Next to Normal Setting & Symbolism

Next to Normal Objects/Places

Music

As is the case with any musical, the music in Next to Normal illustrates and defines the characters' feelings. It is an expression of their subtext, their inner life, their desires and passions and fears. On another level, for Natalie, music, or rather the music she plays (i.e. as composed by Mozart - see "Characters") is an escape, an opportunity to get away from the parts of her life that are making her crazy.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is the name given to the mental illness in which the sufferer swings unpredictably, and with sometimes violent volatility, between deep, debilitating depression and intense hyperactivity. Also known as manic depression, it can be treated with medications and with therapy, so that the sufferer can live a so-called "normal" life, on a relatively even keel without the extreme mood swings.

Anti-Depressant Drugs

As discussed above, bipolar disorder and many other mental illnesses are...
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