The Basketball Diaries Essay - 1018 Words

Lizzie Janes Drugs and Behavior Within Hollywood’s movies depiction of drug addiction, many have failed to represent all true aspects that come along with such lifestyles. The movie, The Basketball Diaries, is based off a novel Jim Carroll wrote from his own diary entries. As a teenager growing up in the sixties, Carroll reveals his progression of drug abuse which eventually leads him addicted to heroin.Heroin is a white powder derived from morphine found in opium. It is commonly prescribed as a painkiller, but is also a popular street drug.The director casted Leonardo DiCaprio as Jimmy, and concentrates on creating the character as a stereotypical drug abuser. DiCaprio’s most captivating scene is when he is going through heroin†¦show more content†¦He shoots up his first time, while most user progress from snorting to popping and then to using needles. Many heroin users report feeling a â€Å"rush† when shooting up heroin.While a scene of Jim running through a field plays, he descri bes, â€Å"It was like a long heat wave through my body, any ache and pain or feeling of sadness was completely flushed out.† This â€Å"rush† is causes by the rapid entry of heroin into the brain and the attachment of 6-acetyl-morphine and morphine to opioid receptors. It usually last one or two minutes right after administration. The euphoric effect is caused by the reduction of GABA neurons, which ultimately increases the amount of dopamine produced. Jimmy also compares it to one of the most intense orgasms he has ever had. Recent imaging studies have found that the areas the brain most active during ejaculation are also most active following heroin injection. After his first time using Jim describes,â€Å"I felt dazed, like I just came out of a four hour movie I did not understand.† Many people who take opiates experience a subjective sense of mental dullness and often report feeling dreamy or spacey The movie does a legitimate job describing and interpretin g the â€Å"rush† phenomenon and the after effects of first time use. Many heroin users have an extremely hard time quitting for long periods of time. This is due to bothShow MoreRelatedBasketball Diaries2784 Words   |  12 Pagesanalysis I chose The Basketball Diaries written by Jim Carroll. The book was first published in the United States by Tombouctou Books in 1978, then published and reprinted by Penguin books in 1987. James Dennis Carroll was born on August 1, 1949 in New York. He was of Irish Descent and grew up on New Yorks Lower East Side. In the sixth grade his brother took notice to his literary talent, so he encouraged him to pursue it. Apart from writing, Carroll was an all-star basketball player throughout hisRead MoreMovie Review : Basketball Diaries860 Words   |  4 PagesThe movie I chose to watch is Basketball Diaries. I had watched this movie years back and fell in love with it. It s a movie based on addiction and what it can do to a persons life. My br other was the first person to introduce me to this movie. I also feel it had an impact on him as well. One of the first readings we did in class we learned what drug addiction is and how it effects the brain. â€Å"Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despiteRead More Exploring Fear in Howl, Basketball Diaries, and Cats Cradle2099 Words   |  9 Pagesmovement, Allen Ginsberg explores the bombs psychological affects on many Americans during the 1960s. Modern literature describes the chaos of the 1960s, caused by increasing societal problems and fear of the new atomic bomb. Writings such as The Basketball Diaries, Howl and Cats Cradle express concepts of fear, power, governmental control, and death. Government uses societys fear of death and the end of the world to keep control and power over the people. The atomic bomb generates such universal fearRead MoreHolden’s Basketball Experience: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian556 Words   |  2 Pages Basketball helps Arnold find out what kind of person he can be. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian book is trying to show you how one thing in someone’s life can help them to become a nicer and smarter person. The book as is about how one person, Arnold can be two people at once. Arnold is a part time Indian beacuse he is in Idian and he thinks that he is poor beacuse of it. Arnold is also a white person in his heart beacuse he feels like he connects with them when he plays basketballRead MoreThe True Diary Of A Part Time Indian By Sherman Alexie965 Words   |  4 PagesThe Absolute Symbolism in The Absolutely True Diary Symbolism helps bring meaning and emotion into a story. Symbolism is also used to bring about a deeper understanding of the underlying themes in a story. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is riddled with symbols throughout the novel. Brilliantly, Sherman Alexie uses symbols all through this novel as a way of conveying abstract themes such as identity crisis, poverty, and mortality. These symbols are an important part of the novelRead MoreThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesThis book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, is about a boy called Arnold Spirit aka Junior. He is a Native American that lives in an Indian Reservation. He isnt really satisfied with his life, since hes pretty poor, but he gets along. He doesnt really accept himself, since he has multiple medical problems, and he has been beaten up since he was little. When he starts to gain more friends in this new (American) school, he sta rts to like and accept himself moreRead MoreThemes Of Escape, Addiction, And Sexuality993 Words   |  4 PagesThe themes of escape, addiction, and sexuality in The Basketball Dairies are all intertwined. Jin Carroll first use of drugs was recreational. It was something to do to past the time and to be able to fit in with his friends. In fact, he was so immature and naà ¯ve about drugs that he thought marijuana was addictive and heroine was not. It did not take long for his addiction to manifest. Jim Carroll grew up in a difficult time of political and social upheaving. During the 1960’s, the Unites StatesRead MoreThe Substance Abuse Of Heroin By Scott Calvert990 Words   |  4 Pagescrucial to critique what is actually true or not. Whether or not the drug’s effects are medically correct has been glanced over by many. Directed by Scott Calvert in 1995, the movie The Basketball Diaries focuses on the substance abuse of heroin by the main character, Jim. Jim, a high school all-star basketball player becomes addicted to heroin. He tries to hide his addiction, but it becomes quite prevalent when it begins to overtake his life entirely. To begin with, Jim reflects on his first experiencesRead MoreThe Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls1382 Words   |  6 Pagesboth influences a person’s individuality has always been up for debate. What makes a person who they are can be any combination of things. In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, home is somewhat of an abstract idea; while in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie Sherman, it is more of an internal struggle of identity and where one belongs. By the end of the novels, however, the main characters both have a strong sense of self. Although the concept of home varies depending onRead MoreThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian1050 Words   |  5 PagesArnold/Junior Spirit is a fourteen year old Spokane Indian who lives on a small reservation in Washi ngton state. In the book The Absolutely True Diary of a part-Time Indian, Junior leaves his reservation for a primary white school called Reardan to find hope. He struggles with friendships, family, basketball, school work and identity through the year. His experiences on and off the reservation, are constantly changing his beliefs to become less racist and more positive. For example, Junior begins