The Coming-of-Age Theme in She’s Coming Undone and Girl, Interrupted

1. The Coming-of-Age Theme in She’s Coming Undone and Girl, Interrupted Use of Setting and Techniques

2. Group Members on Coming-of-Age Theme • Rasheeda Phillips • Sarah Raymond • Saria Druan • Kayla Ten Cate

3. Coming of Age and Crisis in SCU • Dolores had to overcome all horrible events of childhood (rape, mother’s problems, dad leaving, etc.) • Self esteem • Grandmother’s pressure to be a lady and religious.

4. Coming of Age and Crisis in GI • Accepting her problems and admitting she had one.

5. Overcoming the Crisis in SCU • Hospital and psychiatrist work. • Maturing

6. Overcoming the Crisis in GI • Therapy with Valerie and Dr. Wick • Friends’ support (stood up for her) • Journal

7. Similarities in Coming-of-Age Theme • Both overcome problems in hospital therapy • Both had friends’ support • Parents not so much help/cause of problems

8. Memorable Coming-of-Age Quotations and Moments in the Works • GI-at end when Susanna talks to Tobey. “I tried to kill myself.” • SCU-writing letters to grandma • Jack had an affair with her mom • Mr. Pucci before he dies, tells D @ love, able to accept marriage and love from Thayer.

9. Group Members on Television • Rebecca Mitchell • Molly Moskal • A.J. Maljevic • Amy Fredrickson

10. Television Programs in SCU “Queen for a Day” “Tic Tac Dough” “$64000 Question” “Winner Take All” “The Ed Sullivan Show” “Love of Life” “Three’s Company” “MASH” “The Twilight Zone”

11. Specific Televisions in SCU • Dolores’s first memory is of the delivery men moving in the first T.V at 4 years old • For her 15th birthday, Dolores’ mother bought her a T.V, but then cut the cord so she would go to the doctors. • T.V set in her apartment not shared with Dante; he thought that it was mind-dulling • Dolores, at the end of the book, bought a big screen T.V with satellite dish from settlement check; she ends up returning the T.V

12. Role of Television in SCU • Escape into illusionary world for Dolores • Comforter in hard times • TV raised her • Watched it at pivotal moments in her life, such as when her Mom died and Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.

13. Television in GI • Main T.V. is usually seen in the film in Claymoore in the social room. • T.V. in Daisy’s apartment, which is turned on when Susanna and Lisa arrive.

14. Use of Television in Pivotal Scenes in GI • T.V. is the window to the outside world. • Shows the draft of Toby, Death of MLK, opening of Disneyland as well as the Wizard of OZ • The T.V. is used to show the sequence of time. (Montage)

15. Purpose of Television in the Two Works • The T.V is used to show important information as well as keep a timeline of current events during the time period of both Girl, Interrupted and She’s Come Undone. • T.V acts as a comfort to both Dolores and the girls at Claymoore. It keeps them connected to what’s happening in the “real world.”

16. Group Members Music and Art • Emily Lincoln • Stacy Striekauskas • Meghan Fluckinger

17. Music in SCU • Respect • Mocking Bird Song • Worm’s ~ song that Jeannette and Delores used to sing

18. Importance of the Song She’s Come Undone • Delores was able to express her feelings through songs. • She had a rough life and was confused and found a way out through songs.

19. Music in GI • Downtown • Played twice at both turning points in story line. • End of the World • It showed when daisy committed suicide and song was relevant. • How To Fight Loneliness - Wilco  It's All Over Now Baby Blue - Them feat. Van Morrison 03.The Weight - The Band   • Got A Feelin' - The Mamas & The Papas •  Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers •  Comin' Back To Me - Jefferson Airplane •  Angel Of The Morning - Merrilee Ruch & The Turnabouts • The Right Time - Aretha Franklin •   The End Of The World - Skeeter Davis •   Downtown - Petula Clark •   Original Motion Picture Score (tracks 11 - 29) - Mychael Danna

20. Importance of the Painting GI Looking off to side being distance from the world around her. Maybe she feels lost or confused about where’s she supposed to be in life.

