Shutter Island: Is It Better To Live As A Monster?
Which would be worse, to live as a monster? Or to die as a good man? (Shutter Island)
Shutter Island takes place in and around Ashecliffe Hospital in 1954. Ashecliffe is an
institution for the criminally insane. The film opens on a ferry transporting U.S Federal Marshal
Teddy Daniels played by Leonardo DiCaprio and his new partner Chuck Aule played by Mark
Ruffalo. They are sent to Shutter Island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Rachel
Solando played by Patricia Clarkson who has somehow escaped from her cell. While on the
Island. Teddy Daniels starts being haunted by hallucinations of his wife, Dolores played by
Michelle Williams who is in his dreams, giving him directions. Once the missing patient …show more content…
He then
develops this feeling that he could not save his own daughter, children.(Shutter Island)
Dr. Cawley is a humanist psychologist because he believes that “if you treat [a patient]
with respect, listen, [and] try to understand, you just might reach him.” Dr. Cawley refers to his
branch of psychology, which includes psychopharmacology, as the “new school”. The “old
school” is the experimental way, the way of Dr. Naehring. Experimental psychology in this film
is characterized by psychosurgery, the lobotomy.(Shutter Island) A lobotomy is a
medical procedure which “[cuts] the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-
controlling centers of the inner brain” in attempts to “calm uncontrollably emotional or violent
patients” (Myers, 635). Dr. Cawley condemns this practice, saying that although it sometimes
works, it turns some patients into zombies. (Shutter Island) After two years of treating Andrew
with drug Thorazine Dr. Cawley has Daniels role-play to snap him out of his delusion.(Shutter
Island) I do believe that the role playing did have a breakthrough for Daniels. Dr Cawley
Shutter Island takes place in and around Ashecliffe Hospital in 1954. Ashecliffe is an
institution for the criminally insane. The film opens on a ferry transporting U.S Federal Marshal
Teddy Daniels played by Leonardo DiCaprio and his new partner Chuck Aule played by Mark
Ruffalo. They are sent to Shutter Island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Rachel
Solando played by Patricia Clarkson who has somehow escaped from her cell. While on the
Island. Teddy Daniels starts being haunted by hallucinations of his wife, Dolores played by
Michelle Williams who is in his dreams, giving him directions. Once the missing patient …show more content…
He then
develops this feeling that he could not save his own daughter, children.(Shutter Island)
Dr. Cawley is a humanist psychologist because he believes that “if you treat [a patient]
with respect, listen, [and] try to understand, you just might reach him.” Dr. Cawley refers to his
branch of psychology, which includes psychopharmacology, as the “new school”. The “old
school” is the experimental way, the way of Dr. Naehring. Experimental psychology in this film
is characterized by psychosurgery, the lobotomy.(Shutter Island) A lobotomy is a
medical procedure which “[cuts] the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-
controlling centers of the inner brain” in attempts to “calm uncontrollably emotional or violent
patients” (Myers, 635). Dr. Cawley condemns this practice, saying that although it sometimes
works, it turns some patients into zombies. (Shutter Island) After two years of treating Andrew
with drug Thorazine Dr. Cawley has Daniels role-play to snap him out of his delusion.(Shutter
Island) I do believe that the role playing did have a breakthrough for Daniels. Dr Cawley