{"id":428,"date":"2013-07-26T16:11:29","date_gmt":"2013-07-26T20:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/?page_id=428"},"modified":"2013-07-26T16:11:29","modified_gmt":"2013-07-26T20:11:29","slug":"sample-essay-and-assignment-illness-as-metaphor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/assignments-and-rubrics\/writing-assignments\/sample-essay-and-assignment-illness-as-metaphor\/","title":{"rendered":"Sample essay and assignment: Illness as metaphor"},"content":{"rendered":"
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E<\/b>ssay #2 Assignment: <\/b>I<\/i>l<\/i>lness as Metaphor<\/i><\/p>\n

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\u201cMy subject is not physical illness itself but the uses of illness as a figure or metaphor. My point is that illness is not a metaphor, and the most truthful way of regarding illness\u2014and the healthiest way of being ill\u2014is one most purified of, most resistant to, metaphoric thinking. Yet, it is hardly possible to take up one\u2019s residence in the kingdom of the ill unprejudiced by the lurid metaphors with which it has been landscaped. It is toward an elucidation of those metaphors, and a liberation from them, that I dedicate this inquiry\u201d (Sontag 4).<\/p>\n

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For this assignment, you will be applying Susan Sontag\u2019s method from Illness as Metaphor <\/i>(1978) to identify figurative language used to describe illnesses, diseases, or syndromes. You should select an illness that has no known demonstrable cause or one in which many causes are speculated.\u00a0 Your essay should make a claim about whether or not the language used to discuss your disease supports, refutes, or complicates Sontag\u2019s thesis. Consider the examples of figurative language we have discussed in class and Sontag\u2019s models of psychological, economic, and military metaphors. \u00a0What would Sontag say about the language used to discuss<\/p>\n

your illness? How does metaphor shape cultural attitudes about the illness, disease, or syndrome? Why does she urge us to purify ourselves from metaphors?<\/p>\n

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Recommendations:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In contrast to what we discussed in class, I\u2019m going to widen the parameters a bit and allow you to research \u201cdisorders.\u201d \u00a0This means that autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorder, and a long list of other similarly classified behaviors are possible topics.\u00a0 That said, proceed with caution since it might require a bit of extra work.\u00a0 You will need to spend an adequate amount of time explaining and discussing what Sontag would think about the term \u201cdisorder\u201d and how it works with her theory.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Genetic diseases that are traceable to a genetic mutation or genetic “defect” of some kind don’t quite fit the model of a disease with an unknown cause or multiple causes. Still, Sontag would likely ask us to question the language of genetics. What would Sontag say about using the term genetic “defect?” What does she say about “mutation?” If you were to pick a genetic disease, you would<\/p>\n

need to extend Sontag’s argument to genetics which I think is possible, but like choosing \u201cdisorders\u201d<\/p>\n

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it really depends on the following:<\/p>\n

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1. What is debatable about these diseases? What does it mean to say either of them can be attributed to genetics?<\/p>\n

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2. Are they researchable? \u00a0You don\u2019t need a lot of sources for this essay but you don’t want to get stuck with only two or three to choose from because the illness, disease, syndrome, or disorder, you have chosen is rare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you are not choosing a disease from the list I have provided below, please check with me about your topic before you proceed.<\/p>\n

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Requirements:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0No straw man (woman) or ad hominem <\/i>(against the woman) fallacies.\u00a0 Remember that Sontag is writing in 1978. Don\u2019t attempt to complicate her argument by using medical advances or knowledge that she could not have possibly known about. Don\u2019t direct a counterargument against her. Instead, stick to her theory and text.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You need to apply Sontag\u2019s method and demonstrate that you understand her points before you disagree with her theory.\u00a0 Then, you can consider a potential counterargument.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3-5 different sources in addition to Sontag\u2019s text. It\u2019s the variety of sources that is important.\u00a0 As we have discussed in class, reliable websites for definitions of diseases that rely primarily on scientific, medical terms can be found at the websites below.<\/p>\n

National Institutes of Health http:\/\/www.nih.gov\/ <\/a>Center for Disease Control\u00a0 http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Databases such as PubMed and MEDLINE are good, but expect to see some figurative language. These databases can be accessed through the Butler library.<\/p>\n

Try Google Scholar for a variety of texts about your disease or illness.\u00a0 Most of the time, your search will yield scholarly articles with difficult specialized language, but occasionally, other types of documents turn up as well.<\/p>\n

Websites for the national organization or foundations about your illness or disease<\/p>\n

