Examining the translation of mental illness from page to screen in ‘The Virgin Suicides and ‘Girl, Interrupted’

Abstract

This article examines the depiction of mental illness in Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides and Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted, and how these depictions are translated to the screen in their respective adaptations, directed by Sofia Coppola and James Mangold, respectively. It also explores the connection between the concept of idealised womanhood, and how this is in conflict with women experiencing mental illness.