Next to Normal

Dan was probably the most affected by the stress of Diana’s mental illness. Throughout Next to Normal, he attempts to be the backbone of the family because Diana is so fragile. Dan has to step up as the provider and the caretaker, not only for his daughter, but also his wife. However, as the show progresses, Dan starts to become as unstable as Diana, with the pressure from his family and his own mental health riding on his shoulders. Dan starts to believe in this false hope that his wife will get back to the way she was when they were younger, through the help of ECT and medication. The song “It’s Gonna Be Good” shows how much faith he puts into the treatment Diana is getting. He labels situations such as Gabe’s cake and Diana making sandwiches on the floor as “glitches” and “minor setbacks”. This further sweeps the disorder under the rug. Dan doesn’t even want to acknowledge his deceased son because memories of Gabe bring back so much emotional pain for their family. It’s not until Diana stops treatment and leaves Dan that he realizes there isn’t any permanent solution to her illness.

When Diana leaves Dan, he finally hears his son calling out to him. Dan is hearing and seeing his son for the first time. Dan is not seeing Diana’s hallucination of Gabe, but his own. These are his memories of Gabe he has been repressing for years, calling out to him to remember. Dan returns to Dr. Madden to learn the whereabouts of Diana, where he accepts professional help from Dr. Madden. This is a huge moment; Dan finally decides to confront his own problems and focuses on himself. He has been so concerned about helping his wife for years; he never had time to face his stress and emotional grief over his son.

After Diana leaves, Natalie comes home and turns on the lights in the house. This moment signifies Natalie pulling him out of the dark and into the light. Dan finally sees the reality of the world he lives in. The dark signifies the past and how he wanted to see the world, the light the future and what the world really is. Through Dan’s story, we see that sometimes we have to just accept the truth and the life we are given. Families with someone dealing with a mental illness have to learn to cope and accept the fact that there are no shortcuts. This is something they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. However, taking that first step will lead to more rational ways to treat the illness and a better life for the family down the road.