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Sebastian Cabrera

Mrs. Klimas

English 10 (Pre-AP) H, Period 4

5 October 2017

I Didn’t Promise You a Rose Garden Individual Project

Joanne Greenberg’s novel, I Didn’t Promise You a Rose Garden, focuses on a teenage

girl, by the name of Deborah Blau, and her struggle between reality and Schizophrenia. Because

of her mental illness, her surroundings can truly take a toll on Deb and dictate her health. The

actual physical environment, her childhood, and the the imaginary kingdom that she’d created in

her mind all affected Deborah in some way, whether if it was for the better or for the worse. (80

words)

The setting of I Didn’t Promise You a Rose Garden takes place in Chicago, Illinois

during the time period of 1948-1951. More specifically, the novel takes place in rural illinois,

where it’s less noisy and rambunctious than its city counterpart. There’s a relatively small

population of 1,477,545 people living in 55,584 square miles, so the setting is not too densely

populated. But due to the novel’s time period, the community that Deborah lives in lacks

political correctness or manners. The fact that Deborah Blau and her parents are Jewish does not

help to improve their living situations at all. Because of this, the Blaus receive constant abusive

verbal abuse and banter. Not only that, the financial issues Deborah’s parents have only cause

them to take their frustrations out on Deb, leaving a couple of disturbing childhood memories.

All of these factors help in no way to improve Deborah’s health and constant struggle with

Schizophrenia. It only leads to her relying more on her mental illness as she’s created imaginary

gods and monsters in her mind that serve the purpose of comforting her. At such a young age,
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Deborah chooses to spend more time in the Kingdom of Yr, the imaginary world she’s created in

her mind, as it is more jovial and tranquil than the reality she was suffering through.

Years later, Deborah’s parents believe it is a time of change as they’ve become somewhat

better parents. So they believed it was time to help Deborah and bring her to a mental hospital.

At first glance, Deborah describes the building with, “It was Victorian, a little run-down, and

surrounded by trees. Very good façade for a madhouse. There were bars on all the windows.

Deborah smiled slightly. It was fitting. Good” (Greenberg). Deborah’s mother was very firm on

“treating” her mental illness, but her father was the one who was most reluctant on the whole

idea. He was no fan of the barred windows and seclusive vibes, but his argument was to no

effect as Deborah would spend the rest of the novel being treated here as a patient. And

surprisingly, the mother was right as Deborah had gone through several treatments and was

successfully rid of her imaginary world of gods, goddesses, monsters, and kingdoms.

If the novel had taken place in a different location and time, her childhood would be more

affected than her experience in the mental institute. The purpose, atmosphere, and general

setting of several mental hospitals across the United States are much alike. But If Deborah had

been raised in a different community with different financial conditions, then maybe Deborah

wouldn’t be as obsessed and attached to her imaginary Kingdom of Yr. An opposite setting for

this novel would be modern day New York City. With a much more educated and politically

correct society than the rural areas of Chicago, Illinois, New York could provide a much safer

environment for Deborah and her family. She’d experience less discrimination, abuse, and

financial issues (more job opportunities). Therefore, Deborah would be less reliant on the

comfort of her imaginary “friends.” Although the city may be louder and more crowded, the
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social issues Deborah faced in Illinois would not have occurred. A simple altercation in setting

could have changed Deborah’s life for the better.

Everything from the physical surroundings to Deborah’s childhood had taken a heavy toll

on Deborah’s health. The abuse she’s experienced in her past ultimately led to the struggle for

Deborah’s own mental health. But her experiences and treatments she’s received throughout her

stay at a mental hospital spectacularly saved her, allowing to live full-time in reality. And one

may also think that a simple change of where she had lived as a child could’ve almost changed

everything for her. Without a doubt, Joanne Greenberg’s specific selection for a setting held

massive effects on her novel’s, I Didn’t Promise You a Rose Garden, overall plot.