One of the major differences between the two was the plot structure. The memoir had no linear plot; it was a collection of her memories and musings about sanity. The book gives you a closer look at Susanna’s internal struggles and thoughts. What makes someone ‘sane’ or ‘insane’ is the fundamental question of this novel. The movie on the other hand was a clear cut narrative with flashbacks of Susanna’s life added in. The movie producers did this to add more excitement and suspense to the film. Producers and directors need to create a film with a climax, character arcs, and tie it …show more content…
The book didn’t focus much on the other girls. In the movie, the character of Lisa is expanded. She only appears in one or two chapters in the book, but in the movie, she pretty much steals the show from the protagonist Susanna. The film plays down Susanna’s symptoms of insanity which makes her seem like a dull character in a crazy setting. Susanna's roommate Georgina is made less central than in the book. Daisy’s story about how she is abused by her father is expanded greatly and tied to Susanna's story. The black nurse, portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg, doesn’t appear in the novel in a similar form (there is a nurse named Valerie, but she is not at all like Goldberg's