Psychological Analysis of "Girl, Interrupted"

Introduction to the Novel and Author

“Girl, Interrupted” is a memoir by Susanna Kaysen recounting her life in a psychiatric hospital following a suicide attempt as a teenage girl in the mid-1960s. An intelligent but troubled young woman, Kaysen left school to follow a boyfriend to Cambridge, which led to a negative LSD experience and her admission to McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, at just 18 years old. From her memories, Kaysen paints vivid portraits of fellow patients and offers sharp insights into mental illness and recovery. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder after a previous attempt at suicide, Kaysen spent nearly two years at McLean Hospital, where she engaged in therapy and writing as part of her healing process. Although published in 1993, her story unfolds from 1967 to 1968, a time when mental health issues were often misunderstood. The patients depicted are predominantly women, and Kaysen captures their moments of joy and sorrow while examining the notions of "normal" and "crazy" topics that remain relevant today. Her analysis reexamines her characters as reflections of women’s issues during the 1960s, showcasing her unique narrative voice and writing style. Despite the constraints of being a patient, Kaysen emerges as an observant narrator, providing poignant reflections on her environment. The book sheds light on women's issues that often went unrecognized or misunderstood at that time. Kaysen's distinctive writing blends narrative with her personal insights. While “Girl, Interrupted” narrates her own psychiatric experience, it also deeply explores the dynamics of the characters she encountered. With the support of a friend for writing materials, Kaysen filled her time with creative output, allowing her voice to intertwine with those of her fellow patients. Throughout “Girl, Interrupted,” Kaysen's narrative reveals the complexities of her own experience alongside her observations of others at McLean Hospital. (Vişan, 2018)

Overview of the Main Characters

"Girl, Interrupted" is an incredibly personal recount of a young woman's journey through psychiatric care in the late 1960s, highlighting both her turbulent internal world and the experiences of her peers in similar situations. The centerpiece of the book is Susanna Kaysen, an 18-year-old girl with a lifetime of conflicting thoughts who, following a botched suicide attempt, is placed in a mental institution. Here, she encounters an eclectic cast of characters, all struggling with their own forms of mental unrest. Kaysen introduces these women, alongside herself, as patients diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders, inviting readers to glimpse their world. Though fictionalized accounts, the stories of these women draw from real lives, revealing the struggles and sanity of Kaysen and her peers. The experience is deeply personal, yet, through the diverse women portrayed, it universally resonates, providing a raw insight into the complexities of mental health care. This overview of the relevant characters establishes a framework for deeper psychological analysis of Kaysen's world.

Susanna Kaysen, the author and narrator, was born in 1948 and spent two years in psychiatric care following a suicide attempt at 18. She is a complex character with a nuanced understanding of her mental state. When first introduced, Kaysen is often deep in thought. At times, she shares her insights with those around her, but more often, she keeps them tucked away, believing they are too difficult for others to understand. In her words, “I think [thoughts] in a different way than I speak them.” She recounts her early life, filled with turmoil and conflicts, leading to her eventual breakdown. Kaysen’s initial suicide attempt only landed her in further trouble. In an effort to explain herself following the attempt, she recalls, “I wanted to get out of it, I wanted to be dead…[but] for some reason I couldn’t.” Ultimately, Kaysen ended up in a ward filled with girls far more troubled than herself, struggling with their own, often bizarre fears and mental unrest.

Lisa is perhaps the most impactful character in Kaysen’s life during her time in the ward. Described as “crazy like a fox,” Lisa is habitually manipulative, often working to play the staff against one another. Fiercely intelligent, she paints herself as the ward’s resident troublemaker. While often brash, crude, and “hard,” Lisa also has an endearing side. “I spent my time with Lisa," Kaysen writes, “which was a very good thing because she treated me as though I could be and was still competent and sane.” However, Kaysen also recalls moments where she was terrified of Lisa’s antics, warning that when the time came for her ultimate escape, Kaysen should “never go anywhere with [her].” This would prove prophetic, as Lisa’s machinations continue to spiral until her own release becomes contingent on a string of increasingly reckless decisions. Lisa embodies a radically different view of sanity and identity, believing the world innate to her peers could never exist beyond the walls of the institution. The power struggle between Kaysen, who sees her time as a burden to be borne through, and Lisa, who believes her peers to be bright, straightforward, and “decidedly wretched,” forms a core tension in the narrative.

