# Attempt to parse the string as-is.
    try:
        return json.loads(s, strict=strict)
    except json.JSONDecodeError:
        pass
    # Initialize variables.
    new_s = ""
    stack = []
    is_inside_string = False
    escaped = False
    # Process each character in the string one at a time.
    for char in s:
        if is_inside_string:
            if char == '"' and not escaped:
                is_inside_string = False
            elif char == "\n" and not escaped:
                char = "\\n"  # Replace the newline character with the escape sequence.
            elif char == "\\":
                escaped = not escaped
            else:
                escaped = False
        else:
            if char == '"':
                is_inside_string = True
                escaped = False
            elif char == "{":
                stack.append("}")
            elif char == "[":
                stack.append("]")
            elif char == "}" or char == "]":
                if stack and stack[-1] == char:
                    stack.pop()
                else:
                    # Mismatched closing character; the input is malformed.
                    return None
        # Append the processed character to the new string.
        new_s += char
    # If we're still inside a string at the end of processing,
    # we need to close the string.
    if is_inside_string:
        new_s += '"'
    # Close any remaining open structures in the reverse order that they were opened.
    for closing_char in reversed(stack):
        new_s += closing_char
    # Attempt to parse the modified string as JSON.
    try:
        return json.loads(new_s, strict=strict)
    except json.JSONDecodeError: