Diary Written in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum
Mary Huestis Pengilly was a young woman who was committed to the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1875. In her diary, she recounts her experiences in the asylum, including her struggles with depression, her interactions with the other inmates, and her attempts to make sense of her situation. She also reflects on her life before her commitment, her family, and her hopes for the future. Through her diary, Mary provides a unique and intimate look into the lives of those who were institutionalized in the 19th century. Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding mental illness and the need for compassion and support for those who suffer from it.
By Mary Huestis Pengilly · First published 1885 · Genre: Memoir, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction · 10,784 words
First lines
This little book is humbly dedicated to the Province of New Brunswick, and the State of Massachusetts, by one who has had so sad an experience in this, the sixty-second year of her age, that she feels it to be her imperative duty to lay it before the public in such a manner as shall reach the hearts of the people in this her native Province, as also the people of Massachusetts, with whom she had a refuge since driven from her own home by the St. John fire of 1877. She sincerely hopes it may be read in every State of the Union, as well as throughout the Dominion of Canada, that it may help to show the inner workings of their Hospitals and Asylums, and prompt them to search out better methods of conducting them, as well for the benefit of the superintendent as the patient.
What this Textopian page supports
Diary Written in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum is listed on Textopian as an essay by Mary Huestis Pengilly, dated 1885 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Mary Huestis Pengilly
- Date: 1885 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Memoir, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Biographical Fiction
- Length: 10,784 words
- Structure: 1 section, 78 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Diary Written in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum by Mary Huestis Pengilly
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Story Of My Life by Helen Keller
- The Ring And The Book by Robert Browning
- The Way Home by Henry Handel Richardson
- The Trespasser by D. H. Lawrence
- Work A Story Of Experience by Louisa May Alcott
- A Raw Youth by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Genres
- Memoir — The book is a diary written by Mary Huestis Pengilly, which is a form of memoir.
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, which is a historical setting.
- Psychological Fiction — The book deals with the psychological experiences of Mary Huestis Pengilly in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum.
- Biographical Fiction — The book is based on the real-life experiences of Mary Huestis Pengilly in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum.
Tags
Care · Mentally ill · New Brunswick · Provincial Lunatic Asylum (N.B.) · air · asylum · boys · brought · church · commissioners · day · doctor