The one question that continues to arise in the novel, and in my head as I read said novel, deals with the source of Marjorie’s actions. Is she possessed? Is she mentally ill? What could be causing her to act this way? We are told that Marjorie has confided in Merry that she is acting in this manner in order to keep the reality TV show going, so that they do not suffer financial hardship. I do not agree with her statement as my personal analysis guides me to believe that there are more factors at play. Marjorie’s actions are a combination of the environment that she is forced to deal with, and possession.
The hostile environment is extremely evident in the actions of Marjorie’s parents. Throughout the recent readings we see that the Mother has turned to alcohol and the Father becomes very violent. I believe the Father being sent to jail was a catalyst for the violent seres of events that occurred during the exorcism in chapter 22. There are times where young Merry attempts to bring the family together, yet her efforts are fruitless. Her mother pushes her away physically and emotionally, while the father channels his inner anger towards her. The family situation was never perfect, but I believe the worsening conditions have lead to more outbursts from Marjorie. I for one did not believe that Marjorie could cause physical pain, yet she did so in chapter 22. What were once “weird” actions emanating from a young girl are now acts that can be considered threatening to the lives around her.
While Marjorie believes that she is doing good by “acting” for the camera, I believe that this is also contributing to the detrimental environment. Students at the school are posting mean sexual Instagram pictures while her sister is being bullied for the show. Marjorie, who up until a certain point had unmonitored access to her laptop, has access to this cyberbullying. She can see the comments that are being made by those who are seeing her on TV, which does not help her mental health. If Marjorie does have mental health problems, it is best to not publicly display it on television for the entertainment pleasures of others.
This brings me to my final point: Marjorie’s actions are also due to her being possessed. By what? At this point in the novel I am not entirely sure that we can pinpoint a specific answer. On one hand I believe that the possibility of her being possessed by a demon is plausible. The strength that she demonstrated while being tied down to the bed during the attempted exorcism is unnatural for a girl her age. Merry describes her as “standing up like she wasn’t tied down.” I also believe in the possibility of Marjorie having a mental illness. Mental illnesses develop at different ages, and they manifest themselves in certain methods. I have studied psychology before and see several symptoms of psychosis in Marjorie. The most evident being her consistent claim to “hear voices” in her head and her cries for help during the exorcism. I believe that one can be possessed by a mental illness, as one does not have control of their actions. Their autonomy may sometimes be out of their reach.
This reading has put forth a couple of questions that I feel are necessary to talk about before continuing with the novel. Does the unwillingness of some overzealous religious humans to comply with medical treatment occur often in our society, or societies around the world? How can parents be more aware of the symptoms of a mental illness? Why does Marjorie believe her dad is possessed?