Vera and her dad both come from a family that struggles with addiction, and so addiction is a big part of the story in Please Ignore Vera Dietz. When we first meet Vera, she's coping with Charlie's untimely death by drinking vodka in her car, so, you know, uh-oh. And her father is a recovering alcoholic who still struggles with his addiction. As the story progresses, we see how Vera handles alcohol, and how it does—or does not—help her to actually cope with Charlie's death and betrayal.
Questions About Drugs and Alcohol
- How does Ken Dietz look back on his past relationship with alcohol? How has it affected his life?
- Does Vera show signs of alcoholism in the book? Why or why not?
- Do you think that Charlie shows signs of addiction to drugs or alcohol before he dies?
Chew on This
Vera thinks that she doesn't share her father's alcoholic tendencies at all, but after she's caught drinking, she has to face the facts and realize that her family's past has more to do with her than she'll admit.
In the book, Charlie spends a lot of time smoking and even sells his underwear to unsavory characters to support his habit. At first, Vera believes that he does it just to look cool, but over time it becomes apparent that Charlie turns to drugs as a coping mechanism as well.