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Pictures from an Institution is a novel by American poet Randall Jarrell. It is what one might call an academic satire, focusing on the oddities of academic life, in particular the interpersonal relationships among the characters and their private lives. The nameless narrator, a Jarrell-like figure who teaches at a women's college called Benton (modeled on a real job Jarrell had at Sarah Lawrence College), makes humorous observations about his students and, especially, fellow academics, in particular the offensively tactless novelist Gertrude. Gertrude, in fact, might best be considered the protagonist of the novel, as it concentrates on her and her emotions. As well, Gertrude is the most dynamic character of the story, experiencing emotional growth in a way that the other characters do not.
