I hope a solution is found for your brother's predicament! What a horrible situation...It's heart wrenching and horrifying how once humorous issues can quickly turn into future-hindering conflicts. I enjoyed your line, "Bangs on cans with conviction." The lyricism and alliteration made it stand out, and showed your brother's can-banging in a positive light.
Evan (HW 25),
I agree that Michael Moore incorporated a shocking piece of evidence by showing the elderly man strenuously working at PathMark. I think the reason this evidence was strong, is because it was not grand. If the man had been in a grander, more elegant or rich setting, the horror of such a life as that man's would not be as dramatic - and horror was what Moore wished to evoke.
Although Michael Moore did not explore the morals of doctors in depth, I feel that they were revealed as ethically upright healers. The doctors he interviewed often said things like, "I love working in a place where I can help people regardless of their financial situation" or "It's wonderful not to have to turn people away."
Engaging writing, as usual!
Evan (HW 24),
When you say that everyone is on the same side when it comes to illness and dying...I wonder if that is true. If everyone was on the same "side", then why are there so many people dying from illness and starvation, especially in third world countries? Why is there so much money available for our military? Someone must either enjoy sickness, or be indifferent to illness and dying. In a way, I find it easier to respect the serial killer than the indifferent decision makers, because they at least have some purpose behind their death related actions. I don't mean to criticize you; I just wanted to open an additional realm of perspective towards "sides".
I also found myself wondering many times what could happen to make him face the "long defeat", and just how far he can stretch before he reaches his limits. It will be a sad day.
Evan (HW 23),
Nice precis! It was concise and engaging. I often fear having fun with writing them, because then the writing won't seem like the author's, but you were accurate and interesting. Your line, "We can't exactly take a step back and think about our loved ones' death in a philosophical way, whether it be because of pain or lack of memory..." was striking to me, because it is true, but only to an extent (in my opinion). I think it is possible to take a step back and see painful situations in "philosophical" or intellectual way, or with a broader perspective, but it takes emotional maturity, effort, the ability to actually feel through the events, and in some cases, lots of time.
Evan (HW 22),
I thought you precis was accurate, but I don't know how trustworthy I am because I read that chapter some time ago. I thought your line, "PJ must have been truly gifted" was an interesting thought, but I wonder what you meant but "truly" gifted? that line makes me think that you feel that someone is falsely gifted if those around them influence them...I'm not sure that that is what you meant to communicate. I don't think this post was quite alligned with the assignment; You were supposed to post responses to the quotes you provided, and then write about how the book has related to you own experience in a later paragraph. However, your format was effective as well.
Eloise (HW=visit),
This is gorgeous writing! How creative and appropriate to make narrative poem. Your writing accentuates the gravity of the situation you witnessed on you visit. I think when you said "She says she feels there pain but doesn't urn for their intensity" you meant to say "She says she feels their pain but doesn't yearn for their intensity"...but I might be mistaken. I would have liked to read a bit about the context of this visit; who was this female you were visiting? Did you know her prior to your visit? Did she like being interviewed?
Eloise (Sicko HW),
It is interesting that you describe Michael Moore's simple portrayal of other countries as a positive thing, because it scares citizens into submissions. Why do you think that the idea of free health care systems in other countries motivates citizens in the US to be submissive? Do you think that Michael Moore was right in portraying health care systems in a cartoony light? These are ideas that, if elaborated upon, could benefit your last paragraph.
Your precis was refreshingly straightforward, by the way. I enjoyed your bravery in switching things up, even if it wasn't intentional.
Eloise,
I love your specific plans for pharmaceutical economy of our country. I'm not sure if they would work, but I think it is beneficial to fall into the habit of searching for solutions to our societal problems. You say, "Mountains are there to climb, so I am going to hike till it kills me." How do you intend to "hike"? Do you have a strategy, or some ideas for how to make a difference, even when we can't significantly alter our economy or put plans for it into action? I'm interested to hear about what you have in mind.
