Methland, a book authored by Nick Reding sensationally documents the menace of the drug culture that has ravaged the American society as exemplified by the community of Oelwein, Iowa. The drug issue as depicted by Reding highlights the problematic societal issue of drug and substance abuse which is often a neglected malignant problem in most of rural America. The author masterfully documents the challenges and consequences of the rural fight as epitomized by the small town currently undergoing a perceived economic decline which is in tandem with the historical context of previously dominant drug trade with a particular interest in the manufacture and subsequent consumption of methamphetamine.
Most importantly, the Reding’s book comes across as a fundamentally undiluted and original narrative about rural America characterized by small towns. According to Reding’s book, small-town residents in the US touches on a problem often associated with the ghettos, the life of crime, drugs and violence but the journalist, Nick Reding manages to successfully highlight the existing fallacies and myths surrounding the carnage of methamphetamine abuse going back three decades ago. Therefore, the thesis of the paper is founded on the background of the meth problem and which the paper will seek to explore so as to recommend the mitigating measures to remedy the situation.
The methamphetamine menace is embodied by the tale of Roland Jarvis who had been on meth and had endured its horrifying consequences. Roland exemplified the drug’s ravages as it is established he began meth indulgence as means to energize himself when he worked double shifts a local meat manufacturing factory. It emerged that using meth as an energy booster was nothing unusual in Oelwein as a community physician routinely recommended meth for fatigued factory workers. As Roland’s struggle with meth addiction progressed to high dependency, he became a habitual user and finally a manufacturer of methamphetamine.
Roland’s reliance on meth escalated to a point of drug induced paranoia where he would unconsciously attempt risky experiments in his lab. During one of his drug-influenced fits, he disastrously tried with little successes to dispose of his meth cocking chemicals only to start a fire which made him sustain severe burns on his body that paramedics could only watch as his flesh melted from his body. Jarvis therefore epitomizes a society whose manpower is ravaged by the afflictions of the meth addiction which consequently takes a toll on the Oelwein community.
Methland represents a society at cultural crossroads that has become accustomed to the American society while highlighting the inalienable truth that not every society lives the American dream but a massively flawed community of failed institutions and aspirations. The sorry state of meth addiction as recounted by Reding in his book “Methland” highlights the vagaries of life characterized by poor wages, a dwindling economy and high cost of living. The subsequent abuse of methamphetamine is therefore seen as the most potent alternative to assuage the miseries that the Oelwein community is undergoing.
Reding’s use of other secondary characters continues to highlight the struggle of the people even though attempts are made by others like Nathan Lein and Dr. Clay Hallberg to make the society a better place to live. For Nathan Lein, a county prosecutor and having been brought up by a farming father understands the effects methamphetamine abuse and addiction has on agricultural production for a sustainable community. Nathan therefore fresh from his academic persuasions comes back to the Oelwein community with a focused mandate of transforming the community through a mass cleanup of the meth problem. Though he shows total commitment to eradicating the burden of drug addiction, Nathan cannot singlehandedly bring the desired changes or make a meaningful impact because of the monstrous problem facing him. The same can be said of Dr. Clay who had emerged as the leading physician in Oelwein and had made great effort to ensure that the society undergoes transformative changes though will little success.
Conclusion
Agriculture, business and industrial growth are all in their doldrums with the agricultural conglomerate for instance misusing the resources at the expense of the people who serve them the most while also starving them. The meth problem is therefore directly attributed to highly-placed rich members of the society which are more focused on wealth acquisition while inadvertently pushing those who work for them to use artificial sources of stimulants such as meth to keep working. The addiction problem is therefore one that cannot be blamed on the community in its entirety as influential and wealthy members of the Oelwein community exploit immigrant laborers while they insulate themselves from the problems of the society, get richer and widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Ultimately, a semblance of hope and sanity is slowly restored back to the Oelwein community as the economy is revitalized after the election of a new mayor. Some members of the society eventually undergo restitution as they are given a lifeline and start a process to reconstruct their lives to become more productive and nondependent on methamphetamine.