Polly, a burns victim noted for her “serene beauty,” becomes the first character outside Kaysen to voice her experiences. Kaysen finds in Polly, a friend like no other. “[Daisy] had a dream-like quality of otherness… a beautiful obstinacy,” Kaysen notes, indicating her confusion regarding the rules of their friendship. Daisy Randone, afflicted by paranoid schizophrenia, showcases vibrant delusions impossible to convey. Kaysen admires Daisy’s intricate thought patterns, continuously attempting to express her inner world. However, Daisy's struggles — frantic gestures and the cacophony of a radio — reveal the tragedy of Kaysen and others, women trapped by false fears and desires. Polly becomes pivotal in Kaysen’s journey of self-exploration, with each character representing different responses to identity and sanity, emphasizing their complex interplay.

Psychological Disorders and Themes Explored

'Girl, Interrupted' presents an array of psychological disorders, particularly the ones experienced by Lisa, Suzanna, and Polly. Lisa demonstrates symptoms of borderline personality disorder, frequently exhibiting manic behavior with sporadic silent and hostile undertones. Her wild personality, however, liberates her from confinement after successfully tricking the doctors. Suzanna, on the other hand, battles depression and attempted suicide by overdosing on pills, resulting in a temporary mental breakdown. Her relentless search for autonomy, especially amidst the clinging societal pressures to marry, shapes the essence of her character. With the credo, “I think the best thing to do is to look at it head-on,” she embarks on a soul-searching expedition, questioning if she is just another “crazy” like the other girls. "I am not crazy. I want to be alone” unfolds the deeper layers of her identity, unveiling her inner struggles against conformity and the expectations of constant compliance (Marijanović, 2012). In contrast, Polly, afflicted with third-degree burns, develops an anxiety disorder. With no one to resemble, she renounces speech as her coping mechanism, leaving her silent and lost in a world consumed by flames. Although an unsuccessful suicide attempt drove Suzanna into the madhouse, she is still deemed more functional in comparison to the girls treated under crueler circumstances aggravated by severe childhood abuses.

Throughout the novel, handicap, cruelty, and abuse transpire as visible social aspects often neglected by history, art, and literature. The characters’ psychological disorders resonate painfully, unveiling how madness stains their lives and relationships. The madhouse, however, unfolds beyond sanctuary and refuge, turning the girls into speculative objects for experimentation and adjustment into “normality.” Under an intricate system of shadows and silent surveillance, the girls unearth the deeper implications of their madness abstractly. Engulfed in the psychoanalytical paradigm, they become poorly understood subjects lacking agency, helplessly waiting for their freedom to be granted. In this light, madness transcends psychological burden, unfolding as the social plight of women, their desires and rebellions misinterpreted and recast as irrationality. Outlining the backdrop and framing of the psychological struggles, the socio-historical awareness deepens the comprehension of the narrative, enriching its texture.

Treatment and Institutionalization in the 1960s

In the mid-1960s, during the chaos of America at war, many young women rebelled against societal changes, often seeking refuge in psychiatric facilities. Kaysen illustrates how rebellious women became viewed as mentally ill, with treatment methods strictly defined. Although some progress has occurred since then, mental health care still struggles with understanding and treating psychologically ill patients. Those suffering from mental illness face a rigid system where nurses dictate what is considered “sick” or “well.” For Kaysen, the ward environment provided a haven from the outside world's chaos, despite the harsh treatment methods like drugs, talk therapy, isolation, and electroshock. The pain of her experience occurred just three decades before 'Girl, Interrupted' was published, making it seem alien to current mental health perceptions. Kaysen’s extreme mood swings today would prompt extensive testing, whereas in the 1960s, patients were simply told to endure. The loss of freedom, privacy, and identity in institutions was profound, with omnipotent nurses lacking proper training becoming overriding authorities. Patients formed their own communities to reclaim some autonomy amidst strict control, yet the impact of this environment was tragic, with Kaysen suffering the consequences. Electroshock therapy, dating back to lobotomies, was inflicted carelessly without due procedure. Patients received the most rudimentary medications—barbiturates, tricyclics, and new antidepressants—often causing more harm than good. The understanding of the neurology behind mental illness was limited, rendering the medications “unscientific” and likened by Kaysen to “magic.” The harsh side effects of these drugs—twitching limbs, confusion, and even death—further complicated their treatment experience. (T. Braslow, 2021)

