Mental Illness In Wintergirls

Wintergirls: A Journey into a Disordered Mind Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls artistically tells a story exposing the mentality of eighteen-year-old Lia struggling with the death of her bulimic friend Cassie and her own anorexia. Lia strives to learn the circumstances of Cassie’s death, only knowing that she was found dead in a motel room. Lia seems healthier yet grows worse as Cassie’s ghost frequently appears to her. Anderson’s fictional story reveals the true mindset of a disordered girl and her path to recovery. Lia works hard to reach her goals. Her extremist ways almost lead to her death; however, she realizes the importance of her life. Lia’s most apparent objective is her obsessive need to lose weight and be thin. Lia finds sneaky ways to hide the disorder from her family. She manipulates the people around her and shuts them out when they attempt to help. Lia omits
Throughout the novel, the ghost of Cassie visits her often and worsens Lia’s eating disorder. Lia constantly reflects old memories of her friendship with Cassie. The death weighs heavily on Lia, even though she refuses to admit her grief. The ghost of Cassie tears down Lia, additionally hurting her low self-esteem. Cassie’s ghost seems pleased as Lia’s health deteriorates. Cassie mocks Lia, telling her to cut deeper and accomplish her death. Though Cassie also tells Lia how much she loves and misses her. “’You’re ugly. You’re stupid. You’re boring. The only thing you’re good at is starving, but you can’t even do that right. You’re a waste.’ She winks. ‘And that’s why I love you.’” (Anderson 244). When Lia stays in the motel where Cassie’s dead body was found, she sleeps through days and reaches her end. In her jaded daze, Cassie’s ghost tells her she will join her soon. Lia fights her own death, and finally overcomes the ghost of Cassie. This ghost symbolizes Lia’s eating disorder and it leaves when Lia realizes she wants to