It's Kind Of A Funny Story

Independent Reading Essay James Bryce said, “The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.” Ned Vizzini, author of It’s Kind of a Funny Story, introduces readers to Craig Gilner, an ambitious character with standards set too high for himself. Craig battles with depression, and one night, after nearly killing himself, he finds himself in a mental hospital. It is at this mental hospital that Craig begins his journey to happiness. This story follows several different characters and how they all show their conditions/disorders in different ways; this story teaches that mental disorders affect anyone, no matter their upbringing or any other specified characteristic. Craig hides what’s going on in his personal life from

You can lie there for an hour and a half without thinking anything, just worrying about what the day holds and knowing that you won’t be able to deal with it,” (Vizzini). He keeps up appearances, and spends lots of time with his friends, despite not wanting to deal with what the day holds. None of his friends know he’s depressed, until he decides to confide in the girl he likes (Nia), the girl his best friend is dating; when he tells her he is on depression medicine she laughs and admits she’s on Prozac, to which Craig reveals he is on Zoloft. Nia says, “That’s for wimps… the really messed-up people are on Prozac,” (Vizzini). This is prior to Craig being admitted to a mental hospital, once he is admitted his best friend is notified by Craig’s parents. His friend, Aaron, is shocked at the thought of his best friend in a mental hospital for nearly killing himself, he hadn’t seen it coming because Craig didn’t confide in his friends about what was going on in his head and what he was feeling; they were oblivious. His family has a hint as to what is going on, considering they know that he is on medication and seeing a shrink, but they don’t know they whole truth; Craig asks, “What am I always going to do? I 'm going to go home and freak out. I 'm going to sit with my family and try not to talk about myself and what 's wrong. I’m going to try and eat. Then I 'm going to try and sleep. I dread it,”