ornamental line

Crazy Twisted Things

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
Gaslight (1944)


Points for Reflection

Bradley Lewis' "A Mad Fight: Psychiatry and Disability Activism" (2010), DSR 102-18

  1. Does the assumption of a biological basis in brain disease seem so deeply rooted in twenty-first medicine that any attempts to uproot it and replace it with a social model appear futile? Does Bradley Lewis appear to be fighting a losing battle?
  2. What of Lewis' suggestion that treatment of mental illnesses be provided by peers who have also dealt with mental difference themselves, instead of by "normal" physicians (DSR ____)? Does this alternative seem plausible?
  3. Why have disability activists and those in the Mad Pride movement had difficulty joining forces in the political arena (DSR 104-105)?
  4. Can you identify certain types of opinions (DSR ___), perspectives, or ideological positions that you yourself would be inclined to label "crazy/mad"?
  5. According to Lewis, what are the primary differences between the Mad Pride movement in the 1960s and that movement which has emerged since the 1980s?
  6. Those in the anti-psychiatry movement suggestion that behavior which appears psychotic and irrational may actually seem quite rational and legitimate when considered within what context?
  7. Why did Thomas Szasz accept diagnoses of physical illness, but not mental illnes?
  8. What does Lewis identify as the primary reasons that patients and physicians have so completely bought into a biopsychiatric model
  9. What is the "Bush triple play" identified by David Oaks, and which of its three-tiered elements eventually became reality
  10. Why does Lewis identify as problematic the National Institute of Health's realization that "half of all Americans will meet the criteria for a [DSM] disorder some time in their life" (DSR ___)? Is there any way to see this observation as empowering?


George Cukor's Gaslight (1944)

  1. Would this film gain or lose rhetorical power if colorized?  Does its monochromatic nature help underscore any key themes? [Drew C]
  2. Is this film frightening?  Why or why not? [Joseph D]
  3. At what various points do men attempt to shape the way Paula thinks?
  4. Is the setting (Europe, particularly London) an important part of the tale, or does the story prove universal in a way that transcends its particular locale?
  5. Paula has known Gregory for only two weeks; what factors have likely led to such a swift intimacy? [Christian A]
  6. Why does Paula wish to take a vacation at Lake Como?
  7. How early does the film signal to the audience facets of Gregory’s character which remain hidden from Paula? [Cecilia E]
  8. What about Paula’s encounter with Miss Thwaites primes the young woman to rush into Gregory’s arms? Does Miss Thwaites become a more comforting character as the film proceeds?
  9. Is Gregory a passive, or a proactive lover, pre-marriage? [Dominic D]
  10. Paula tells Gregory that he has “cast out fear”—a line that configures him as God-like (see I John 4:18)—and claims that a new peace, elusive for years, now characterizes her life.  Does he indeed provide a reliable, enduring shield against fear?
  11. Is Paula more at ease in the darkness, or in well-lit rooms?
  12. Why, presumably, did Gregory hire Elizabeth to serve as housekeeper?
  13. What does the secret behind Alice Alquist’s missing glove—revealed late in the film—suggest about her character?
  14. Do Paula and Gregory have similar instincts when it comes to hosting visitors?
  15. Does Gregory encourage Paula to see herself as a capable, strong, healthy, and resilient woman?
  16. At what points in the film does Gregory play the piano, and does this reliably soothe Paula?
  17. How does Gregory shape others’ perception of his wife, Paula? [Wyatt C]
  18. Is the new maid, Nancy, simply a younger version of Elizabeth?
  19. Why might George Cukor set the scene in which Paula can’t find her brooch (the one given her by Gregory, formerly owned by his mother) at the Tower of London?
  20. Why does Paula ultimately not go out for a walk after preparing to do so?
  21. Does the organ player who walks through Thornton Square serve any symbolic role?
  22. Who benefits most from their attendance at the musical event hosted by Lady Dalroy, Paula or Gregory?
  23. What important roles does Brian Cameron play in Paula’s life?
  24. Does Gregory actively encourage Paula’s confidence in her own perception of reality?
  25. Paula explains that she was a little girl when, a decade earlier, her aunt was murdered, yet the same actor (Ingrid Bergman) plays her at both ages.  How does this creative choice on the part of the filmmakers shape our understanding of Paula?
  26. Why does Elizabeth deny seeing anyone in the house earlier when pressed by both Paula and Gregory?
  27. Does Brian’s approach to Paula resemble that of Gregory in any important way, or is Brian a true foil to Gregory in every respect?
  28. What justification does Gregory give for his actions, at the film’s close?
  29. At what point does Gregory’s treatment of Paula appear driven by impulses unrelated to his endgame? [Laura D]
  30. How does gas lighting function in early 20th-century London, and why does this matter to the plot? [Nathan C]

One poster for 1944 film Gaslight, painted closeup of Paula, Gregory, and Brian with yellow lettering of actors' names
Gaslight (1944)
one poster from original film release



Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu