The Shrike Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Shrike Topics for Further Study

Kramm does not closely examine Ann's motivation for her treatment of Jim. Write a scene for the play in which Ann explains to Jim's brother, Harry, the reasons for her behavior.

Read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and compare its themes to that of The Shrike.

Research passive-aggressive behavior. How do psychiatrists treat this type of personality?

Investigate state mental hospitals in America in the first half of the twentieth century. Does the play offer a realistic depiction of the operation of these hospitals?

How do the minor characters reinforce the play's themes?

One of the characters suggests that the film The Snake Pit presents a similar depiction of a mental institution to that in the play. View the film and either support or refute this opinion.