Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted Girl Interrupted by Susana Kaysen is set in a psychiatric hospital in 1967. The narrator is the same person as the author, Susana. Susana tried to commit suicide by taking 50 pills of aspirin and has trouble with reality. She is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and sent to McLean Hospital. After 18 months in the hospital she is let out and said to be healed.

While there, Susana meet fellow patients that soon become her friends. They help Susana cope with things and she in turn helps them too.

Polly is one of the people Susana meets. She is a sweet and caring girl. Always smiling and never upset. Polly was admitted to McLean Hospital for burning herself alive. No one knows why she burned herself and no one bothers to ask. She seems like she burn her depression away until one night when she realizes how ugly she has become and breaks down.

Lisa is another character that is very important to the book. Lisa is a sociopath and very proud of it. She escapes regularly before being caught and sent back to the hospital. She enjoys it there enough not to put up a fight when she is brought back. Lisa is an ex-junkie and according to Susana "hasn't slept in two years".

Lisa Cody is another sociopath but the original Lisa (above) says that she really isn't. Lisa Cody, always called by her full name, tries very hard to be like the original Lisa. She claims to be a junkie, but she wasn't. No one has much respect for Lisa Cody and eventually she runs away and never comes back. The original Lisa sees Lida Cody while on one of her trips away form the hospital and sees that Lisa Cody has become a real junkie.

Georgina, one of the healthiest, was hospitalized for schizophrenia. Throughout the book they mention her having a boyfriend named Wade. She is also Susana roommate.

Daisy isn't mentioned a whole lot in the book but she is important. Daisy is very anti-social and has her own private room. She is addicted to laxatives and only eats chicken. She keeps the bones of the chicken whole and when she gets eleven of them she believes it's time for her to go home. Her father buys her a apartment and is allowed to leave the hospital. On her birthday, Daisy kills herself leaving everyone else sad.

Girl, Interrupted is a book for those who like to think and like the darker things. It can interest almost anyone and is a very well written book. Despite being an autobiography it is written out just like any other story.

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