"All The Bright Places": Exploring Mental Health Issues in Young Adults
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a book I hold close to my heart. The reason why this particular book resonated so deep within me was its honest and raw portrayal of mental health struggles that young adults face. There are few Young Adult (YA) books that shed light on the mental health issues that young adults face in an entertaining, educational, and relatable way.
The story follows two teens, Theodore Finch and Violet Markey, who meet atop the school's bell tower. We then follow them as they wander through Indiana as part of a geography project. The story is told from the first-person perspective, with Finch and Violet as the narrators.
The author does such an excellent job highlighting and examining mental health issues and adolescent psychology. Join me as I dissect some of the themes and issues related to mental health.
Trigger warning: mentions of suicide, depression, physical abuse, and death.
Grief, Loss, and Depression
Grief is a key theme highlighted throughout the text. The author writes from two perspectives: Theodore Finch and Violet Markey – though Finch prefers to go by his last name. We get to see the situation from Violet’s point of view—she’s struggling to process the loss of her elder sister, Eleanor, after the two were involved in a horrific accident.
She exhibits changes in her personality and behavior as a result. Violet isolates herself, no longer hanging out with her former group of friends, including her once best friend, Amanda. She even cuts off contact with her boyfriend, Ryan, and stops writing.
What’s more, she’s developed a phobia of cars and refuses to ride in them. Her outlook on the future shifts as well—she no longer plans to attend college. Sadly, she’s transformed into a shell of a person, the girl she once was before tragedy struck. She requires assistance, but no one in her immediate vicinity is qualified to step in and guide her through the grieving process.
This sequence of events leads to her getting so depressed that she contemplates taking her own life by jumping from the school’s bell tower. Luckily, she meets Finch, the book’s other protagonist, who talks her out of it. They develop a friendship soon after that eventually blossoms into a full-blown romance between the two.
Social Stigma and Bipolar Disorder
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, stigma is defined as “a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair.” Social stigma often contributes to the worsening of symptoms, even going as far as discouraging a person from getting help.
We see this with Finch, who shows signs of undiagnosed and untreated Bipolar Disorder. Coincidentally, the character’s father also exhibits such signs; he has bad moods, which lead to him to physically hurt Finch.
When Mr. Embry, Finch’s counselor, questions Finch about Bipolar Disorder, Finch views it as a label and doesn't want to be tagged. He argues that once diagnosed, people tend to reduce you down to your diagnosis and define you by your condition and not by who you actually are.
It’s a valid concern, especially with the stigma surrounding getting diagnosed with a mental illness. Society no longer sees you for who you are; you’re reduced to a bunch of symptoms. This commonly happens in settings that lack the proper training and education on how to accommodate individuals with mental disorders.
Social stigma has numerous harmful effects such as:
Feelings of shame and/or hopelessness
Lack of understanding from family and loved ones.
Bullying, physical aggression, or harassment
Self-doubt
Remember, mental illness is not a sign of weakness; it shouldn’t discourage you from getting the help you need. Reach out to people you can trust so that you can begin the journey to management or recovery.
Bullying, Ostracism, and Social Alienation
Stigmatization, in this case, goes hand in hand with ostracism from the community. We see Finch labeled as a “freak” and getting bullied by his classmates.
Rejection is one of the most painful human emotions, and to get rejected by the community hurts even worse. Studies show that long-term ostracism leads to feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and even depression.
When people look at him, they don’t see him as a human being just like them—even when he acts out, such as getting in fights. Nobody bats an eyelid. Unfortunately, this leads to Finch feeling alienated from the people around him.
The teachers and principal do nothing to stop the bullying towards Finch on multiple occasions throughout the story. The lack of adult intervention exacerbates the problem. Finch realizes that there is no outside power that will intervene, so he has to do it himself.
Suicide and self-harm
While researching the topic, I came across several reviews praising All The Bright Places for its bravery, openly discussing sensitive issues such as suicide and self-harm. We see several characters dealing with suicidal thoughts and self-harm, and even some acting on these thoughts.
Finch always thinks about suicide, conducting careful research, and even documents information on the subject. On the same morning as Violet, he considers jumping from his school's bell tower. They both contemplate jumping off the ledge but Finch persuades Violet to take a step back when they talk.
Rumors soon spread alleging that Violet saved Finch from committing suicide, when in reality, it was the other way round. Finch is the one who talks Violet down and gets her to step back into safety.
Violet's previous closest friend, a popular girl named Amanda Monk, is also revealed in the story to have attempted suicide multiple times. This comes as a surprise to both Finch and Violet since they believe that a girl as popular and well-liked as Amanda couldn't possibly have a reason to commit suicide.
Finch's behavior is erratic as he fights with an undetected mental illness, vanishes for lengthy periods, skips school, and acts out violently. Violet is stunned and worried to discover that no one else appears to be as concerned about Finch as she is as she comes to know Finch more.
Parental Neglect and Abuse
Finch's behavior is erratic as he fights with an undetected mental illness, vanishing for lengthy periods, skipping school, and acting out violently. Violet is stunned and worried as she comes to know Finch more, to discover that no one else appears to be as concerned about Finch as she is.
So, where exactly are Finch’s parents?
Mr. Finch and his children share an estranged relationship—he rarely shows interest in them except when they go over to his house for their weekly dinners. We also know that he’s abusive, violent towards Finch and his former wife.
In the same way, Mrs. Finch is also not active in her children's lives, leaving all her eldest child, Kate Finch, to shoulder the responsibility of parenting herself, Finch, and Decca. She’s the one dealing with school issues such as Finch skipping school for weeks at a time and his eventual expulsion. In addition, Mrs. Finch doesn’t take Finch’s condition seriously, dismissing his regular migraines (a symptom of his mental illness) as Finch being sensitive.
Children who grow up in such a setting, rife with abuse and neglect, are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Moreover, they also exhibit difficulties in forming interpersonal relationships due to their inability to trust others.
And although the book ends in tragedy, it paints a picture of hope, showing us that even after the worst has struck, you can still find healing. There is still room to start over with the support of the people you love and feel comfortable with.
Remember
You are not your illness or symptoms. If you are experiencing any challenges with your mental health or having a hard time coping, please do not hesitate to reach out to people you trust for help.
