But apparently it was indeed based on her own experience, and we are told that the snake pit played a role in getting reforms to mental health care in america. The film is based on mary jane wards novel also titledthe snake pit which was highly praised as the kind of wholly fresh book that makes the conventional novel seem dull and unrewarding engle 1946. I do hope this book will be republished and recirculated. Mary jane ward following a mental collapse, a woman is placed in a mental institution by her husband where her depression is treated by electric shock, hydrotherapy, drugs, and psychoanalysis. First edition cover of the snake pit 1946 by mary jane ward.
A dramatic bestseller, the snake pit vividly depicts one womans plu. Ward herself had a mental breakdown at age 34, which she drew on to create the fictional experiences of another young writer, virginia cunningham. Snake pit definition of snake pit by the free dictionary. Snake pit, study of mental ills based on mary jane ward. The snake pit mary jane ward national library of australia. Apr 18, 2010 mooresville public library mooresville, indiana presents a book trailer featuring the snake pit, by indianaborn author mary jane ward. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition. Below, varieties of e book the snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition by mary jane ward as well as collections are offered to download and install. The snake pit by mary jane ward first 1946 from revue. The author of five previous novelsonly two of which had been publishedmary jane ward was unprepared for the firestorm that surrounded the snake pit when it was released in 1946. I love the movie based on it, but that is another story altogether.
Marketed as a womens picture, word of mouth caught on for the film as it had for mary jane wards book, and darryl zanuck had another socially progressive hit on his hands. Thats what happened to virginia in the book the the snake pit by mary jane ward. There is some bumping and fraying on the cover boards. The novel the snake pit was inspired, in part, by author mary jane wards own eightandahalf month stay in new yorks rockland state mental hospital, following a nervous breakdown. Although the book was published in 1946, it is a bluntly. The snake pit has a potentially happy ending, a nearnecessity in 1948. It is rare for a novel to radically affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, yet mary jane wards novel, the snake pit 1946, drew widespread critical attention to the plight of the mentally ill in american state asylums. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. The snake pit mary jane ward cassell melbourne 1947. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition mary jane ward on. Snake pit, study of mental ills based on mary jane wards novel. The snake pit by mary jane ward and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Virginia is then sent down to ward 33, the section for the most severely disturbed patients, but survives and even makes friends with hester, a violent woman who refuses to speak. While some of the psychological verbiage in this adaptation of mary jane ward s autobiographical novel seems antiquated and overly simplistic today, the snake pit was rightly hosannahed as a. There is some wear on the front, back, edges, and spine of the cover boards. Random house quickly chose wards novel as their bookofthemonth and a. Despite conditions, virginia improves and tells kik that being in ward 33, a place she likens to a snake pit, has made her realize that she is not as sick as the others. Mary jane wards novel the snake pit is a study of a different type of misery, the misery of mental illness. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. It was adapted from mary jane wards 1946 semiautobiographical novel of the same name. Aug 19, 2008 author of the snake pit, the professors umbrella, its different for a woman, the other caroline, the snake pit, counterclockwise, the tree has roots, the wax apple mary jane ward open library donate. Written by real life psychiatric patient mary jane ward, it was a daring exploration of the depths of one womans madness and the cruelty of the system to which she had been committed. Author of the snake pit, the professors umbrella, its different for a woman, the other caroline, the snake pit, counterclockwise, the tree has roots, the wax apple mary jane ward open library donate. First published in 1946 the snake pit open library.
Thinking about stuff you have never thought about before. My fathers double second cousin, mary jane ward, wrote the novel the snake pit which was the bestselling novel in 1946, only two years before raintree county. As she gets transfered from ward to ward she meets new, strange people. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. It was adapted from mary jane wards 1946 semiautobiographical novel of. While some of the psychological verbiage in this adaptation of mary jane wards autobiographical novel seems antiquated and overly simplistic today, the snake pit was rightly hosannahed as a. After a nervous breakdown that led to an eight month stay in new yorks rockland state mental hospital, mary jane ward wrote the snake pit, a novel inspired by her experiences. The snake pit by ward, mary jane and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The character, virginia, was based on miss wards own experience in a mental hospital. Mary jane wards book, the basis for this film, was an autobiographical account of the authors experiences in psychiatric hospitals. Sources indicate that when the book was published, ward denied that it was based on personal experience. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle.
