I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden takes place in the late 1940s. The main
setting is in a mental hospital just outside Chicago. But it also goes back and
forth between the hospital and the main characters home in Chicago. This
book is about a girl named Deborah who is diagnosed with schizophrenia. She
is sent to a mental hospital after trying to commit suicide. Deborah lives in her
own world of Yri and has lost touch with reality. In fact, she wants no part of the
real world. During her life she feels that she has been deceived in so many
ways and has become cynical. She has no friends except for the secret Gods
and Goddesses she makes up in her head. In the beginning of the book Dr. Fried
is introduced. She is a doctor that is going over Deborahs papers and speaking
about how she may succeed in making Deborah better. This foreshadows how
important she will be in Deborahs life. Also how influential she will be to
Deborah strengthening her health situation. After cutting her arms, Deborah is
moved to the Disturbed Ward or D ward. There she finds many interesting
people. She continues to open up to Dr. Fried and tells her more and more
about Yri. This in turn makes the Gods of Yri upset and makes Deborah go into
these spells where she become unresponsive. The Gods also criticize her and
put her down which makes her do things such as burn holes in the arms with
cigarette butts. Dr. Fried finally gets to Deborah by telling her that she
shouldnt quit trying to get healthy and really gets to her. After that Deborah
begins to realize how important living is and she begins to let in the real world.
She finally is moved back to a B ward and is allowed off the grounds. She stops
letting the Gods rule her and goes back to school to get her life back together.
 I Never Promised You a Rose
Garden

Submitted by:
Upao, Satra S.
BSN-3