See a complete list of the characters in girl, interrupted and indepth analyses of susanna kaysen, lisa, and georgina. American author susanna kaysen is best known for her 1993 memoir, girl, interrupted, an account of her time at mclean psychiatric hospital that became an unexpected star vehicle for angelina jolie. Girl, interrupted written by susanna kaysen is about the authors life as a young, ambitious girl in the 1960s who gets admitted into the womens ward of a psychiatric hospital in massachusetts. She voluntarily commits herself to mclean hospital, a psychiatric facility in belmont, massachusetts. With winona ryder, angelina jolie, clea duvall, brittany murphy. Lisa kaysens fellow patient and the effective leader of the girls on the ward. Mental health issues and treatment in the film girl. Girl, interrupted is a memoir by susanna kaysen that was first published in 1993. A doctor diagnoses kaysen with borderline personality disorder in 1967, when she is 17. Girl, interrupted is a bestselling 1993 memoir by american author susanna kaysen, relating her experiences as a young woman in an american psychiatric hospital in the 1960s after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. One of these films is girl, interrupted, based on the book of the same title about the real life experiences of the author, susanna kaysen, in her stay in a mental institution in the late 1960s. Girl, interrupted was a book written by a woman who experienced this case of affairs and whilst altered slightly in story, the film adaptation is a brilliant story which raises more questions about mental health, than it cares to answer. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including girl, interrupted. To ask other readers questions about girl, interrupted, please sign up.
The book also shows the prejudices associated with her experiences on her road to recovery. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. Elizabeth wurtzels 1994 memoir prozac nation, released. The previous year, kaysen attempted suicide by swallowing fifty aspirin. Based on writer susanna kaysens account of her 18month stay at a mental hospital in the late 1960s. We hope they will provide you with new ways of looking atand talking abouta book whose style and subject matter are equally provocative. Lisa is proud of her diagnosis as a sociopath, a personality driven by selfinterest. Girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen, paperback barnes. It is a voice full of humor, characterized by an understatement that leaves much to the imagination. Girl, interrupted is a memoir by american author, susanna. Most of the film is appropriately set in the institution, claymoore psychiatric hospital. Girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen book club discussion. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Find books like girl, interrupted from the worlds largest community of readers.
Susanna kaysen wrote girl, interrupted as a recount of her eighteen months as mclean hospital in the 1960s. To its obvious credit, the saving grace in girl, interrupted, comes from its bonding of the characters involved. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Girl, interrupted leaves you wondering what exactly susanna kaysen makes of her past. Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, girl interrupted is the searing true story of susanna kaysen winona ryder, a young woman who finds herself at a renowned mental institution for troubled young women, where she must choose between the world of people who belong on the insidelike the seductive and dangerous lisa angelina jolieor the often. Read free book excerpt from girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen, page 1 of 3. Girl, interrupted lets talk plot, character and mental. The book, girl interrupted to be radically distinguished from the movie based on it is one of the most masterful pieces of writing of the 21st century. The real lisa, the girl from the book girl, interrupted, who angelina portrays in the movie, did get out of the hospital and had a kid, or kids. The bell jar was based closely on plaths own experiences inside the mclean hospital in massachusetts. Kaysen also runs into lisa, who has a young child and lives in a respectable suburb. Her memoir is a series of recollections and reflections on her time in mental hospital. Girl, interrupted characters susanna kaysen this study guide consists of approximately 30 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of girl, interrupted.
Clearly she looks back on it with a sense of surprise, almost wondering whether her memories really belong to her. Susanna kaysen 18 years old in april 1967 diagnosed with borderline personality disorder lisa sociopath. The movie is about the lives of the different girls who are in the inpatient facility and their particular disorders. The two main characters in the movie are susanna, played by wynona rider, and lisa, played by angelina jolie. Goodreads members who liked girl, interrupted also liked. Having seen the movie years before i read the book, i was shocked by how different each version of girl, interrupted was. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Girl, interrupted characters from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Girl, interrupted 1999 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Soon, with a push from her family, she has committed herself to claymoore, an upscale psychiatric institution. Girl interrupted by susanna kaysen 1999 film open for links and facts.
