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...