chin chang, christina chen zaes chen, linda chien boundary crossing of sanity and insanity
TRANSCRIPT
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