I love the movie based on it, but that is another story altogether. Sources indicate that when the book was published, ward denied that it was based on personal experience. The snake pit, screen play by frank partos and millen brand, based on the novel by mary jane ward. Mary jane ward primary author only author division. The films director, anatole litvak, adheres closely to the book and does not sensationalize the topic for cinematic purposes. Ward authored eight books during her lifetime, the. 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. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 book club edition random house a dramatic bestseller that brought to light the plight of the mentally ill, the snake pit vividly depicts one womans plunge into the nightmare world of the mentally ill and her. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 book club edition random house a dramatic bestseller that brought to light the plight of the mentally ill, the snake pit vividly depicts one womans plunge into the nightmare world of the mentally ill and her agonizing climb back to health and freedom. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition mary jane ward on. A plea for understanding, a critique of contemporary conditions. The snake pit mary jane ward cassell melbourne 1947. The snake pit hardcover january 1, 1947 by mary jane ward author.
Sie erzielte popularitat durch ihren roman the snake pit. 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 snake pit a novel by mary jane ward cassell and company, london 1947. 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. If you can make studying a book the snake pit by mary jane. 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. We realize within the first virginia cunningham is a writer. Read up it is as relevant today as it was in the 1920s, plus learn a few new vocabulary words, hardly heard today. Her loving husband, robert mark stevens, realizes that she needs more. A detailed chronicle of a woman during her stay in a mental institution. You may use to make your capable a lot more increase. I do hope this book will be republished and recirculated. Mary jane wards book, the basis for this film, was an autobiographical account of the authors experiences in psychiatric hospitals. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 book club edition random.
The snake pit and social awareness and treatment of mental. Zanuck that they saw the special merit in this book and they had the. Book condition used good jacket condition none quantity available 1 edition first binding hardcover publisher random house place of publication new york, new york date published 1946 keywords virginia, robert, miss hart, grace, electricshock bookseller catalogs. The snake pit became the standard expression when describing state psychiatric hospitals, in the first half of the 20th century. The book the snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition make one feel enjoy for your spare time. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition mary jane ward the snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition mary jane ward the snake pit, a mentally insane read. The snake pit a novel by mary jane ward cassell and company, london 1947 long ago they lowered insane persons into snake pits. Refine your search for the snake pit mary jane ward for the snake pit mary jane ward.
Snake pit, study of mental ills based on mary jane wards novel. Snake pit, study of mental ills based on mary jane wards. 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. The severity of her depression causes her sympathetic doctor to try electric shock, hydrotherapy, and drugs. And although it stands as hollywoods first peek into the horrors of mid20thcentury mental institutions, its now more fruitful to view it in tandem with the more. 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. Snake pit, study of mental ills based on mary jane ward. 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. 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. 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. 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. Apr 18, 2010 mooresville public library mooresville, indiana presents a book trailer featuring the snake pit, by indianaborn author mary jane ward. Put yourself into the mind of an woman living in the.
The snake pit by mary jane ward and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 first edition. What the heroine endures and suffers is terrifying. Sep 14, 2014 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author.
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. Written 65 years ago, mary jane wards novel the snake pit had a profound impact on how our society regarded and treated people with severe mental illness. 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. This was a pretty good showing for a family of hoosier hicks, as the press pointed out. It was adapted from mary jane wards 1946 semiautobiographical novel of the same name. Mar 21, 2018 from the very beginning of its journey to the silver screen, the snake pit established a sense of realism. A psychodynamic approach to the understanding and guidance of children infused north american popular culture. 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. Based on mary jane ward s 1946 semiautobiographical novel of the same name, the film tells the story of a woman who finds herself in an insane asylum and cannot remember how.
Snake pit by ward, first edition abebooks passion for books. Snake pit definition of snake pit by the free dictionary. Snake pit hardcover june 1, 1946 by mary jane ward author. Based on mary jane ward s 1946 semiautobiographical novel of the same name, the film recounts the tale of a woman who finds herself in an insane asylum and cannot remember how she got there. 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. From the very beginning of its journey to the silver screen, the snake pit established a sense of realism. Mary jane ward continues to write from within virginias mind convincingly for the duration of the book. Jun 26, 2019 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. 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.
Although the book was published in 1946, it is a bluntly. The snake pit by mary jane ward, 1946, random house edition, hardcover in english the snake pit 1946 edition open library. 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. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Its a good book, in that it is informative as to horrors of psychiatric hospitals decades ago. The snake pit by mary jane ward 1946 book club edition. Mary jane ward was an american novelist whose semiautobiographical book the snake pit was made into an oscarwinning film. Random house quickly chose wards novel as their bookofthemonth and a. The snake pit, a novel by mary jane ward raintree county. Mary jane wards powerful novel, the snake pit, is hardly one which hollywood might have been expected to choose for transcription to the screen. Mary jane wards novel the snake pit is a study of a different type of misery, the misery of mental illness. First edition cover of the snake pit 1946 by mary jane ward. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. 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.
Litvak and robert bassler for twentieth centuryfox. The snake pit has a potentially happy ending, a nearnecessity in 1948. Contemporary sources, including items from the twentieth centuryfox publicity department, add the following information about the production. Mary jane wards powerful novel, the snake pit, is hardly one which. A critical reference guide from colonial times to the present dictionary. Ward herself had a mental breakdown at age 34, which she drew on to create the fictional experiences of another young writer, virginia cunningham. The snake pit mary jane ward national library of australia.
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. Book can to be your best friend when you getting stress or having big problem with the subject. Mooresville public library mooresville, indiana presents a book trailer featuring the snake pit, by indianaborn author mary jane ward. Ward, mary janeborn 27 august 1905, fairmont, indiana. Anatole litvaks the snake pit on twilight time blu. Mary jane ward moment of indiana history indiana public media. Mary jane ward following an emotional collapse a woman is placed in a mental institution by her husband. 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. 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.
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