SOAPSTONE

Speaker-Susanna Kaysen is the protagonist of this book. It is written in first person because she is telling her story of how she attempted suicide and is now committed into McLean Mental Hospital.

Occasion- Susanna is writing this book because it is an autobiography of the period in her life where she was committed into a mental hospital.

Audience- Kaysen is writing to people who appreciate deep thought into life. Susanna talks a lot about suicide and how there is a mystical undertone to her life. She writes to people who can relate to these feelings of lonliness and thoughtfullness.

Purpose- This book is an autobiography of Susanna Kaysen's life and she is writing this because she feels that people should know the monumentally life changing events that occurred in her life.

Subject- The subject of this book is based on a doctor's diagnosis of insane versus sane. The people living in the hospital with Susanna are all considers insane and at first she can't realize how someone would find her insane compared to everyone else there.

Tone- The tone of this book is very solemn and everything is matter-of-factly stated. There isn't much description or lengthy details about anything in the book. Kaysen writes a statement and moves on, she doesn't confess any emotion that it may have revoked.