21. Group Members on Sixties • Caitlin Ferraiolo • Angela Howell • Shannon Lusebrink

22. 1960s: General Historical Events Mentioned in Both Works • Vietnam War • Martin Luther King, Jr. • JFK • First moon landing • Civil rights movement • Women’s movement • Hippie culture (drugs, sexual freedom) • Music – The Beatles, Woodstock

23. Specific Historical ’60s Events in SCU • Moon landing – the night Delores’ mom dies • Popularization of TV • The Beatles on Ed Sullivan • Woodstock- Larry and Ruth • Beginning of the environmentalist movements- the beached whales • Music of the sixties- RESPECT, Abbey Road-Paul McCartney being dead

24. Specific Historic ’60s Events in GI • Assassination of MLK • Draft- Toby wants Susanna to leave the hospital and go to Canada with him. • Hippies- When Susanna and Lisa escape, the stay with some Hippies for a while. • Music- “Downtown” and “End of the World” • JFK signs • Opening of the new Disney Land • Homosexuality listed as a mental disorder

25. Relation of Time Period in SCU to Theme • Radical social change- goes to college • Experimentation with drugs and sex -smokes with Naomi, Larry and Ruth • Sleeps with Dottie • Mom is very sexually active (Jack) • Television in the sixties- it is brand new, follows her throughout her life

26. Relation of Time Period in GI to Theme • Social change- affects the way people were viewed to have had mental illness. (homosexuality) • Sexual freedom- “What kind of sex isn’t casual?” first definitions of promiscuity • Drug use- smoked in the van, prescription drugs in the hospital (valium)

27. The ’60s and the Women’s Movement in Relation to the Themes • Susanna is told that women now have more choices • Delores’ ability to go to college • Abortion rights- Delores gets an abortion at Dante’s request • Trisha Nixon- role model in Delores’ college essay.

28. Group Members on Parents • Jamie Michaud • Vassy Verbouk • Cassandra Shepard • Nicole Marsh

29. Parents: Role of Mother in SCU and how Dolores was affected. • Depression and the institution • Desperate and then the rape • Guilt and buying food • Her death

30. Role of Father in SCU and how Dolores was affected. • Chapter 1 Example • Allowing Petey to fly free • Pages 26 and 276 • The divorce

31. Surrogate Father in SCU • Only parent that hadn’t left her or failed her • Gave her a “rebirth” • Forced her to face past • How would she move on? • Helped her with life

32. Role of Mother in GI • Negative effect on Susanna • Likes to ignore obvious problems • Did not talk things over with her daughter • Did not want to face truths

33. Surrogate Mother in GI • She is a mother figure • A good friend to Susana • Valerie stuck by her while she was in Claymoore.

34. Group Members on Institutionalization • Katie Pfau • Samantha Cairl

35. Institutionalization in SCU • Dolores was put in against her will • Was a inpatient for the first 4 years, and an out patient for the last 3. • She received injections • Dr. Shaw was considered to be the only parent that didn’t leave Dolores. • Didn’t keep any diaries or journals.

36. Role of Therapy in SCU • She expressed her true feelings • Dr. Shaw had faith in Dolores and believed that she could get better • Preformed a “rebirth” experience • Dolores did a lot of visualization

37. Institutionalization in GI • Susanna signed herself in, but believed that her parents put her there. • Kept a journal and expressed her feelings and ideas. • Made friends with the other patients • Spent only a year and a half at Claymoore • Never had any injections.

38. Role of Therapy in GI • Susanna talked to Valeria and expressed how she felt. • She would talk to Dr. Wick towards the end of the movie, to express her feelings

39. Comparison of Institutionalization in the Two Works • Dolores had injections while Susanna had to take sleeping pills • Dolores had to put into a straight jacket, while Susanna never had to • Dolores didn’t get visitors while Susanna had her parents and Toby come to visit. • Dolores never snuck out, while Susanna escaped with Lisa to go and visit Daisy. • Dolores was there for 7 years, while Susanna was there for a year and a half.