The movie girl interrupted is an interesting movie that delves into the psychology of multiple young girls in an inhouse psychiatric facility. Georgina is an ultimately relaxed character and, on the surface, seems pretty normal, but her. Separated by some twenty years, kaysen stands in front of the painting at. What is the movie girl interrupted based on answers. James marigold adapted the memoir into a film in 1999 staring winona ryder as susanna. More this paper has been submitted by user konnor n. The movie girl, interrupted is based on the book girl, interrupted, by susanna kaysen. Polly torch clark a burn victim unclear in the movie what her diagnosis is, but in the book she suffers from.
Asa, as i knew him, 1987 admitted herself for the next 18 months of her life to a mclean psychiatric hospital near boston after. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Girl, interrupted 1999 girl, interrupted 1999 user. Detailed analysis of characters in susanna kaysens girl, interrupted. Kaysen detects traces of lisas old personality beneath the persona of a suburban mother. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. Susanna kaysens personal account of life in a mental hospital in the late 60s which became a bestseller and was made into a major motion picture. Describing electroshock therapy, ice baths, multiple medications, isolation, thorazine shots, and a lot of other treatments, girl, interrupted explores the difficult two years that susanna kaysen was committed for mental illness. The memoirs title is a reference to the vermeer painting girl interrupted at her music while writing the novel far afield, kaysen began to recall her almost two. In the final chapter, kaysen reveals the origin of the title of the book, girl, interrupted.
Making an assessment of the mental health of the characters in james mangolds 1999 film girl, interrupted, can only be done with reference to susanna kaysens 1993 memoir from which the. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen. Susanna kaysen, the author of the 1993 best seller girl, interrupted, feels readers misunderstood the book shed intended to write. I would like to say that it is loosely based because although the actress, winona ryder, does portray kaysens borderline personality, it seems that angelina jolie, who is lisa rowe in the movie, steals the spotlight. The books clear, crisp, spare prose style is so elegant and masterful that i like to. How, as we go deeper into the book, does the voice play against what it is describingor heighten it. The real susanna ran into her at harvard square with her kid and they talked and lisa said her life changed with kids, and that shes a suburban matron now. Girl, interrupted is a 1993 memoir written by susana kaysen with herself as the troubled protagonist, as the story is based on the authors personal experience with a mental. The reclusive writer began her career with novels, penning twoasa, as i knew him 1987 and far afield 1990while working as a copy editor and proofreader. Take a study break the 6 dumbest decisions made by fictional characters. Girl, interrupted kindle edition by kaysen, susanna.
Or maybe life is crazy isnt being broken or swallowing a dark secret. Susanna kaysen is the author, firstperson narrator. Girl, interrupted is a memoir by american author, susanna kaysen. Learn all about how the characters in girl, interrupted such as susanna and lisa rowe contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. Elizabeth wurtzels 1994 memoir prozac nation, released shortly. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Throughout the book, she frequently contrasts the time of the consultation, twenty minutes, to the time she ended up spending there. During her stay at claymoore, she is diagnosed with the mental health condition. Girl, interrupted owes much toand shares many common themes and even a common setting withsylvia plaths seminal 1963 novel, the bell jar, about a bright and promising young womans struggle with mental illness. Observantly, kaysen tells the story of her twoyearlong stay at. In the spring of 1967, while everyone else in her senior class seems to be making plans for college, susanna consumes a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of vodka. The voice that narrates girl, interrupted may at first strike readers as cool, intellectual, rational, and controlled, qualities normally associated with sanity. The film is written by mangold, lisa loomer and anna hamilton phelan based on the novel by susanna kaysen. James mangolds girl, interrupted, based on the book of the same name, cant seem to decide whether its protagonist is crazy or just going through a particularly turbulent adolescence.
817 631 71 417 435 647 332 226 210 928 322 1318 1228 1017 109 467 227 1027 1016 299 923 1330 750 526 76 1150 1231 615 486 545 659 693 612 1295 690 777 323 677 1073 626