The Upside

1 Essay Glenna Belford

Professor Rosenkranz

English 1302

28 February 2016

“The Upside-Down World of Mental Health”

“In Amy’s Bloom’s short story “Silver Water,” the story was published in 1991. Bloom was interested in writing, but she continued to work full-time.as a psychotherapist. She uses stones mainly from her own life, family, and some friends. That’s why she is so familiar about the topic first hand, because her hands on experience. Have you or ever experienced mental health issues, or maybe someone you love has? It is one of the most heartbreaking experiences to ever have to go through, and just stand there helpless and powerless. “Silver Water” is a short story told from a first-person point of view. Violet is the sister to her mentally ill sister Rose, and their parents David and Galen are trying their best to seek her help. Throughout, a string of bad therapists, they finally acquired the perfect one Dr. Thorne. He changed Rose for the best, Dr. Thorne had lite a new fire and desire inside or her, and it made her feel alive again. Suddenly tragedy struck close to home for Rose, after some years Dr. Thorne passed away out of nowhere. The bond they have instantly sends her into a downward spiral, and just that fast she loses her drive to live. Rose was fifteen when she started facing mental illness challenges, and her parents had to go through the process of finding the right hospital. It took the family by surprise, because it came out of nowhere. One day as they were sitting and thinking and Galen said, “What’s there to-say? David, she’s going crazy. She doesn’t need a heart-to-heart talk to Mom, she needs a hospital” (2). Therefore, without sufficient professional help, mental illness sometimes can lead to death, or even harming others.

In writing short stories some terms are more important than others, and essential to having a clear understanding of...