Lise in the Driver's Seat - Steering Off Course

Lise in the Driver's Seat -

Steering off Course

On a first reading, The Driver's Seat may seem to be a novel about an obsessional fear, of everything except death, held by the central character, Lise. Yet on a closer second reading of the text it becomes apparent that the novel is actually about Lise's strict conformity to the Christian faith and her constant will to die. To a person knowledgeable in the field of basic psychiatric function, it is obvious that Lise is suffering from some form of mental illness, most likely a variety of depression. She frequently experiences suicidal thoughts and displays symptoms of this throughout the novel. Her main concern during the narrative is finding someone that will kill her. An in-depth reading of the text could lead the reader to believe that the reason for this search is because Lise's underlying commitment to the Christian faith will not allow her to take her own life.

Lise displays many symptoms of mental illness throughout the novel. The main ones are usually attributed to depressive illness or it's variation, bi-polar disorder, formally known as manic depression. In the beginning of the novel, Lise frequently cries or becomes agitated for no apparent reason. An example of this is in the office where she works. When her supervisor tells her that the tasks she needs to finish can wait until she returns from her holiday, Lise becomes upset, first laughing hysterically, then crying then finally yelling at everyone to "Leave me alone," (Spark, 1970, p.13) This incident in itself displays at least three symptoms, listed by Healey, that occur in a person has a depressive illness. These are her sadness, agitation and relationship problems with colleagues. (2001, p.1) Howeve...

... middle of paper ...

...Seat; cited in LITR 19052 The Modern Novel Study Guide; Division of Teaching and Learning Services; Rockhampton; 2001

Bibliography

· Healey, J; Issues in Society - Depression; The Spinney Press; New South Wales; 2001.

· Lundy, A; Diagnosing and Treating Mental Illness; Chelsea House Publishers; USA; 1990.

· New Testament cited in Good News Bible; United Bible Societies; Hong Kong; 1976

· Old Testament cited in Good News Bible; United Bible Societies; Hong Kong; 1976

· Spark, M; The Driver's Seat; Macmillan and Co. Ltd.; London; 1970.

· Spark, M; The Official Website - Biographical Note [online]; URL: http://murielspark.com/biography.htm; 2000.

· Woods et al; LITR 19052 The Modern Novel Study Guide; Division of Teaching and Learning Services; Rockhampton; 2001