Response # Element(s) Quoted Passage Response to the Text

#1
-Diction
-Characterization
!ter a "iolent altercation #ith
her hus$and% &arlena con!ides
in 'aco$( )*he tal+s o! the pain%
grie!% and horror o! the past !our
,ears- o! learning to cope #ith
$eing the #i!e o! a man so
"iolent and unpredicta$le his
touch made her s+in cra#l.../
(010).
&ental illness is a disease so "icious
and un!orgi"ing% that 2ust destro,ing
the li!e o! its immediate "ictim is
ne"er enough. Conse3uentl,% it uses
its su!!erer as a sort o! ori!ice% a
"essel through #hich it can !urther
in!est the li"es o! all #ho its "ictim
comes into contact #ith. 4n this #a,%
its terror is not #asted. 4nstead% it is
continuousl, spread% constantl,
tormenting #hoe"er is so unluc+, to
stand in its path. &ental illness
mercilessl, rots a#a, at the mind%
the $od,% and the soul% lea"ing the
in!licted desperatel, ,earning !or
ans#ers #hen none exist.
#0
-Diction
-4nternal Con!lict
5hile tr,ing to 2usti!, his
aggressi"e actions% ugust tells
'aco$% )6ut it #asn7t long $e!ore
the old !amiliar discontent
started creeping up on me. 4
suppose it #as al#a,s there%
some#here in the $ac+ground.
ll 47"e done% m, #hole li!e% is
+eep it temporaril, at $a,/
(089).
ugust has ne"er !ull, accepted his
illness. :e has ne"er reall,
understod ho# horri$l, it could
change his li!e% and put him and his
#i!e directl, in the line o! !ire.
ugust had ne"er $ecome
ph,sicall, "iolent to#ards &arlena
$e!ore% and so this ne# territor, that
comes as a pac+age deal #ith his
distur$ia% is a complete and utter
shoc+ to his s,stem. *ure% he had
ranted and ,elled and said a
thousand things he had e"entuall,
come to regret% $ut he had ne"er so
completel, lost control. nd
although he ac+no#ledges the !act
that he has stepped so out o! line% he
still does not understand that his
unpredicta$le temper #ill ine"ita$l,
stri+e again% and that his trou$led
ps,che is not something he can 2ust
!orgi"e and !orget.
#;
-Diction
-<igurati"e =ang.
s &arlena explains her
complex relationship #ith
ugust% she shares #ith 'aco$
her thoughts on #hat caused her
hus$and7s most recent out$urst(
)4t7s $een there a #hile% $iding
its time and gro#ing closer #ith
each re"olution/ (01;).
&ental illness can $ring out the
#orst in the $est o! people. 4t
nurtures its "ictim7s inner demons%
turning them loose #hen #e least
expect it. 4t is an expert at ruining
relationships and destro,ing
!amilies% pushing e"er,one a#a,
2ust #hen companionship is needed
Response # Element(s) Quoted Passage Response to the Text
#;
the most. 4t changes people% ma+ing
them "acous and unsta$le% a$solute
nuisances to $e around. 4t alters the
mindset% promoting sel!-destruction
and desolation instead o! happiness
and hope. 5orst o! all% it harms its
su!!erers in the most terri$le o! #a,s
>!orcing them to $egin to dou$t the
meaning o! li!e and ho# to li"e it.
#?
-Tone
-Characterization
5hen the, run into each other
on the circus grounds a couple o!
da,s a!ter their altercation%
ugust tells 'aco$% )=oo+ here% 4
#as hoping #e could let $,gones
$e $,gones. *o #hat do ,ou sa,%
m, $o,>!riends again@/ (081).
ugust7s complete and utter
una#areness o! the extreme se"erit,
o! his condition ma+es its e!!ects
2ust that much stronger. 6, $eing
under the impression that his "iolent
out$ursts #ill $e continuousl,
tolerated% ugust is un+no#ingl,
culti"ating his distur$ia and
allo#ing it to gro# increasingl,
stronger. 4! his a$solute disregard
!or his actions is allo#ed to go on%
ugust7s distur$ia #ill o"erta+e
him% ultimatel, coming to control
not onl, his mind% $ut also his li!e.
#9
-Tone 5hile tal+ing to 'aco$ a$out
ugust% Ancle l di"ulges%
)7:e7s paragon schnitzophonic.7
7Bou mean paranoid
schizophrenic@7 7*ure.
5hate"er7/ (088).
Ancle l7s continual $latant
disregard !or ugust7s critical
condition sho#s ho# this complete
lac+ o! mind!ulness can onl,
exacer$ate such an illness. 6,
standing $, and allo#ing such
de"astating secrets to $e tuc+ed
under the rug and hidden a#a,%
those #ho thin+ the, are helping the
distur$ed are actuall, ma+ing
matters much #orse.5hen the
mentall, ill are ne"er con!ronted
a$out their destructi"e $eha"ior%
ho# can the, e"er $e expected to
change@
#8
-Diction 5hile spilling her heart out to
'aco$% &arlena sa,s o! her
hus$and% )75hen he7s happ,% he7s
the most charming creature on
earth. Bou7d ne"er +no#...$ut
#hen something sets him o!!...7/
(01C).
