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Chapter 11
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in It’s Kind of a Funny Story, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Mental Health
Art and Self-Discovery
Peer Pressure vs. Self-Empowerment
Friendship and Romance
Summary
Analysis
Dr. Barney is the first person Craig sees about his depression. In a questionnaire, Craig admits that he feels suicidal nearly daily, and he describes his plan is to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. Craig says he started feeling depressed about a year ago, but Dr. Barney thinks perhaps Craig has been dealing with it even longer. He asks Craig about his family and says they seem supportive.
The questionnaire forces Craig to be honest about feelings he’s had but hasn’t fully acknowledged, with the numbers on the sheet helping to quantize the extent of his depression. While the novel doesn’t present therapy as a miracle cure, it does generally depict the methodical, standardized techniques of therapy as being helpful to Craig.
Themes
Craig lies to Dr. Barney, saying that he doesn’t hear voices when in fact he does sometimes hear voices that sound like two soldiers arguing. Dr. Barney explains that he’s going to start Craig on the antidepressant Zoloft, which could take three to four weeks before it has an effect. Dr. Barney also recommends that Craig find a therapist. Craig would rather just talk to Dr. Barney, but Dr. Barney assures him they’ll find someone good for him.
The soldiers that Craig hears in his head represent how depression is an internal conflict for him. This passage provides an early example of how Craig doesn’t follow the rules of therapy exactly (he lies to Dr. Barney in one of his answers). Although the novel indicates how sometimes it’s okay to break the “rules” of therapy, this passage ultimately foreshadows how Craig’s disregard for Dr. Barney’s advice will put Craig in danger.
Themes
