Essay Questions

Why is Wurtzel finding it hard to accept and love herself?

In her narration, Wurtzel is communicating to the reader the challenges that children go through in unstable families. She grows up in an unstable family where the father and mother are fighting endlessly to divorce each other. These endless fights by the parents make life difficult for the young Wurtzel because she finds it hard to love herself. Witness her parents' fight impacted negatively in her life because she does not trust anybody. Similarly, her relationships fail to be stable because of what she went through while growing up.

What causes depression according to Wurtzel?

The author uses her own experiences to illustrate the devastating impact of depression and its detrimental impact on one's health. She argues that depression should not be mistaken as the mind’s state because she links her situation with her own experiences. She grew up being emotionally unstable because of what she went through while growing up. Therefore, according to Wurtzel, the primary cause of depression is one's experiences.

How does hopelessness emerge as a primary theme in the Prozac Nation?

The theme of hopelessness is evident through the Prozac Nation story as depicted by Wurtzel’s experiences. She is a depressed woman because her past was unfavorable and she is not able now to change many aspects of her life. Her parent's vinegary separation still haunts her because the experience is still fresh. She relocates to the USA to distract herself from the past. While in New York, she keeps herself busy with business activities though the past continues to haunt her. Even after heading to the United Kingdom things do not change because the level of depression even increases. Therefore, the theme of hopelessness is predominant throughout the story.