Tell Me I'm Here

But she dismisses the possibility of it having been triggered from the way Jonathon was brought up by saying, "Even in identical twins, who have exactly the same genetic make-up, there is only about a fifty-fifty chance that if one twin develops schizophrenia, so will the other, regardless of whether the twins are brought up together or apart
             " By inserting this statistic, she eliminates any blame that may have been set upon her for Jonathon's illness. This information is merged into the narrative, effectively informing the reader as they don't expect it, and take it in as part of the novel.
             Eyewitness statements and personal opinions play a large role in the text. This presents other individual's attitudes on events that have happened around Jonathon's life and their own experiences with schizophrenic sufferers. The inclusion of these additional views, allows the reader to acquire an idea of what it is like to be confronted by a victim of schizophrenia, and compels them to be a lot more supportive towards the issue. The various opinions and statements come from an array of people; from professionals to individuals who have experienced schizophrenia. For example on pg.189, a professional named Margaret Leggatt, director of the first Schizophrenic Fellowship of South Australia is talking during a public meeting and telling the audience about some previous research she"d done, looking at what happened in families when a son or daughter was diagnosed, and says, "I found that research a shattering experience. I could not believe that there were so many families were out there coping with probably the most difficult illness that I can think of. Sons and daughters were developing really bizarre symptoms, so that their behaviour was disorganised and very frightening, but their parents were getting no help or support. Instead, they got terrible blame." This appears as a direct quote from Leggatt and Deveson's choice to include this draws in the reader's sympathetic response and blurs the boundaries between narrative and non-fictional genres, as it is one of the characters making the factual statement.