Susanna Kaysen’s book, Girl, Interrupted, is an amazing piece of literature that tells the story of the two years she spent at McLean Hospital. Kaysen depicts the theme of confusion between freedom and captivity through her experience at McLean Hospital to show how one cannot be found without the other. While questioning the difference between non-conforming and being crazy, Susanna Kaysen also allows the readers to question themselves and their ideas of normality. The use of literary elements, like narrative perspective and evidence, are what make Girl, Interrupted the quality piece of literature that it undeniably is and truly impact the reader.
One of the major themes in the book, Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, is the overlap of freedom …show more content…
Kaysen says that humans naturally want to be ‘normal’ often because they fear the discrimination that comes with being different. Despite this, humans also want to be individuals. This is seen in the interaction between Lisa Cody and Lisa. Lisa Cody looks up to Lisa and wants to be like her, but Lisa fights this because of her need to feel unique amongst the other patients. Lisa’s need to be an individual is intensified by how McLean limits the patients’ ability to express themselves in other ways. This dispute between Lisa and Lisa Cody is seen in this quote “Lisa Cody got a diagnosis. She was a sociopath too. She was happy, because she wanted to be like Lisa in all things. Lisa was not so happy, because she had been the only sociopath among us,” (Kaysen 59). Another point that Susanna Kaysen makes about being ‘normal’ is how historically it is the people in power who define ‘normal’ and pick what the ideal human is. This is especially important when discussing mental illness because without a standard definition of ‘normal’ human behavior mental illness would not
One of the major themes in the book, Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, is the overlap of freedom …show more content…
Kaysen says that humans naturally want to be ‘normal’ often because they fear the discrimination that comes with being different. Despite this, humans also want to be individuals. This is seen in the interaction between Lisa Cody and Lisa. Lisa Cody looks up to Lisa and wants to be like her, but Lisa fights this because of her need to feel unique amongst the other patients. Lisa’s need to be an individual is intensified by how McLean limits the patients’ ability to express themselves in other ways. This dispute between Lisa and Lisa Cody is seen in this quote “Lisa Cody got a diagnosis. She was a sociopath too. She was happy, because she wanted to be like Lisa in all things. Lisa was not so happy, because she had been the only sociopath among us,” (Kaysen 59). Another point that Susanna Kaysen makes about being ‘normal’ is how historically it is the people in power who define ‘normal’ and pick what the ideal human is. This is especially important when discussing mental illness because without a standard definition of ‘normal’ human behavior mental illness would not