Synopsis

Synopsis

‘Why Me’ is about an adolescent student who suffers from severe depression. He’s inability to overcome the illness forces him to write a suicide note. However he fears death and accepts that he’s not ready to carry out such an action, and puts aside the thoughts of suicide and gives life one more chance. At school he tries his complete hardest to be normal, and eradicate he’s pessimistic feelings and thoughts of suicide, but he just can’t. Finally, inspiration comes and whilst looking for a novel in the library he finds a book called ‘how to overcome depression’, he now has to make a choice which he dreads, either to commit suicide or triumph over his depression.

The three act structure

Act 1

Mark is severely depressed, and is suffering from the symptoms of depression, which includes finding it difficult to concentrate and make simple decisions. In his bedroom he tries his hardest to read his English novel but he finds it extremely difficult as he can’t think clearly and stay focused. He then tries to watch TV, however he’s pessimistic thoughts and mentality makes watching TV impossible. He doesn’t give up and comes back to the desk and tries to revise for his Biology exam but he’s feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness yet against makes this simple task literally impossible. Since the last few months the thought of suicide has always been on his mind, he now believes that he’s time has come and his ready for death so he attempts to write a suicide note. However the noise of the scribbling whilst he’s writing is unbearable, when it reaches it climax he stops writing and he closes the note pad forcefully,
Act 2

It’s a new day and as Mark has gotten used to the routine of going school when he realizes that today is when he commits suicide the prospect frightens him, and this therefore forces him to put aside the prospect of suicide and come back to it afterschool.
As a student at Hampstead School the depression undoubtedly affects his school life. He comes late to lesson, and during a lesson his extremely unfocused and through his thoughts he continues to remind himself that he’s a failure and doesn’t deserve to be in the classroom. He’s thoughts of pessimisms is the key factor which drives him into this zone of despair. In the class he has to do an exam, when doing an exam he hears the scribbling of the suicide note which creates havoc in his mind; this forces him to give up,

Act 3

Inspiration comes, and whilst he’s looking for an English novel in the library he sees a book called ‘How to overcome depression’, he believes it was fate and he was destined to overcome depression. However throughout the last few months he has cognitively accepted that he’s a failure and worthless and accepted that suicide is inevitable, this makes it hard for him to accept that this is fate and makes him believe that is was just a coincidence. He eventually comes to a decision and grabs the book. Whilst reading the book he realizes how much he relates to it, and this makes him feel therapeutic. In the libary he dreams of overcoming depression; he’s running and seeing a therapist simultaneously in order to eradicate depression and triumph over it. The dream is ended when he wakes up. He’s left with a choice he dreads; death or life, in the last shot he says 'i guess i have to decide', were left with the choice of deciding whether he commits suicide or triumphs over depression.

Key characters

Protagonist character - Mark

In the past he was:
- Joyful, fun, enthusiastic and funny and full on life and laughter
- He was popular
- In a band called ‘The resistant’s’
- Family boy, loved by everyone
- He knew he never had the latest games consoles or toys but he valued what he had life.

Now:

Mark suffers from severe depression. This suffering has continued to destroy the essence of his teenage life. Mark is unable to overcome and defeat the symptoms’ of depression.
He constantly has a pessimistic attitude, where he lacks belief and determination. The negative thoughts has made living life impossibly, where his unable to do simple things like read a book or watch TV and the depression has made him believe that he cant do it. The depression has undoubtedly affected his school, and therefore his grades and he finds it extreme difficult to concentrate in lessons and think clearly, as there is so much on his mind. Mark experiences isolation and feels lonely, we don’t see his family life not because he doesn’t have any, but to just highlight the nasty symptoms of depression and to also make us feel more sympathetic towards him.