthday, because it's something that's expected in society. The media glorifies these things and recognizes that we have addictions, and they use that as a weapon against us. Even something as small as caffeine is definitely an addiction in the lives of most people. And companies like Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and McDonalds even know that this addiction is huge in the lives of most of the working population. Most people can barely get out of bed without having some form of caffeine. Now Kristina's addiction is much more dangerous, but does that make it any less severe than the people who need to have a cup of coffee every morning?
Also in Glass, Kristina is forced to give up her child because it is considered that she creates an unsafe environment to raise her kid in by social services. But what is an unsafe environment? Is love the only thing that is needed to raise a kid? Kristina definitely loves Hunter. But is that enough to nurture and raise a child with? Kristina is crippled with her addiction, and according to society, that makes her unable to raise her kid. But like I said, we all have our addictions. Whether they be to drugs, to people, or to anything in the world, all humans have addictions to certain things. People often say that love is a force so overpowering that it can accomplish anything. But can love alone raise a child? Something so fragile, and so vulnerable?
In conclusion, many different philosophical themes are brought up in Glass by Ellen Hopkins. Kristina, the main character, is addicted to crystal methamphetamine, a drug that changed her entire world. But we all have our addictions, whether they be to little things glorified by the media and expectations put by society. Why is Kristina's addiction considered so shocking and so severe? Also, Kristina was raped and unfortunately got pregnant from it. Her baby eventually gets taken away from her, because she is considered unfit to raise a child. Kristina loves her child, but is that enough to create an environment it can grow and develop in? All in all, Glass is a book that made me think about many different things.
