Spoiler: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden isn't set in a rose garden. It's set in a mental institution. Deborah, our heroine, has to make a choice between dealing with the limits of mental illness and being healthy and free to make a real life among real people in the real world. It's not easy. To this, she has to confront her fears—and all the defense mechanisms her psyche has set up to insulate her from these fears. In the process, she faces her demons—sometimes in a pretty literal way.
Questions About Madness
- How does the novel shed light on the operations of mental illness?
- How do Deborah and Carla both experience prejudice against their mental illness? Why do you think this stigma exists?
- What is Dr. Fried's philosophy on the way the mentally ill should be treated? What does this tell us about her as a person?
- In what ways does the book demonstrate that "madness" is often a subjective label?
Chew on This
For years, Deborah prefers the refuge of Yr to the harsh realities of Earth, and she has some valid reasons for this choice.
Prejudice against the mentally ill has a direct impact on the ability of those who suffer from it to seek treatment and then reintegrate into a mainstream life.