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K-Pax Rhetorical Analysis

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K-Pax is a movie about a man, Prot, who claims to be an alien from the planet K-Pax. Admitted to the Psychiatric Institute of Manhattan, Prot is evaluated as delusional by psychiatrist Mark Powell. Prot's unwavering ability to answer questions about K-Pax and its civilization, however, leads Dr. Powell to doubt his diagnosis, and he begins to explore Prot's past. There is some dispute over whether Prot is an alien or a human; both sides have evidence to support their claims and the movie never resolves the matter. I personally believe that Prot was a human who suffered from schizophrenia. He is delusional, presents disorganized behavior, and has a hard time expressing emotion-all symptoms of schizophrenia.

I believe Prot to be human because of his three hypnosis sessions. In the first session, Dr. Powell asks Prot to go back in time as far as he can and tell him about his life. Speaking in a child's voice Prot tells of a friend he had when he was three hundred years old. This friend, who he calls Peter, is seven at the time and is troubled by an event occurring in his life. Prot is very hesitant to talk about …show more content…

Confused, Dr. Powell asked Prot to explain why Peter tried to commit suicide. Prot resists, but Dr. Powell pushes. He tells Prot it's okay if his friend did something to his wife and daughter. Outraged by this comment Prot tries to grab Powell's neck, but falls to the floor crying, devastated. Dr. Powell digs into the story and goes to New Mexico where he finds out Peter is from. Dr. Powell learns from the local sheriff that Peter is actually Robert Porter and Prot is Robert. Roberts family was killed by a man, Daryl Walker, and Robert killed him for it. He then jumped in the river behind his house. He lives and takes Prot, a delusion he's had from a young age, and embodies him, believing he is an alien from the planet

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