&ental illness is a disease that
doesn7t gi"e itsel! a#a,. 4t hides
itsel! so care!ull, $ehind a !acade o!
normalit,% that it7s "irtuall,
impossi$le to pic+ it out !rom the
cro#d. &ental illness is so scar,%
$ecause #e7ll ne"er reall,
understand it. 4t !orces it7s "ictim to
Response # Element(s) Quoted Passage Response to the Text
#8
#ear a mas+% as transparent and
!ragile as tissue paper% threatening to
tear at the most unsuspecting o!
moments. The disease challenges
e"er,thing #e +no# a$out #ho #e
are% daring human+ind to hunt !or
the ans#ers to #hat ma+es us and
#hat $rea+s us.
#1
-4mager, During ugust7s a$surd out$urst%
'aco$ descri$es the results o! his
reaction( ):is !ace is purple. :is
e,es $ulge. :e trem$les #ith
rage/ (0??).
Do longer !eeling in control o! his
o#n mind% ugust has $egun the
do#n#ard spiral o! succum$ing to
his distur$ia. :is thoughts ha"e
$ecome senseless and random%
straddling the thin line $et#een
inanit, and insanit,. =i+e man,
$attling mental illness% ugust has
lost his peace o! mind. loss so
pro!ound that his imagination has
ta+en hold o! his realit,. :is disease
has caused him to dou$t not onl, his
purpose in this #orld% $ut also his
signi!icance as a human $eing.
&ental illness in!licts upon its
"ictim a loss o! identit, so
pronounced% that the su!!erer no
longer +no#s #hat to ma+e o!
himsel!. The ina$ilit, to $e a$le to
control the most essential !actor o!
#hat ma+es us human>our minds
>is one o! the most ph,sicall, and
emotionall, de$ilitating #ea+nesses
#e can !all suscepti$le to.
#E
-Diction
-4mager,
-*imile
'aco$ descri$es ugust7s
)training routine/ #ith the
circus7 elephant( )...ugust is
alread, hammering Rosie. *he
$ello#s and screams% thro#ing
her head and $ac+ing a#a,% $ut
he7s li+e a machine/ (0EE).
5ith his o#n pain so terri$l,
o"er#helming% ugust is una$le to
empathize #ith those around him.
lthough he recognizes the hurt his
condition has caused his lo"ed ones%
he is una$le to understand their
pain% completel, !ocused on his o#n
depression. :is distur$ia has ta+en
o"er his li!e so #holl,% that no
longer can an,thing stand in the #a,
o! his destructi"e $eha"ior. <or
those in!licted #ith an, +ind o!
mental illness% the pain and
su!!ering ma, $ecome too much !or
Response # Element(s) Quoted Passage Response to the Text
#E
them to handle% pushing them o"er
their $oundries and into the throngs
o! nothingness.
#F
-Diction
-<igurati"e =ang.
During her heart-to-heart #ith
'aco$% &arlena sa,s o! her li!e
#ith ugust% )74 ne"er +no#
#hat 47m going to #a+e up to7/
(01C).
li!e !illed #ith letdo#ns and
disappointments has le!t &arlena
#ith a "er, thin s+in. :er alread,
extremel, sensiti"e nature has $een
tattered time and time again $ecause
o! her hus$and7s insanit,% lea"ing
her irre"oca$l, torn and $ro+en.
&ental illness does not onl, destro,
the li!e o! its primar, "ictim>it also
a!!ects the li"es o! all those #ho
come into contact #ith him. 4n !act%
these $,standers can actuall,
recei"e the #orst o! it% since their
+no#ledge and a#areness o! #hat is
trul, happening can lea"e them e"en
more "ulnera$le to such attac+s.
#1C
-Tone
-4mager,
5hen ugust !util, as+s
&arlena to ta+e him $ac+% he
$egs her( )7&, darling>m,
s#eet>please come inside #ith
me. 5e7ll tal+ a$out it. 5e7ll
#or+ it out...&arlenaG Bou can7t
do thisG This is not the endG Do
,ou hear me@7/ (080).
&ental illness is an isolator. 4t
secludes itHs "ictim% +eeping him
a#a, !rom an, and all hope or
happiness that ma, come his #a,. 4t
morphs its "ictimHs once optimistic
!rame o! mind into one o! hatred
and sorro#% pushing him a#a, !rom
the ones he needs to $e closest to.
<or ugust% his $attle #ith his mind
is +eeping him !rom $eing a$le to
ha"e the strong relationship he so
desperatel, needs #ith his #i!e.
4nstead% his constant mood s#ings
cause him to second-guess his "er,
o#n emotions% ma+ing him unsure
o! #hat he reall, #ants !or himsel!%
his !amil,% and ultimatel,% !rom li!e.