Barbee had always wondered about mental institutions. He thought of taking notes for a feature story on this adventure at Glennhaven, as the evening wore on, began to seem remarkable for utter lack of anything noteworthy. It began to appear as a fragile never-never land, populated with timid souls in continual retreat from the real world outside and even from one another within.
In "Darker Than You Think" by Jack Williamson, the protagonist Barbee reflects on his fascination with mental institutions, considering how to frame his experiences into a feature story. As the hours pass at Glennhaven, however, he realizes that the event is lacking any significant happenings, transforming it into a surreal environment that feels detached from reality.
This setting presents a fragile existence where the residents seem to be in constant withdrawal, both from the outside world and from each other. Barbee's observations lead him to think deeply about the nature of these internal retreats, creating an atmosphere filled with uncertainty and introspection.
