Intriguing Passages

“''Mental illness turns people inwards. That’s what I reckon. It keeps us forever trapped by the pain of our own minds, in the same way that the pain of a broken leg or a cut thumb will grab your attention, holding it so tightly that your good leg or your good thumb seem to cease to exist''” (Filer 277).

This passage is significant because it captures the effect of the mental illness on Matthew. When Filer writes that mental illness “turns people inwards” he means that Matthew becomes oblivious of the outside world and only focuses on himself. Matthew can’t progress with his normal life until he can get over his disorder because it overtakes his mind and doesn’t allow him to think about other matters. This passage is also significant because Filer says that a mental disorder is no different than a broken limb or a cut thumb. He uses this analogy to say that a physiological wound is equally has harmful as a physical wound. Filer says that the pain of a mental disorder can seem to cause your normal thought process to no longer exist just as the pain of a cut thumb can make it seem as if your good thumb isn’t there. This quote really stood out to me because it explained the reason for the detachment of Matthew from society as his disorder became more serious.

"Explaining my Special Project was like trying to explain a dream, how they can make sense right up until they hit reality, when they suddenly unravel" (Filer 157).

In The Shock of The Fall, Matt attempted to bring his brother, Simon, back to life; this was his 'Special Project.' When he was younger, his science teacher said that elements were the foundation of all creation. After this lesson, Matthew believed that he was capable of building his brother by using Carbon, Oxygen, and other elements. Even though Matthew recognized his illnesses, he still had hope that his brother's return was possible.