Power and Madness: A Foucauldian Analysis of Disciplinary Mechanisms in Shutter Island (2003) by Dennis Lehane

Abstract

This research analyzes Shutter Island (2003) by Dennis Lehane, focusing on the

representation of institutional power within a mental institution and its

psychological impact on the main character, Andrew Laeddis. Using Michel

Foucault’s theory of disciplinary mechanisms from Discipline and Punish (1977)

and Madness and Civilization (1965), this study applies a qualitative descriptive

method to examine how power operates through surveillance, normalization,

examination, spatial partitioning, and identity construction. Data are drawn from

selected narratives, dialogues, and scenes that illustrate the institution’s role in

reshaping Andrew’s reality and identity. The findings reveal that Ashecliffe

Hospital functions not only as a place of psychiatric care but also as a total

institution that systematically imposes control, resulting in the protagonist’s

psychological deterioration. The study identifies key mechanisms such as

hierarchical observation, medical gaze, and confinement as forces that lead to

Andrew’s internalized self-destruction. Ultimately, this research concludes that

institutional power in Shutter Island serves as a disciplinary system that reinforces

authority and suppresses individual autonomy, highlighting the destructive effects

of such control in mental health environments.