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Mental Illness. Grolier’s. 27 January 1994.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Ideas and feelings are isolated from one another; a patient may speak incoherently, for
example, or express frightening or sad ideas in a happy manner. Contrary to some popular
accounts, however, schizophrenics do not have a “split personality” in the sense of different
personalities on different occasions; the rare syndrome of multiple personality is actually a
variety of NEUROSIS.
Schizophrenic thought disorder may include a general lowering of intellectual efficiency, a free
associative rambling from one topic to another, a loss of the distinction between figurative
and literal usages of words (Borges, Tlön Uqbar: poetic objects), reduced ability to think
abstractly, invention of new words (called neologisms), and idiosyncratic misuse of common
words.
Its subtypes include paranoid schizophrenia, in which delusions are prominent (believing
oneself to be historically significant [“I think of words that could alter history.” — Hinckley]);
catatonic schizophrenia, characterized by silent immobility for weeks or months (usually
followed by a frenzy of agitation) (Borgmann’s national state of sullenness, and Hinckley’s
“long depression and despair”); and hebephrenic (disorganized) schizophrenia, characterized
by intellectual disorganization, chaotic language (most postmodern, selfaware texts; Hinckley’s
“mind doesn’t mind” rant; ), silliness, and absurd ideas that often concern deterioration of the
patient’s body (“I think I have stomach cancer” — Taxi Driver). In practice, most patients have
some symptoms consistent with each of these categories.
Since the late 1950s schizophrenia has been treated primarily with antipsychotic medications
phenothiazines, butyrophenones, and thioxantheneswhich block the action of dopamine in the
brain. They do not cure schizophrenia, but they reduce the symptoms.
PARANOIA
Those with chronic cases tend to form rigid belief systems, often misinterpret the behavior of
others as confirming their delusional views, and exhibit a great deal of anger and hatred (as
Hinckley and Bickle obviously did with their “someday a real rain will come” mentality).
Social isolation — whether by choice or circumstance — seems to exacerbate paranoia.
Delusional (paranoid) disorder is the term used to describe acute paranoia cases of a month or
less in duration, which may be brought about by other emotional problems.
Paranoia is also a characteristic of a subtype of SCHIZOPHRENIA known as paranoid
schizophrenia. In addition to having the symptoms described above, persons with paranoid
schizophrenia have frequent auditory hallucinations (“Are you talking to me? Well, who are
you talking to?”) that reinforce their delusions.
Paranoia can originate in a toxic psychosis from marijuana or cocaine. Cocaine, the big drug of
the 1980s, separated the individual from a reality, or enhanced it, and then terrified a nation who
feared the crime the drug precipitated.
Bleuler’s schizophrenic short story, “The Blossoming Time of Horticulture”
At the time of the new moon venus stands in the Augutsky of Egypt and lights up with its light
rays the merchanttravelharbours of Suez, Cairon, and Alexandria. In this historically famous
Caliphcity is the museum of Assyrian statues from Macedonia. Besides pisang, also corn, oats,
clover, and barley grow there. Bananas, figs, lemons, oranges, and olives. Olive oil is an
Arabian liquer sauce which the Afghans, Blackamoors, and Moslemites use for ostrich breeding.
(Cutting, 1985, 309)
Look for similar effort from Beckett.
Doctor: How long have you been in this hospital?
Patient: 29 years.
Doc: What’s the matter with you?
Pat: Pneumonia.
Doc: That’s a long time to have had pneumonia.
Pat: I caught it from a thermometer at Guy’s Hospital. The thermometer said that everyone
of the age of 20 would get either the flu or pneumonia and I got pneumonia.
Doc: In my view, thermometers only measure temperature. They don’t actually specify what
illness people have.
Pat: Well you better go back and look up your medical books.
JOHN HINCKLEY, JR
John Hinckley to Jodie Foster, on postcard: “One day you and I will occupy the White House
and the peasants will drool with envy.” (USN & WR, 5/17/82, 15). Delusions of grandeur.
Hinckley came from wealthy family. As teen, spent free time listening to music in his room. At
college, invented a girl friend so parents would send him more money (“Her name is Betsy. I
am sorry I can tell you no more, due to the nature of my work for the government” — Taxi
Driver). As he withdrew further into his own world, Hinckley identified himself with
characters in songs and movies, (blurring of self and nonself) modelling himself after the
character Travis Bickle, who rescues a 12 yr old prostitute in Taxi Driver. Hinckley began to
collect guns (“Then there was change” when Travis buys gun from Easy Andy). Becomes
obsessed with Jodie Foster, the actress (as Bickle becomes obsessed with Iris). Long depression
and despair (sullenness, catatonia, “The days move on with regularity, each one as same as the
next”) during recess from college. Hatches grand scheme to meet Jodi, then a Yale
undergraduate. Hinckley told parents he needed $3600 to enroll in a writing course. Gets
money, goes to Yale, meets Jodie, who politely brushes him off. After several rebuffs, Hinckley
withdrew, collected guns, and started target practice (as did Travis). Began stalking President
Carter (as Travis did Palatine) and spent time looking for prostitutes who needed help in NY (as
did Travis). Stalking represents imagined connection between famous people — Carter and
Foster, and later Reagan.