Impact and Legacy of the Novel

In 1993, Susanna Kaysen released Girl, Interrupted, a semi-autobiographical novel and memoir based on her experiences in a psychiatric ward. The novel follows Kaysen, who, after a failed suicide attempt in 1967, is admitted to McLean Hospital. Over the course of nearly two years, Kaysen meets a variety of fellow patients, each with their own struggles, including the borderline personality disorder-stricken Lisa, who often escapes and wreaks havoc, and Daisy, who obsessively cleans and becomes engulfed in a destructive relationship. With clinical statistics and definitions, Kaysen reflects on her own diagnosis of borderline personality disorder while befriending other similarly diagnosed women. The book opens with a powerful quote: “In 1967, I put a stone in my pocket. I was twenty.” In recounting Kaysen’s struggle with mental illness, it can be questioned whether a change in diagnosis and treatment has occurred since the 1960s. Published nearly thirty years later, Kaysen’s work continues to resonate, inviting reflections on the progress made by society in understanding mental health and the human condition. It ultimately becomes a personal story representative of all. Addressing narratives interwoven with mental health and psychological states, a deeper examination of Kaysen’s memoir is provided, along with insights into how such texts can educate society and inspire understanding and curiosity toward those struggling with similar issues (Nichole Jackson, 2016).

Since its publication in 1993, Kaysen’s book has been critically received in literary studies and psychology. At a time when discussions of mental health were taboo and often relegated to hushed tones, Kaysen’s memoir humanizes the experience of living with mental disorders, unveiling the reality of the “crazy” world, as she puts it, and encouraging society to speak more openly about it. Kaysen’s text paved the way for more open discussion on living with psychological disorders, making it an important work of literature and psychology. While the subject of examining the legacy of novels is vast, it may be more significant to consider how the text dealt with social issues in its time, rather than simply observing its contemporary relevance. Regarding the legacy of Kaysen’s novel in connection with its adaptations, this might include the well-known film of the same title. The novel’s value extends beyond Kaysen’s personal struggle, as reading it is both painful and eye-opening. Questions about the choice to label certain behaviors as illnesses inevitably arise. How much progress has been made since the 1960s? At times, it seems that very little has changed, which continues to sadden and alarm. While progress has certainly been made, depressingly enough, many resist educating themselves on the matter (DaCosta, 2018).

Kaysen’s honesty inspires contemporary discussions on psychology. Analyzing psychology texts intertwined with real-life mental health experiences is essential. Kaysen's work confronts the complex interplay of narrative and discourse, addressing representation's challenges and the responsibility of sharing a life distant from one's own. Her story encapsulates the shared struggle of many. The narrator reflects, “The borderline might be a vacuum... I had no idea how to describe a borderline,” raising questions about visibility and understanding. This invites us to explore narratives that deviate from conventional standards, encouraging exploration of the unknown, which touches upon identity, humanity, and interpretation while complicating the notions of “real” and “normal.” Kaysen’s novel exemplifies what Thomas de Quincey terms “confessions,” illuminating darkness to foster an understanding of personal struggles. Ultimately, Girl, Interrupted transcends mere survival, becoming a critical text on evolving perceptions of (mental) health.

• References:
• Vişan, A. "Healing the Psychic Split." 2018.
• Marijanović, V. "Društveni, spolni i psihološki utjecaji na junakinje djela Kate Chopin, Charlotte P. Gilman i Erice Jong." 2012.
• T. Braslow, J. "Psychosis Without Meaning: Creating Modern Clinical Psychiatry, 1950 to 1980." 2021. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Nichole Jackson, E. "Diagnoses by gender: the consequences of treatment of the mentally ill in Virginia Woolfu27s The Waves and Mrs. Dalloway 2016." 2016.
• DaCosta, I. "Romantic Relationships in Mental Illness Young Adult (YA) Novels." 2018.