It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Summary and Analysis: Part 2: HOW I GOT THERE (pages 47 –
123)
Chapter seven starts to explain Craig’s knowledge of why he
might be depressed. He really has no clue why he is, so he narrates
recent parts of his life. Two years prior, Craig got accepted to
Executive Pre-Professional High School – the best high school in
Manhattan. It’s a prestigious school with about eight-hundred
students, and a one-hundred percent paid for tuition upon
acceptance. He bought a study book for the acceptance exam, and
finished all the practice exams, so he ordered twelve more study
books. He made flashcards, and on the acceptance exam, got an
800/800. However, Craig was so immersed in his studying, that he
pushed away all his friends. Aaron reached out to Craig since he was
taking the same exam, and they became friends.
Chapter eight Aaron sets up for a party at his house. Craig
sneaks alcohol to Aaron’s apartment (whose parents are gone), and
Aaron gives Craig his first try of pot. Nia, a half-Chinese girl, comes
over with a bunch of other girls, and both Aaron and Craig are very
attracted to her. Everyone is flirtatious.
Chapter nine, Aaron and Nia make out a lot, and Craig is
jealous, so he just smokes a lot of pot.
Chapter ten is the late hours after the party had pretty much
ended. Aaron and Nia ended up sleeping together, which makes
Craig feel out of place. Aaron and Craig take a walk toward Craig’s
house. On the way, they have to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. Craig
gets the urge to walk out over the water, on one of the pathways used
by the bridge workers. So he does: “And I could have died right then.
And considering how things went, I really should have.” (Vizzini, 89).
Chapter eleven really shows Craig’s first signs of something
being wrong. He was jealous of Nia and Aaron: “I thought I was cool
with it, but as I saw them… I started to get more and more pissed off.
Like they were throwing it in my face” (Vizzini, 91). His first day at
Executive Pre-Professional High School, Craig got a 70 on a test,
while Aaron got a 100. Craig was distraught over this. His classes
were hard, his teachers were tough, and the homework was
overwhelming. Craig felt like everyone was better than him, because
their grades were always 100s, and he was always stuck at a 93
(which he considers average). This all triggered his first stress-
It’s Kind of a Funny Story
vomiting, at a fancy Christmas dinner with his parents. Craig says
afterwards: “I think I might be, y’know, depressed.” (Vizzini, 99).
Chapter twelve, Craig meets Dr. Barney, a psychopharmacologist. Dr. Barney listens to Craig talk about all of his
depression symptoms, including suicidal thoughts, and prescribes
Zoloft, and also suggests that Craig see a therapist.
Chapter thirteen starts out with Craig on his Zoloft, taking it
every day, and having a placebo effect. He starts feeling more
hopeful, spends time with his little sister, and starts to eat healthily
again. But then his life went in ‘phases’ - being great and functional
for a few weeks, then being really depressed. Nia comes out to Craig
that she also takes Prozac, and the two call each other when they’re
feeling down. Craig starts feeling a lot better, meets Dr. Minerva, and
decides to not refill his Zoloft prescription (without telling anyone). He
foreshadows that two months later, he is back to stress vomiting.
Analysis
It’s crazy to see how Craig thinks. He’s a great student, very
smart, and has a supportive family, but still feels he isn’t good
enough. It’s also weird that such a smart kid would stop taking
prescription medication cold turkey, since that is one of the worst
things he could have done at that point. I think that as much as Nia
thought she could relate to Craig through their therapists and
medication, that she doesn’t understand exactly what Craig is going
through, or how he is extremely depressed.