Analysis Of Darkness Visible By William Styron

Darkness Visible by William Styron has challenged my previous misconceptions about Depression. Styron's novel focuses on the feelings and thoughts prevalent not only in his own experience with the illness, but generality's as well that contribute to the disease's onset and after it takes root. Before reading this novel I believed that depression went hand in hand with something simple like being sad, however, throughout that reading my thoughts on the disease developed. Rather than depression being a “quick fix”, I realized that it is a life-long battle that affects not only a person’s ability to be happy, but their everyday. Not being able to get out of bed, shower, or do tasks that the majority, not afflicted by the illness, would consider
easy. Being put in the shoes of someone in the painstaking grip of depression allowed me to see that these tasks are seen as easy to them, but with the disease the ability to perform them evaporates. After reading Styron’s novel I felt more connected to those with depression. While I cannot first-hand point to a prolonged personal experience with the disease, I can now connect with those that are afflicted. The novel not only allowed me to be able to empathize more readily, but also laid out “dos and do nots” for approaching the illness in others. All in all it broadened my sense of comradery and compassion with all those around me, whether afflicted or not.