Eloise (Book review part 2),
One day when we went to the hospital in Peru Eloise,
"Farmer was walking rapidly to diagnose a patient when he encountered his first proof of success a little boy of 3 years of age once weighing 20 pounds with MDR TB now chubby and running. Farmer created a regime of second-line drugs based on his knowledge of TB, and children. It worked miraculously. Then the joy was over, on to the next patient..." This is a little confusing. Had I not read the book, I would not understand when Farmer created this second line drug regime. I wouldn't have known if he'd created right then and there in the hospital hallway, or years before. This is trivial, but I think it is important to be clear, especially in a well written precis.
I appreciate your discernment in finding symbolism in the quote about the childrens' ball; I did not see that deeper meaning before I read your blog.
Eloise (Book review part 1,
Your precis had many helpful details, such as dates, PIH's budget, the number of TB stricken Haitians, and the various hours that patients come to call. Keep it up, but keep it concise!
Because I am in the middle of a book about the psychological needs of men and women, I relate to your sentence, "I think Farmer has the magical quality to not tell the person not to feel the way the do (as I would) but how to help cope with the feelings. That in its self is HARD to do..." This is so true. It is so easy to tell a friend they are wrong to feel how they feel, and yet it is so harmful. I think Farmer helps to heal his patients in ways beyond the physical, because he understands everyone's innate need to just be heard. I found your writing to be beautiful in both meaning and wording, but it would be even more so if there were fewer sentence fragments. Not to get all "sat" on you, but I see grammatical progress in your blogs; keep it up!
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Casey,
Great post and I will write a more detailed comment later but I want to remind you that money wasn't the only reason we couldn't get my father insurance- we would have given any amount of money for his well-being. We were lied to by the insurance companies and mislead into believing it was "being taken care of" whereas he was actually just shoved aside and fell through a crack in the system.
Hope you had an awesome break!
Evan
From Eloise:
YO ! I think this was a really great post, as always the writing style flowed nicley. I think that your greatest strength shown in this post is your ablity to incorporate your thoughts on illness in dying with all aspects explored in the class so far. I belive the best line was " Even so, I wondered how he could have thought that he was invincible. I realized that such an attitude can be found in most people, whether revealed by an 11 year old boy jay walking, a high school freshman smoking cigarettes, a college student forgoing a condom, an obese middle aged woman watching television all day instead of going to the gym, or a diabetic man having a field day at Kentucky Fried Chicken. No one wants to think that they are susceptible to sickness, to mortality, to falling into a vulnerable hospitalized circumstance, to death." It was funny because you stated so many true cases, even though many sound like a sterotypes and relatead it to what sounded to be a dominant american population.. but I think you got slightly distracted by why many people don't get health insurance because I am sure your uncle as invincable as he felt if insurance was free he would gladly accept. So I think this highlighted the sad fact that one cannot be optomistic rather feel pesemistic and get insurance because it is not simply provided it is a choice determined based on economic position.
OVERALL GOOD JOB ! :)
Casey,
Awesome post here. I see many parallels between your uncle and my father! They both thought they were invincible, did the most to avoid being in the hands of doctors and suffered for it. You are absolutely right about this 'invincibility complex' that we all share, and as for the best line, I have to agree with Eloise with
"I realized that such an attitude can be found in most people, whether revealed by an 11 year old boy jay walking, a high school freshman smoking cigarettes, a college student forgoing a condom, an obese middle aged woman watching television all day instead of going to the gym, or a diabetic man having a field day at Kentucky Fried Chicken."
Pretty much summed it all up there. We take death for granted and even laugh in its face often multiple times a day, little do we realize we will never truly obtain the "last laugh". Wonderful.
Keep it up!
Evan
p.s. I found one little typo you might want to edit... at least I think it's a typo? "Infects his life" at the end of the first P?
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