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.