Analysis Of All Families Are Psychotic

All Families Are Psychotic is a fictional novel by Douglas Coupland in 2001 that tells the story of the Drummond family and their bizarre, chaotic family reunion. Coupland is a successful Canadian author known for his reflections on Generation X and American culture. Knowing his previous accomplishments, it is expected that most of his works are well-written. Unfortunately, All Families Are Psychotic lacks the quality of his previous novels, the depth of characters, and the appropriate representation of disabled people. Before entering a deeper analysis of All Families Are Psychotic, it is important to understand who Douglas Coupland is as an author and why some have dubbed him the spokesperson for an entire generation. This is crucial because

A home you won in a genetic lottery, I might add, sheerly by dint of your having been born at the right time in history? You'd last about ten minutes if you were my age these days. (Generation X 107)
This novel was released in 1991, and readers can see that Coupland is insightfully representing the socio-economic environment of America at the time. For the people of Generation X, the largest recession since World War II happened right as they were turning twenty and leaving their parents. Because of this, many struggled financially as the economy rebounded, and the next generation prospered. Coupland brilliantly captures the perspective of Generation X with the phrase “genetic lottery”, and the contrast between million-dollar homes, and “Kraft Dinner

The bullet passed through him and lodged inside Janet’s right lung, entering just below the ribcage” (All Families Are Psychotic 32). Coupland uses this scene to establish how Janet contracted HIV from Wade’s blood, which would prove important later in the story. The first problem with this passage is how insensitive it is to HIV. This is a life-threatening disease with no cure, yet Coupland writes about getting it as if it were a joke. At best, this section can be described as funny, but it leaves readers with questions, and not the kind that English teachers encourage. Each of these excerpts more or less sums up the standard for their respective books, and, shockingly, the second comes from a more experienced author. Despite Coupland’s previous success with works exploring similar themes, it is clear that All Families Are Psychotic is not quite a novel of the same