Patient \/Support Group websites<\/p>\n

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The final draft of this assignment should be 3-5 pages long in MLA format and conform to the writing guidelines explained under Essays & Research Paper of the FYS syllabus.<\/p>\n

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Here is a list of diseases, illnesses, syndromes, disorders with unknown causes or multiple causes. This is by no means exhaustive. \u00a0<\/b>I\u2019m happy to approve a different disease provided it meets the criteria:<\/p>\n

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Alzheimer’s\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lupus\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tourette\u2019s Syndrome<\/p>\n

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Fibromyalgia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Type I Diabetes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Erythromelalgia Endometriosis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sjogren\u2019s Syndrome<\/p>\n

Irritable Bowel Syndrome\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reflex Sympathy Dystrophy\/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome<\/p>\n

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Crohn\u2019s Disease\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Polyarteritis nodosa<\/p>\n

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 M\u00fcnchausen Syndrome<\/p>\n

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Meniere\u2019s Disease\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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XIzXzXy XRXuiXz<\/p>\n

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DXrX. XBXarXbXarXaXCXamXXpbXeXllX<\/p>\n

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XFYXSXX1X01X<\/p>\n

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3X\/X1\u00a0SX\/X20X1X3<\/p>\n

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Nothing \u00a0More<\/p>\n

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No recollection of her wedding day. No recollection of her first day of high school, of moving into college as a freshman, of all her mistakes, accomplishments, and more. As she looks around \u00a0the room full of her closest \u00a0family members, \u00a0her two daughters, her son, husband, her brother, and her sister-in-law, she squints with a confused, yet absent \u00a0look. When one stares at her eyes, they would describe \u00a0them as being empty, as if she is physically \u00a0but not mentally \u00a0there, off in some distant \u00a0land searching \u00a0and hying to bring back all she had lost. When I think of Ah;heimer’s, I think of such a person. I think of my friend’s grandmother, unable to identify \u00a0the family \u00a0members she’s cared for for 60 years, unable \u00a0to do such simple \u00a0things as shower herself.<\/p>\n

I think of people in movies and their families, feeling \u00a0like they’ve completely lost the person with the disease, feeling utterly devastated, feeling as if they’d rather have a death sentence than Alzheimer’ s. At least that way, they will have died with their dignity. The language \u00a0used to discuss Alzheimer’s disease, \u00a0specifically the military, economic, and psychological \u00a0metaphors, supports Sontag’s claim \u00a0because it leads people to fear time, to believe they’ll become disconnected and lose their identity, and to think that they’re a burden if they acquire<\/p>\n

Alzheimer’ s disease. It leads people to instinctually think ofloss. confusion. helplessness. It leads people to think that they ‘d rather die immediately than lose all of their memories because that would mean losing \u00a0their identity. \u00a0Not being able to care for oneself, \u00a0not being able to<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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remember eve1ything that made them who they were, is incomprehensible and utterly devastating to think about because of the figurative language that accompanies Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n

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The metaphors lead people to fear the passing of time, and becoming older. Alzheimer’s is always described with the psychological metaphor that it is a progressive decline or a deterioration. According to an Alzheimer’s foundation website, “Alzheimer’s worsens over time” (“Alzheimer’s”). The NIH website describes Alzheimer’s as “an irreversible, progressive brain disease” (“About”). Both quotes point out the correlation behveen time and the level of<\/p>\n

severity of the disease. The disease isn’t described as stagnant, improving, or recove1ing. Instead, it is described as unalterable, permanent, and deteriorating, because of the heavy words such as “worsens,” and “in\u00b7eversiblc” used to describe it. Its “Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe”(“Alzheimer’s”). Through the word “develop,” that description points out how the passing of time will lead to worse symptoms, and a worsening condition. And because it describes how the passing of time will make symptoms more “severe,” the fear of time is relatedly more severe. Furthermore, it is described to COITelate with age, and have an increasing risk as one ages. It’s stated that “Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older” (“About”). That leads people to fear becoming older, because they fear obtaining the disease and they’re at greater risk of obtaining it as they get older. As a result, people feel like they’re deteriorating over time and will progressively decline with the disease. They feel like once they have the disease, time is the enemy and will only make them worse.<\/p>\n

They feel like once they have the disease,\u00a0there’s\u00a0no way to overturn it or recover from it.<\/p>\n

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The metaphors lead people to believe they’ll become disconnected from loved ones, society, deeper thinking and emotion, and lose their identity. Alzheimer’s is explained with the<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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psychological metaphor of a diW \u00a01ection<\/p>\n

