Chin Chang, Christina Chen

Zaes Chen, Linda Chien

Boundary Crossing of

Sanity and Insanity

Introduction

• Film: Girl, Interrupted directed by James Mangold (released in 1999)

• Based on Girl, Interrupted written by Susanna Kaysen

(1967 McLean, 2 yrs)

• Title: from the painting Girl, Interrupted at her music by Johannes Vemeer

Summary

• Sent to Claymoore and diagnosed as BPD (borderline personality disorder), Susanna started her journey of self-discovery with friends she met there. The question remains “Is she sane or insane?”

Sane or Insane? (Susanna Kaysen)

(monologue)

“Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.”

Sane or Insane? (Susanna)“sanity” events “insanity”

“killing the headache”

50 Aspirins and a bottle of Vodka

Attempts to suicide

“they (bones) come back”—they do exist

“everybody is like that”

No bones in hands; laws of physics; control of time

insane

“That is everybody”

Reading medical profile (BPD)

Psychoneurotic depression…

Sane or Insane? (Daisy)Diagnosis: Eating disorder and other unspecified

Symptoms: Eating in private, father’s chicken only, keeping bones under bed, attempted suicide (later after moved out)

Claims: Eating=Dumping (privacy—sexual implication)

Possible causes: Incest (father)

Suicide (button being pressed)

Sane or Insane? (Lisa Rowe)

Diagnosis: Sociopath

Symptoms: Indifference, disregard for the consequences...

Susanna: “Her eyes are empty now”

Sane or Insane? (Georgina Tuskin)

Diagnosis: Pathological liar

(“my father is the head of CIA”)

Susanna: “lies to people who went to keep her here…live Oz forever.”

Sane or Insane? (Polly Clark)

Diagnosis: Unspecified

Symptom: Refuse to grow up

Possible Cause: Childhood trauma

• Innocent?

• Curious about sex trigger her memory

Susanna: “sweetness and purity aren’t genuine at all, but a desperately attempt to make it easier for us to look at her”

Dependence

• Susanna: family Lisa Independence

• Lisa: institution; others’ dependence.

• Daisy: med; chicken; her father.

• Polly: doll; Ruby

• Georgina: Lisa

Social Backgrounds

• 50s -- relatively conservative

“viewed their children's world with alarm and confusion and embraced

few of the cultural changes.”

• 60s – Peace, love and sex.

-- Anti-war hippy

-- Rise of feminism

• 70s Conservative

Social Influences

• Female having many opportunities?

Pro.’s wife: “Women should make up their mind.”

Teacher: “What do you plan to do?”

“Women nowadays have more choices.”, S: “No they don’t.”

Susanna is forced to make a choice.

• Bias on females:

Definition of “promiscuity”

• Education

TreatmentsMedicine: Necessary?

abused in treatment

cause abuse (addiction)

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) / Seclusion:

Punishment?

ETC: possible permanent amnesia.

damaging neurons

Treatments

• Hospitalization:

Necessity? Susanna

Admission Voluntary? Right to leave?

Discharge qualification? Daisy

(Pretending: “Purple people”)

Standardized management:

(medicine administration, name calling, room checks, indifferent attitude and R area.)

Treatments

• Counseling:

(“The-rapist,” “their-rape-me,”

“diag-non-sense,”

criticizing Freudian therapy.)

Dr. Melvin: unsuccessful, without understanding patients.

Dr. Wick: understanding, insightful, professional

Alternative Treatment

• Interpersonal bonds: Nurse Valerie Sisterhood (Tunnel, Ice

Cream Shop, Guitar)

Lisa (leader / violence)

• Others Ruby Music Exercise

Narrative therapy

Turning Points (Susanna)

• Toby’s visit: Susanna decides to stay

(Sisterhood / Toby is not the one)

• Runaway with Lisa / Returning:

Start to realize: either fit into the society or self-destruction

(“Jamie” / Daisy’s death / Lisa’s cruelty)

• Valerie: Susanna learns to “put it away”

• 2nd Tunnel: “Press others’ buttons”

Conclusion

• Definition of madness: Matter of degree. (blurring boundary) Social standard: majority = norm. Self realization (Wizard of Oz) (One drives oneself crazy.) Self limitation (biological, genetic, environment) “Fit in the fucked-up world”

Deleted Scenes in Film

• More of Susanna’s hallucination

(blood flood in supermarket, boneless hands)

more normal in the film

• No museum scene no explanation to the topic

• Less coincidences Film is more realistic

Fiction & Film

• Going to Daisy’s house in film

• Introduction Line: Fiction self

Film society

• Georgina is under-developed in the film

• Ending: Seeing Lisa on the street

Clips

• Lisa & Daisy: pressed the button

• Valerie “how it hurt smile”

• Dr. Wick “ambivalence,” Dr. Melvin’s counseling

Reference