Donna Nguyen

Ms. Pasche
AP Language and Composition 25 March 2014
Gir! "nterrupted
#y $usanna %aysen
1. &$car tissue has no character. "t's not i(e s(in! "t doesn't sho) age or iness or paor
or tan. "t has no pores! no hair! no )rin(es. "t's i(e a sipco*er. "t shieds and
disguises )hat's +eneath. ,hat's )hy )e gro) it- )e ha*e something to hide.. /101
%aysen uses scar tissue as a metaphor comparing it to +eing in the coset. $he is
impying this to herse2 and the rest o2 her 2eo) patients at the McLean hospita.
3*eryone that had once tried to hide their menta iness. $he con*eys to the audience the
message that e*ery human not per2ect +ut is good at hiding it i(e a scar tissue.
2. &A success2u suicide demands good organi4ation and a coo head! +oth o2 )hich are
usuay incompati+e )ith the suicida state o2 mind.. /501
,his )as an interesting ine %aysen says in the +oo(. 6hat she says ta(es you into her
mind and 2oreshado)s that she )ants to (i herse2. $he does ha*e suicida thoughts and
tried to (i herse2 at one time. %aysen descri+es the suicide as i2 it )ere a game and ho)
to success2uy (i onese2. 6hen she says that suicide demands good organi4ation it's
i(e a techni7ue in the game. ,he ine made me 2ee scared 2or her +ecause she didn't
seem as i2 she )as a2raid o2 death.
5. &,his carity made me a+e to +eha*e normay! )hich posed some interesting
7uestions. 6as e*ery+ody seeing this stu22 and acting as though they )eren't8 6as
insanity 9ust a matter o2 dropping the act8 "2 some peope didn't see these things! )hat
)as the matter )ith them8 6ere they +ind or something8. /411
%aysen ma(es the audience 7uestion her insanity +y as(ing a+out )hether or not peope
9ust act insane. $he herse2 poses 7uestions on the readers. $he impies that i2 you )ere
insane then you're not norma and i2 you )eren't insane then you're +ind and aren't a+e
to see or head things that aren't reay there. ,his 7uote here ma(es her sound more
insane than she sounds normay.
4. &:" hade a character disorder. ,hey sometimes caed it a personaity disorder. 6hen
" got my diagnosis it didn't sound serious! +ut a2ter a)hie it sounded more ominous
than other peope's. " imagined character as a pate or shirt that had +een
manu2actured incorrecty and )as there2ore useess.. /5;1
%aysen impies that she is useess +y comparing herse2 to a pate or shirt. ,he audience
may +e a+e to 2ee her pain and reate to ho) she 2ees. $he seems to +e getting to the
2act that she's a )aste o2 space on this earth. <eeing useess is pro+a+y one o2 the )orst
2eeings anyone can 2ee. A2ter reading these ines! she ea*es peope hanging )ondering
)hat' happen ne=t. ,here2ore! (eeping the readers ured in.
5. &<antasies didn't incude repercussions. 6e )ere sa2e in our e=pensi*e! )e
appointed hospita! oc(ed up )ith our rages and re+eions..
" had a good 2eeing )hie reading this 7uote. "t descri+ed to the audience that %ayen is
com2orta+e in the McLean hospita and is doing )e. $he said &oc(ed up )ith our rages
and re+eions. impying that she's not a norma person. "2 %aysen )ere to act out! she
(no)s she's sa2e )ith the nurses and doctors )atching o*er and caring 2or her.
0. &<or many o2 us! the hospita )as as much a re2uge as it )as a prison. ,hough )e
)ere cut o22 2rom the )ord and a the trou+e )e en9oyed stirring up out there! )e
)ere aso cut o22 2rom the demands and e=pectations that had dri*en us cra4y. 6hat
coud +e e=pected o2 us no) that )e )ere sto)ed a)ay in the oony +in8. /;41
%aysen compares the hospita to a re2uge. $he ma(es it seem as i2 it's +etter than the
outside )ord and ha*ing 2reedom. " can see )here she is coming 2rom! the )ord and it's
e=pectations do get to peope especiay teenagers. 6e are at the point in our i*es )here
)e are 9ust earning )ho )e are +ut there are those )ho inter2ere )ith it. %aysen +eing in
the hospita (ept her out o2 trou+e! +ut particuary pre*ented her 2rom hurting herse2.