Returned home to Colorado for sessions with psychiatrist John J Hopper. Doc also was treating
Hinckley’s parents. On New Year’s Eve 1980, Hinckley recorded a message later made public at
his trial. “It’s gonna be insanity if I even make it through the first few days. Anything I do in
1981 would be solely for Jodie Foster’s sake. And I mean that sincerely. I wanna make some
kind of statement or something on her behalf. All I want her to know is that I love her. I don’t
want to hurt her or anything. I can’t hurt anybody, really. I’m a coward, really” (Newsweek,
5/24/82, 5661). “Coward” sentiment points to further conception of self as futile, powerless,
but he models himself after Bickle, who not only “stood up,” but also was made a hero of, and
whose character is the subject of a major motion picture.
Hinckley also identifies with Mark David Chapman, who killed Lennon. Hinckley: “Inside this
mind of mine I commit firstpage murder. I think of words that could alter history....This mind
of mine doesn’t mind much of anything unless it comes to mind that I am out of my mind.”
(Delusion of self as important historical personality.) This statement also features a Strawberry
Fields rhythm that would seem to identify Hinckley, at least surficially, with Lennon.
March 1981, Hinckley booted from house. Boards bus for New Haven, with stopover in DC.
One plan was to hijack a plane and demand Jodie Foster as ransom (would be in role with
authority, no longer anonynmous and inept). Another was to commit mass murder at Yale
(mirroring scene at close of Taxi Driver but with welleducated upperclass, rather than street
scum as with Travis. While in DC, found it easy to get to Pres Reagan. Final letter to Jodie
Foster: “I will admit to you that the reason I’m going ahead with this attempt now is because I
just can’t wait any longer to impress you. I’ve got to do something to make you understand.”
(Same feeling of impotence in the face of overwhelming world as Travis, together with imagined
connection between self and Jodie.)
March 30, 1981. Shoots Reagan, later found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Taxi Driver
“I sent flowers but with no luck. The smell of the flowers only made me sicker. The headaches
got worse. I think I got stomach cancer. I shouldn’t complain though. You’re only as healthy
as you feel. You’re only as healthy as you feel.”
“I realize now how much she is just like the others. Cold and distant. There are many people
like that. Women for sure. They’re like a union.”
“I just wanna go out and you know like really...really...really do something...I wanna go out
and really...I really wanna...I got some bad ideas in my head — I — I.” (47:58)
“Days move on with regularity, one day as same as the next.” Change comes when Travis buys
a gun from Easy Andy, a traveling salesman (55 min.). .44 magnum. Sits in porn theater
pointing imaginary gun at screen.
“You talking to me? Well I’m the only one here...” (1:07) Auditory Hallucination.
“Listen you fuckers, you screwheads, here’s a man who would not take it anymore... Here is a
man who stood up...” (1:08) Stood up and made self powerful, effective. Stood up to be counted
and named as the newspapers validate his identity.
At end, Travis first points empty gun to neck, then holds bloody hand to head, pulls trigger, as
he had with imaginary gun in movie theater. Suggests that even after fulfilling his obsession, he
is dissatisfied with life and (perhaps) hate self.
Gravity’s Rainbow — Thomas Pynchon
Proverbs for paranoids.
1. You may never touch the Master, but you can tickle his creatures (237).
2. The innocence of the creatures is in inverse proportion to the immortality of the Master
(241).
3. If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.
4. You hide, they seek.
5. Paranoids are not paranoids because they’re paranoid, but because they keep putting
themselves, fucking idiots, deliberately into paranoid situations.
Paranoid Systems of History (238)
“Why are you folks helping me like this?”
“Who knows? We have to play the patterns. There must be a pattern you’re in, right now.”
(257).
Crossing the Postmodern Divide — Borgmann (1992)
“The nation’s mood is sullen” (6). Relate to catatonic schizophrenia.
Hinckley began catatonic (long periods of depression) then snapped into action by attempting to
kill President and change history. Travis stalked but did not kill Palatine, like Hamlet watching
his uncle pray.
American Fear — Utne Reader.
No Place Like Home — David Guterson. Harper’s Magazine. 11/92.
Developments built to secure people from real world pain and fear. Simulacrum of a real place.
Danger exists because it is only an image of protection. “People want safety from threats both
real and imagined.” (Paranoia). Even Eden — designed by God — had its serpents.
Outline for Proverbs for Paranoids
Introduce paranoia as modern psychosis. People engaged in system. Delusions of grandeur,
feelings of persecution. Rigid belief system of America as the world’s policeman and of
McCarthyism.
Paranoia also closely linked to crime levels. People seek to escape. Also, drugs such as cocaine
cause toxic psychosis, and also is responsible for much of the crime people fear so much.
Cocaine is such a paranoid, you don’t even have to take it to be made paranoid by it.
Paranoia is often a subset of schizophrenia, a more complicated psychosis whose symptoms
include catatonia, disordered or chaotic thought processes (hebephrenia), and paranoia.
Schizophrenia is not equivalent to multiple personality disorder. That rare illness is a separate
neurosis.