Valley of Astonishment is mainly the story of a woman, Sammi, coming to understand that she is different after being diagnosed with Synesthesia, a disorder in which she mixes senses. The doctors tell her she is a phenomenon, and she goes from a girl with a great memory working as journalist to an act in a show reciting long lists of memorized numbers and words. As the play develops the audience finds out Sammi’s “trick” behind her memory- she places the words on imaginary “streets” leading from her childhood home. Though her memory started as a seemingly never ending, supernatural entity we find that as Sammi does more shows she first runs out of street space. The doctors then tell her to try something different such as reciting numbers that she writes on an imaginary blackboard. Despite this idea, the space there begins to run out, and she begins to struggle with forgetting. She agonizes over her overwhelmed memory and battles the lists- writing them down and then burning them to erase them from her memory. Sammi learns that you are only capable of forgetting what you want to forget. Sammi lastly steps away from the memory shows that overwhelmed her brain and decides to give her brain to science. The play ends with the doctors’ lingering silence to her offer.

 

Throughout the play there are references to the phoenix who accepts his death perhaps symbolizing how one should accept themselves- event he bizarre or the flaws. Similarly, there are many references to controlling the body. For example their side plots characters like the paraplegic controls his movements with sight, or the painter executes his Synesthesia in his work all while Sammi controls her memory. The play also follows the fear of being rejected. This is depicted when Sammi goes to the doctor and keeps repeating how she is normal or how the painter is afraid to reveal his Synesthesia because of his prior rejection from his friend. Lastly, the idea that the brain can’t be understood is introduced. For example, how the less emotional doctor questions if the brain can ever be understood fully as more than just neurons, and then in the end the doctors don’t accept her brain when she offers it to science which may signify they feel they have abused her and that they don’t believe it can ever be understood.