>. &"n a strange )ay )e )ere 2ree. 6e'd reached our end o2 the ine. 6e had nothing
more to ose. ?ur pri*acy! our i+erty! our dignity@ A o2 this )as gone and )e )ere
stripped do)n to the +are +ones o2 ourse*es.. /;41
,he )ay %aysen phrased this ine is interesting. $he de2ines &2ree. as in you're 9ust there
)ith nothing to ose. " +eie*e that this is a +ad type o2 2reedom. Losing a things you're
+asicay +orn )ith is i(e osing your mind. Pri*acy! dignity! and i+erty are )hat ma(e
up a person and that's )hat a person i*es 2or. " 2ee as i2 this is )hat happens to a
patients in the hospita +ecause that may +e the ony type o2 )ay to +ecome a ne) and
+etter person. ,hat's one o2 %aysen's goa! to +ecome heathy again.
A. &,he ess i(ey the terri+e thing is to happen! the ess 2rightening it is to oo( at an
image. A person )ho doesn't ta( to herse2 or stare o22 into nothingness is there2ore
more aarming that a person )ho does. $omeone )ho acts Bnorma' raises the
uncom2orta+e 7uestion! 6hat's the di22erence +et)een that person and me8 )hich
eads to the 7uestion! 6hat's (eeping me out o2 the oony +in8 ,his e=pains )hy a
genera taint is use2u.. /1241
%aysen is ma(ing her o)n assumptions that +eing Bnorma' is not norma. Aso those
)ho are norma shoud +e as(ing themse*es )hy they aren't in the oony +in. $he
suggests that doing something out o2 the norma is good. " thin( that i2 someone is too
serious! then there's something )rong. A person can't act out a the time! +ut once in a
)hie is norma. #eing serious a the time may actuay +e a 2orm o2 a personaity
disorder.
;. Cuote o2 the +oo(@ &,his time " read the tite o2 the painting@ Girl Interrupted at Her
Music. "nterrupted at her music@ as my i2e had +een! interrupted in the music o2 +eing
se*enteen! as her i2e had +een! snatched and 2i=ed on can*as@ one moment made to
stand sti and to stand 2or a the other moments! )hate*er they )oud +e or might
ha*e +een. 6hat i2e can reco*er 2rom that8.
" chose this as the 7uote o2 the +oo( +ecause she is re2erring to herse2 and ho) years had
+een ta(en 2rom her i2e +ecause she )as admitted into McLean /her psychiatric
hospita1. $he )as ony 9ust a+out to start her i2e )hen it a changed once she got into
the hospita. %aysen )i ne*er (no) ho) she )oud'*e turned out i2 she hadn't seen the
doctor to admitted her. ,he tite o2 her memoir came 2rom this painting that )as
meaning2u to her. Der i2e at eighteen )as interrupted and put on hod 2or t)o years.
10. Ee2ection Letter@
$usanna %aysen's Gir! "nterrupted )as a good memoir a+out her )hoe psychiatric
hospita e=perience. ,he anguage in this +oo( )as understanda+e. "'m gad that she had
a good i2e a2ter she had +een discharged 2rom the hospita. Athough this )as a great
+oo(! it )as short +ut ong. $he dragged )ith the content o2 her e=periences! " 2et as i2
some sections o2 the +oo( )ere irree*ant and )oudn't change to +oo( )ith or )ithout
it. ?*era " en9oyed reading this +oo( and )oud i(e to *ie) that mo*ie e*en though "
heard it's not as good as the +oo(.