Based on her own experiences as a patient during an 8month stay at the rockland psychiatric center in orangeburg, ny, ward vividly described the dreadful overcrowding, understaffing, and dehumanization that was then. Mary jane ward was an american novelist whose semiautobiographical book the snake pit was made into an oscarwinning film. It is not claiming too much to say that treatment of the insane began its long, unsteady road to improvement after wards fiction had reached out to a huge. Ward, mary janeborn 27 august 1905, fairmont, indiana. Long ago they lowered insane persons into snake pits. The snake pit a novel by mary jane ward cassell and company, london 1947 long ago they lowered insane persons into snake pits.
Add to cart buy now more shipping options email a link to this book. Zanuck that they saw the special merit in this book and they had the. The snake pit, an autobiographical novel by mary jane ward, told of the experiences of a woman in a crowded mental hospital where therapy for schizophrenia included being wrapped in wet, cold. Mary jane wards powerful novel, the snake pit, is hardly one which hollywood might have been expected to choose for transcription to the screen. If i could be so bold to compare this book, it would be an earlier the bell jar. This was a pretty good showing for a family of hoosier hicks, as the press pointed out. Mary jane ward moment of indiana history indiana public media. The snake pit is based on a true story written by mary jane ward in the hopes it would bring to the attention of the people, the horrors that a person faced in a mental institution at the time, pre1948. Virginia stuart suffers a nervous breakdown and receives many months of confinement at a 1940s era mental institution, the horrors of which include electric shock treatment. Ill give mary jane ward 4 out of 5 birds for her novel the snake pit. Nov 12, 2000 the snake pit, an autobiographical novel by mary jane ward, told of the experiences of a woman in a crowded mental hospital where therapy for schizophrenia included being wrapped in wet, cold. The snake pit and social awareness and treatment of mental.
Imagine, one day you are in your house and you are thinking. Based on her own experiences as a patient during an 8month stay at the rockland psychiatric center in orangeburg, ny, ward vividly described the dreadful overcrowding, understaffing, and dehumanization that was then typical of state. She is miserable in juniper hill and for reasons i dont blame her for. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition hardcover 1946 by mary jane ward author. I bid for it on ebay and waited patiently for it to come. She is brilliant in evoking the fog that her main character is in, and in describing the painfully slow clearing of that fog.
Snake pit, study of mental ills based on mary jane wards. Mooresville public library mooresville, indiana presents a book trailer featuring the snake pit, by indianaborn author mary jane ward. Aug 08, 2016 it is rare for a novel to radically affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, yet mary jane wards novel, the snake pit 1946, drew widespread critical attention to the plight of the mentally ill in american state asylums. The book caused considerable controversy upon its publication in 1946, as it was a scathing indictment of the treatment of psychiatric patients, a subject considered taboo in the 1940s. A detailed chronicle of a woman during her stay in a mental institution. Contemporary sources, including items from the twentieth centuryfox publicity department, add the following information about the production. Mary jane ward august 27, 1905 in fairmount, indianafebruary 17, 1981, in tucson, arizona was an american novelist whose semiautobiographical book the snake pit was made into an oscarwinning film.
Click to read more about the snake pit by mary jane ward. The snake pit a novel by mary jane ward cassell and company, london 1947. A psychodynamic approach to the understanding and guidance of children infused north american popular culture. The snake pit, based on the bestselling novel by mary jane ward, is a dramatic look at the treatment of patients in mental institutions in the 1940s. Mary jane wards powerful novel, the snake pit, is hardly one which. A critical reference guide from colonial times to the present dictionary. What the heroine endures and suffers is terrifying. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The snake pit, a novel by mary jane ward raintree county. Mar 24, 2008 the author of five previous novelsonly two of which had been publishedmary jane ward was unprepared for the firestorm that surrounded the snake pit when it was released in 1946. The novel the snake pit was inspired, in part, by author mary jane ward s own eightandahalf month stay in new yorks rockland state mental hospital, following a nervous breakdown. In may 1945, bennett cerf, head of random house, which published wards book, gave director anatole litvak a copy of the novels. It is not claiming too much to say that treatment of the insane began its long, unsteady road to improvement after wards fiction had reached out. My good friend genie recommended to me because she knows i like the crazy in life.
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