The Shrike

The Shrike is a play written by Joseph Kramm, originally published in 1952. The play tells the story of Jim Downs, a successful businessman who is admitted to a mental institution by his wife, Ann. Ann believes that Jim is mentally unstable and dangerous, and hopes that the institution will help him recover. However, Jim's experiences in the institution are far from therapeutic. He is subjected to cruel and dehumanizing treatment by the staff, particularly by the institution's head nurse, Miss Wingate, who is known as ""the shrike"" for her aggressive and sadistic behavior. As Jim struggles to maintain his sanity in the face of the institution's brutality, he begins to question his own sanity and the motives of those around him. The play explores themes of power, control, and the nature of madness, and has been praised for its intense and gripping portrayal of mental illness and institutional abuse.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.