“Ring the bells that still can ring”: Chapter 1 Epigraph
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The first chapter of Broken is an epigraph: a four‑line excerpt from Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem.” The lines urge readers to “ring the bells that still can ring” and to “forget your perfect offering,” because “there is a crack in everything” and “that’s how the light gets in.” This single stanza introduces the book’s central motif of brokenness as a source of illumination rather than shame.
Key Events
- The epigraph is presented without commentary immediately before the main text.
- No narrative events occur; the chapter solely contains the Cohen quotation.
Character Development
No characters appear in the epigraph. The words belong to Leonard Cohen, but the chapter does not develop any character in the memoir.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Brokenness: The “crack in everything” normalises imperfection and suggests that damage is universal.
- Light as hope/insight: The crack becomes the conduit for light, implying that wounds can let in understanding or beauty.
- Letting go of perfection: “Forget your perfect offering” frees the reader from the pressure to appear whole.
- Epigraph as threshold: The poem functions as a lens through which Jenny Lawson’s subsequent stories of mental illness, anxiety, and physical pain should be read.
Why This Chapter Matters
Even though it is only four lines, the epigraph is the thematic compass for the entire memoir. It reframes “broken” from an insult to a condition that permits grace. By placing Cohen’s words first, Lawson signals that Broken will not be a story of repair but one of accepting and even cherishing the cracks. This short chapter primes the reader to meet the author’s often‑raw experiences with compassion rather than judgement.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why might Jenny Lawson choose to open her memoir with a poem about cracks?
The poem directly addresses the book’s title, Broken, transforming it into a positive or at least meaningful state. It reassures readers that the stories to come are not about achieving wholeness but about finding value in imperfection. -
What does the phrase “forget your perfect offering” mean in the context of a memoir about mental illness?
It suggests that the author (and reader) need not present a polished, flawless life story. Instead, honesty about struggles and failures is the more powerful—and truthful—offering. -
How does Cohen’s image of light entering through a crack relate to Lawson’s later discussions of anxiety and depression?
Later chapters often describe moments of clarity, humour, or connection that emerge despite—or because of—her mental health challenges. The epigraph foreshadows that these “cracks” in her composure or happiness can be sources of insight.
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