Representation is one of the most important things to consider not just when making media, but also when consuming it. The representation of characters in a piece of media can be what drives its story. Representation can also develop the way others percieve the group being represented, so it is important to consider what backgrounds or biases the creator of a piece of media may have to understand how the perspective of the creator may alter the representation of certain groups.

Girl, Interrupted

“Crazy isn't being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It's you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever.”

― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

The 1999 film starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie is a prime example of why perspective changes the way characters may be represented. The film is based off of a memoir documenting writer Susana Kaysen's time at a women's mental health facility. Throughout the film we see a subtle change in how each character in the ward is written as the main character grows closer to the rest of the patients. Characters who may have originally been portrayed as strange, are later normalized as Susana comes to understand the other girls in the ward.

One of the first girls Susana meets in the ward is Georgina. Diagnosed with Pseudologica Fanatastica, a condition characterized by compulsive lying, the film originally characterizes her as someone who cannot be trusted, using techniques to create an uncertain atmosphere around her words by holding on close ups of her face after she has said something.

Later in the film however, Georgina becomes a trusted confidant of Susana's. The film shifts its tone in scenes with her to a more almost tragic and understanding light, as it can be understood that she uses lies as a sort of sheild to protect herself, something that can really be scene in the climax when Lisa shows the rest of the girls Susana's notebook which still has writing from the beggining of her stay, revealing unsavory first impressions. Georgina's portrayal

(Note: This scene will be brought up several times later, it will be included at the end because of its relevance to all of the main characters.

The most standout character of this film is Lisa Rowe. Her progression as a character is the most different from the rest of the girls as she starts with a mysterious light. The film takes the approach to her introduction just as written in Susana's Memoir

“With wild eyes that had seen freedom.”

― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

The film maintains a mysterious light around Lisa up until her friendship with Susana begins to blossom. She is then depicted as an extremely charismatic rebel type character. Lisa stands out as a trouble maker who earns the trust of the girls by breaking the rules to get the other girls what they want. At first, this may seem uncharacteristic for someone with anti-social personality disorder, or as put in the film, "a diagnosed sociopath" The writing of Lisa's character isn't changed throughout the film, but rather on a scene to scene basis, where we might get a scene of her harassing a young girl of the psych ward, be paired with a scene of her helping to soothe her tears. The representation of her character is influenced by Susana's perspective of her as a wild and unstable woman.

The last character I want to talk about is Susana herself. The film doesnt change the representation of her character but it does push the shift in her understanding of her own mind. In the beggining the film is constructed in a disordered, fragments of memories are intertwined with present happening at the ward as she swears that she doesnt have any kind of mental disorder. This representation creates a conflict within the film. With time however, the film turns toward a more streamline order as she comes to terms with her condition. Accepting she has Borderline Personality Disorder is when the film first takes on the more chronological approach, and marks a change in the selection of what is included. Before this the film would only select the strange behaviors of the others at the ward. In contrast, after this the film would include scene constructing upon a sisterly bond with Susana and the girls of the ward.

Overall this film is shown to be a prime example of how the representation of characters in media is a direct product of the different perspectives of those creating it.

“Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.”
― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

PS: In preparation for this post I created a chart to help me differentiate the traits of the characters from diagnosable traits of the mental ilnesses each of them have and i thought that might be intereseting for anyone who wants to read it:

Character	Traits	Mental Illness
Susana Kaysen	Emotional instability Impulsive behavior Fear of abandonment Unstable self-image Intense and unstable relationships Drug Abuse	Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment Pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood Chronic feelings of emptiness Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms	The film’s portrayal of Susana aligns more closely with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) than Bipolar Disorder. This accuracy reflects the real-life Susana Kaysen’s diagnosis. The movie captures many key aspects of BPD, including emotional instability, fear of abandonment, and impulsive behaviors. However, it may not fully explore all nine criteria used for diagnosis in clinical settings.
Georgina Tuskin	• Elaborate, often unbelievable stories • Difficulty distinguishing truth from fiction • Tendency to exaggerate experiences	Persistent pattern of lying, even when there’s no clear benefit Creating complex, detailed false narratives Lying becomes a habit or addiction May believe their own lies Often stems from low self-esteem or desire for attention	The film’s portrayal of Georgina’s lying seems to align fairly well with the real disorder. However, the movie may not fully explore the underlying causes or the potential for this behavior to be a symptom of other disorders.
Lisa Rowe	• Manipulative behavior • Lack of empathy • Impulsivity • Disregard for rules and others’ rights • Charismatic and persuasive Violence	Failure to conform to social norms Deceitfulness Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead Irritability and aggressiveness Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others Consistent irresponsibility Lack of remorse	Lisa’s portrayal in the film closely aligns with many traits of Antisocial Personality Disorder. However, the movie may romanticize or oversimplify her condition, potentially missing the complexity and variability of the disorder in real life.
Daisy Randone	Obsessive hand-washing Hoarding behaviors (specifically with rotisserie chickens) Rigid routines Anxiety and distress when routines are disrupted	Persistent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) Repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) Excessive concern with orderliness and cleanliness Perfectionism that interferes with task completion Inability to discard worn-out or worthless objects	The film portrays some classic OCD symptoms in Daisy, particularly her compulsive behaviors. However, it may not fully explore the range of obsessions and compulsions that can occur in OCD, nor does it delve deeply into the underlying anxiety driving these behaviors. The character’s eating disorder and potential trauma history also complicate her portrayal.