40. Comparison of Therapy in the Two Works • Dolores was friends with Dr. Shaw from the beginning while Susanna had a working relationship with Dr. Wick. • Dolores began recovering right away, but it took Susanna a while. • The therapy helped Dolores realize why she was there, while it took Susanna a while.

41. New England Setting in SCU • Starts in Connecticut—south east corner and shoreline • Moves to Rhode Island • Leaves New England to attend college in Pennsylvania but returns to New England • Beached whales on Cape Cod • Rhode Island – institutionalization and group home • Vermont – pursues Dante • Rhode Island – returns there • Seeks whales in Maine • Goes on whale watch with Thayer—final scene

42. New England Setting in GI • Lives in an upper-class suburb outside of Boston • Parents’ emphasis on prestigious New England colleges • Goes to Claymoore (based on McClean’s outside of Boston) – private institution for the wealthy (Sylvia Plath, James Taylor) • Leaves at end of the movie for a job in bookstore in Cambridge

43. 1960s in SCU • Dolores’ teen years are during the late ’60s • When she goes off to college, it is the ’60s • Mention of Woodstock and Hippie Movement • Some mention of Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam while at college

44. 1960s in GI • Vietnam War and the draft • Sense of rebellion against establishment • Robert Kennedy running for president but assassinated • Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement – King assassinated • Drug culture

45. Effect on 1960s on Dolores • Dolores wants to go to Woodstock • She is on the fringe of the Women’s Movement • Issue of abortion • Mention of drugs while she is at Merton

46. Effect on 1960s on Susanna • She is in tune with Women’s Movement – does not want to be a housewife like her mother • She is afraid that Toby will be drafted • She says, “Maybe it was the Sixties,” suggesting that she it was the time period, not the people, who were crazy • Sixties: time of rebellion, unrest, alienation • Civil Rights Movement: taunts Valerie: Mangold added this theme to the movie • DSM Manual with definitions of disorders did not exist

47. Lamb on New England and 1960s • Lamb was born and has lived in Connecticut his entire life • He returned to teach high school at the same high school he attended • He graduated from UConn • He wrote SCU at the library at UConn • He sets all of his work in New England • He went on a whale watch and decided to make one central to his book

48. Mangold on New England and 1960s • The setting could have been anywhere • Filmed in Pennsylvania • We some fall foliage in the shot panning from the sky to the trees • Colleges are Ivy League schools in New England schools and Susanna’s high school is in a wealth suburb near Boston, with pressure to go to college—Boston is a “college city”

49. Main Camera Techniques in GI • Close-ups and extreme close-ups to show characters’ emotions: Daisy’s control and loss of control seen in her eyes, Susanna’s bewilderment seen in her eyes • Reaction shots to show how characters’ react to one another: Susanna’s reaction when she signs in, Susanna’s mother’s reaction when BPD mentioned • Montages to show the passage of time • Cutaways to provide additional information (girl playing in opening scene, naked person outside during therapy session) • Angle shots and shot composition – placement of characters in the frame define them and convey themes of alienation, loss of control, and power • Partial or split lighting on faces conveys confusion, mixed emotions • Lighting of Valerie in the final scene entering Susanna’s room shows Valerie with bright light behind her—she is offering hope

50. Close-ups • Lisa and Susanna at the cell window: Lisa moves into the two-shot close-up as we see her eyes and realize she is accepting Susanna’s offer of friendship and reconciliation • Many close-ups of Susanna’s express bewilderment, alienation, detachment • Close-up as the camera zooms in on Melvin as Daisy is taken away in the ambulance: his sorrow and guilt • Close-up on Melvin and Susanna on the return show their sadness • Close-ups at the windows—show characters’ POV on the outside world—bars emphasize they are locked up and secluded from the outside world