Susanna Kaysen writes a beautiful story called Girl Interrupted displaying her battle with mental illness.  The story displays who and what Susanna’s life consisted of in previous years. Details in the book never make you want to put it down. Although there is a movie, the book gives a detailed reflection on Susanna, and not much of the other aspects.

          Beginning with the introduction of Susanna before her life changed drastically, the normal or what she thought was normal life she lived, was diagnosed as a personality disorder. It was now up to the doctors and nurses along Susanna’s openness in order to treat her. Her adventures in the hospital are funny exciting yet extremely strange, giving the reader a pure understanding of what the process was. As time passed Susanna not only learns about her illness but also how she wants to change.

         

 

People ask, how did you get in there? What they really want to know is if they are likely to end up in there as well.  I can’t answer the real question. All I can tell them is, It’s easy. And it is easy to slip into a parallel universe. There are so many of them; worlds of the insane, the criminal, the crippled, the dying, perhaps of the dead as well. These worlds exist alongside this world and resemble it. But are not in it. (5)

A lot of mind though, is turning out to be brain. A memory is a particular pattern of cellular changes on particular spots in our heads. A mood is a compound of neurotransmitters: Too much acetylcholine, not enough serotonin and you’ve got a depression.  Certain parts of the book become convoluted and difficult to read. At these points Susanna’s witting style purposely shows the she is unstable. (137)

 

Susanna’s technique in writing helps the reader visualize exactly what it is that she is trying to make the point in saying. When reading the book you will actually begin comparing real life situations that you have gone through to the story.