Ben Behind His Voices Character Analysis

The main character in the book Ben Behind His Voices is Benjamin; Ben suffers from Schizophrenia. He is the son of the author Randye Kaye. Early life for Ben was as normal a life a child could have with a single mother. Ben was warm and happy, like any other child. Ben was very well liked and he was often called often to babysit; Ben did very well in school and loved his baby sister with all his heart. Ben was often thought to have ADD or ADHD as a child, but it was not believed necessary to medicate Ben.
Later life for Ben was not simple nor was it easy on himself or those around him. What seemed simple everyday activities and being able to meet a level of social functioning considered normal by society was extremely difficult, trying …show more content…
He would usually keep a job for a few days to a week before he developed a superiority complex and complained that the jobs he was doing were below him. He lacked proper hygiene, and wore dirty, ripped, stained closed. Ben also did not shower, was always unshaven, and never cut his hair. His room or apartment was littered with garbage and clothing because he never cleaned up. He lost the ability to take care of himself and to cook for himself. Ben would often forgot to eat so all the food in his fridge would become rotten. Ben refused to believe he was sick so he often refused treatment forcing his mom to go to court and become his Conservator, she petitioned for the Right to Medicate and Right to Involuntary Commitment, though it would only last that hospital stay. Ben would throw away his medications and since he often lived alone no one knew until it was multiple days after. Kaye once found five days worth of pills in the bottom of Ben’s garbage can. Ben’s life started to look up when the got him on Clozaril and he lived in Harrison House. He became so well that people who visited believed he worked there and was not an actually resident.
There is always risk for relapse and being on medication for the rest of one 's life can seem depressing especially for someone who does not believe they are sick. When Ben relapses when he stopped taking Clozaril Kaye became very afraid because Clozaril may not work a second …show more content…
She shows how the person Ben was still showed underneath his illness. Even the Nurses have said that Ben “even without medication, was still a nice guy,” even though the common portrayal of mental ill people in books, TV shows and movies are often incredibly violent or as “Psychotic Killers”. Ben never fought physically with his mother or those around him he used his words as his weapon. The quotes in the beginning of the chapter and chapter guide post really helped me understand what Ben was like and keep track of the important information from the