Reality of Mental Illness

In order to describe the reality of mental illness, the author offers a view of one of these disorders from two different angles. The Girlfriend starts a discussion with Jake about depression. This discussion includes a description and definition of major depression. The novel as a whole, particularly the scenes inside the school, gives the reader an idea of how the mind of a mentally ill person makes day to day life appear to them. The two people who talk about Jake’s suicide represent the ideas that people observing another with a mental illness often think about that person’s behavior.

In a conversation with Jake, the Girlfriend asks Jake if he has ever felt depressed. Even though the Girlfriend indicates she does not believe she is depressed, some of the feelings she describes are similar to those associated with depression. She...