By Quentin Monasterial
Courier Staff Reporter/Columnist
In a society where mental illness is stigmatized, accurate and authentic representation of it is key to eliminating the stigma.
However, like all cases in which representation is key, this isn’t an easily accomplished feat, because, people stray away from these topics. The few times when mental illness is attemptedly portrayed, it is often misrepresented, glorified and/or romanticized.
Francisco Stork is one of the even fewer individuals that transcend these sub-optimal expectations, and writes a story portraying mental illness with incredible authenticity. Her novel, The Memory of Light, follows Becca’s–a teenaged person of color–journey towards recovery.
Becca comes from a dysfunctional family; her mother passed away a long time ago and her father remarried, motivating feelings of resentment and anger towards him and his bride. Becca’s sister left for college with an unsettled dispute between them; Becca still misses her mother, and the only person in her home who she still feels connected to, the housemaid, is leaving.
Though they seem too small to cause mental illness, it’s the small things that, cumulatively, trigger genetic tendencies towards mental illness.
In this case, it was her depression. Stork, herself, has experienced depression and knows what it’s like. The fact that she was willing to publicize such a personal, vulnerable aspect of herself in the form of Becca’s struggles is commendable and brave. She is using it to stimulate societal growth: the eradication of the stigma surround mental illness.
And what better way is there than to stir the empathy of humanity, to show people that these individuals a) aren’t their mental illnesses, b) are just as important as those blessed with good mental health, and c) deserve better treatment? This novel portrays the said concept with, not beauty, but with raw authenticity, and it is this authentic representation that will change societal views of mental illness, one reader at a time.
Stork’s honest portrayal of mental illness doesn’t end with its authenticity; she touches up its variability. The aforementioned case of Becca’s mental illness is sole to her; mental illness is volatile and different for everyone. Depression, though similar for those who have it, is still going to be a different experience for each individual.
Furthermore, there are different types of mental illnesses. At the mental institution that Becca goes to be treated, she meets several other people who also have issues with mental health. Here, the stereotypical idea that these institutions are filled with “crazy” people is challenged. In fact, Becca finds solace here.
All in all, this novel attacks the entire sphere of stigma surrounding mental illness, not to mention that the character are extremely likable. Stork manages to make light of dark issue without romanticizing or glorifying it, featuring a diverse range of characters who persevere even when the odds are biologically stacked against them. I recommend this book to readers who want to broaden their vision, read about someone who has gone through issues like their own, or just want an intellectually and emotionally stimulating read.
