Mclean Hospital By Susanna Kaysen Summary

Analysis

This book is a memoir by Susanna Kaysen where she describes her time in the psychiatric hospital, McLean Hospital, in Massachusetts. She begins her story by questioning how it is that she ended up in the hospital. She also describes mental illness as a parallel universe and that people gradually catch glimpse of this universe before they fully enter this new world.
The novel is not told in a sequential storyline, but rather is a series of events that happen during Kaysen’s time in McLean. It all started when she visited a psychiatrist in Boston, who suggests that she take a rest and go stay in the McLean Hospital. Kaysen describes the other women in the ward and explains some of their diagnoses and why they are in the hospital. She also tells stories of what happens while at the hospital.
Kaysen, herself, was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), where a person has long-term patterns of unstable emotions, self-image and interpersonal relationships. People with BPD tend to be impulsive and engage in risky sexual behaviors, self-harm and suicide attempts. These people experience intense abandonment fears when faced with limited separation or spontaneous changes in plans. They also have an unclear identity and sense

of self.
Having BPD impacted different aspects of Kaysen’s life—both her relationships with people and her physical self.

In the book, she says that she had an affair with her high school English teacher. Also, during a guest visit where her boyfriend came to see her at McLean, she performed oral sex on him. Both of these situations show Kaysen participating in risky sexual behaviors. Also, we learn that she tried to commit suicide by overdosing on aspirin, but was unsuccessful. When explaining her suicide attempt, she says that after taking the aspirin, she regretted her decision and didn’t really want to die, but only wanted to kill the part of her that pushed for suicide. Thus, she says that she was successful in her “partial

suicide”.

Recommendation

I would recommend this book to somebody because the stories that Kaysen tells about her experience at McLean are all so interesting. The other women in the ward each have unique backgrounds and we learn about most of their diagnoses. For example, when Kaysen talks about Polly, she explains how Polly poured gasoline on herself and lit a match. Kaysen describes Polly as this sweet, kind girl and she seems to be totally normal, so simply based on her personality, it’s odd that Polly is in this psychiatric hospital. It was interesting to see that even someone with a seemingly normal personality has problems of her own.
Also, there are so many fascinating characters in the book, like Lisa, for example. There is one story where Lisa makes a scene to go outside and get some fresh air. After she continues to harass the nurses, the head nurse Valerie agrees to let Lisa open her window, but Lisa still isn’t happy with this. In the end, Valerie realizes that Lisa didn’t actually care about getting fresh air, but just wanted something to pass the time. This story also gives a sense of what life was like for the patients in the psychiatric hospital, with not much to do or entertain them.