Throughout the film, The Snake Pit, Dr. Kik uses a variety of methods to find the cause of one of his patient’s irrational behavior. Virginia Cunningham loses touch with reality, which causes several mental breakdowns. Dr. Kik wishes to figure out the causes of Virginia’s unconscious rejection. Virginia repeatedly rejects love from Robert Cunningham before eventually marrying him. A specific day, May 12th, causes Virginia great distress and is related to her refusal to let a man love her. Dr. Kik becomes determined to find the cause of this distress. After several months of intensive therapy Dr. Kik is able to uncover the reason why Virginia suffers from a mental illness and explains to her the importance of understanding where her problems
