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Hurry Down Sunshine Character Analysis

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In the memoir, Hurry Down Sunshine, the author, Michael Greenberg, shares how the diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder in his daughter, Sally, led drastic changes to his family. The story begins with a climatic description of the terrifying experience of having your daughter change instantly and suddenly: “Indelible experiences, I thought. And yet from one day to the next we had become strangers” (4). The author backtracks to explain how Pat, his new wife, lives with his daughter, Sally, in New York, while his ex-wife lives with her new family in countryside Vermont. It begins on a fateful day when the author and his wife come home one day to find that Sally and her friend had gotten into problems and was taken home by the police. When Sally is …show more content…

Sally gains more independence, and she’s able to keep in touch with reality. Her episodes become less prominent, but the author is still alert at all times. Sally finally becomes to regain herself when she thanks the author and Pat for saving her. For the author, this was the point of recovery: “It’s as if a miracle has occurred. The miracle of normalcy, of ordinary existence” (264). Eventually, she starts school and fits in perfectly with the other students. Steve comes back to his brother for help, and Steve is eventually treated for mental illness as well as able to return to his daily life. Life continues on as Sally is able to maintain her disorder and live a normal …show more content…

The memoir presents a strong descriptive view on how bipolar 1 disorder affects not only the patient but also the family members. As discussed in class, twin studies revealed that when one twin has bipolar disorder, the other twin is 40% more likely to also have a bipolar disorder. This suggests that there is some genetic linkage for bipolar disorder, and this percentage is rather high. Based on the textbook, many researchers have identified genes on certain chromosomes that are responsible for bipolar disorder. In light of the book, we can see that there is a predominant fear from the author that this very genetic linkage may be the reason why his fear that Sally’s bipolar disorder is partly inherited within the family like Steve. The novel takes such statistics presented and demonstrates the profound psychological effect it has on a parent when he or she realizes that his or her genes are involved in a loved one’s mental illness. I think the author was descriptive in the ways this idea conflicted his mind, affecting his day to day

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