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speculate and propose that disconnection is also the cause. In addition, the metaphor of confusion and loss contribute to leading people to believe that they’re losing their identity. The NIH<\/p>\n

website explained that “Plaques and tangles in the brain are two of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain” (“About”). The phrase “plaques and tangles” signifies chaos and confusion within the brain, since everything isn’t orderly and everything is muddled up.The phrase “loss of connections” implies that those parts of the brain are losing connections to each other, and consequently, function. Similarly, the CDC website explained that “The plaques and tangles can lead to a gradual loss of connections between brain cells and eventually cell death” (“Dementia”). Because of the metaphors explaining Alzheimer ‘s as a disease of disorder, confusion, and loss of connection within the brain, people get the idea that their lives, once they acquire Alzheimer ‘s, will retlect the chaos and confusion, and the loss of connection within their brains. They feel like they too will live in a state of confusion, in which they won ‘t know what’s going on, how to feel, how to act, and such. They feel like they too won’t be able to connect to<\/p>\n

their friends, family, and society, and like what happens when parts of the brain lose connection<\/p>\n

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with each other, they feel like they’ll lose their ability to function or know how to function. Since they’re living in a state of disorder, confusion, and disconnection, they feel they’ll lose who they<\/p>\n

are and what makes them individuals.<\/p>\n

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The metaphors lead people to think that they’re a burden to people around them and to society. The military metaphor that labels Alzheimer’s as an enemy, as a destmctive force, leads people to believe so. Alzheimer’s is labeled as “destroying memoty and thinking skills and, eventually even the ability to catry out the simplest tasks of daily living” (“About”). It is stated<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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that “mortality rates for Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise, unlike hemt disease and cancer death rates which are continuing to decline” (“Dementia”). Because Alzheimer’s destroys such, it implies that other people must take care of the person with the disease and that that person<\/p>\n

cannot survive without the care and help of others. Also, since it has very high mortality rates,<\/p>\n

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those descriptions imply that more care is needed than other diseases, and that it is an emotional burden to loved ones knowing the mo1tality rates and the likelihood that they will die from the disease. Moreover, the economic metaphor that labels Alzheimer’s as a financial burden leads people to believe so. All of the websites mentioned the cost of the disease, and implies that it is costly for the people around the person who has Alzheimer’s disease. The CDC website, for example, poses the question “What is the burden of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States?” (“Dementia) and answers the question with “The average per person Medicare payments for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are three times higher than for those without these conditions. Medicaid spendi ng for older adults with Alzheimer ‘s disease and other dementias is nine times higher”(“Dementia) and by mentioning “Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. Alzheimer ‘s disease is the 6th leading cause of death among American adults, and the 5th leading cause of death for adults aged 65 years and older” (“Dementia). Because the CDC website used the word “burden” on the United States, it<\/p>\n

implies that people with Alzheimer’s are an economic burden not only to the people immediately close to them or around them, but to the nation as a whole as well. And because mortality rates are so high, it implies that they are an emotional and mental burden to people around them as well, because people around them have to mentally deal with their actual or potential death. Therefore, these metaphors lead people to think dtat Alzheimer’s disease will make them a physical, mental, and economic burden to others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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remove quotes and put in italics. books go in italics in MLA<\/p>\n

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Good!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I used two similar types of sources, the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Disease Control, which are websites that focus on health and disease, and se1ve as a ve1y reliable source for information involving health and diseases. I used a different website, that only focused on Alzheimer’s, but was a reliable source as well for Alzheimer’s because it is run by the Alzheimer’s association. The website run by the Alzheimer’s association contained more figurative language, because it ‘s hying to appeal to emotions and get people to understand and sympathize with people that have the disease, and to help them by donating or caring for them. Also, because it focused specifically on Alzheimer’s while the other two did not. However, the NIH and CDC websites contained more figurative language than I was expecting. Since they’re like databases for diseases and health, I was expecting the descriptions not to contain figurative language but it contained a surprising amount. That shows that figurative language can’t be avoided by this disease and that people have no way to describe Alzheimer’s without using figurative language.<\/p>\n

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Works<\/span> Cited<\/p>\n

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“About Alzheimer’s Disease: Alzheimer’s Basics.” N<\/i>ational Institute on <\/i>Aging. <\/i>N.p., n.d. Web.<\/p>\n

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18 Mar. 2013.<\/p>\n

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“Alzheimer’s Disease.” Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia I Alzheimer’s Association.<\/p>\n

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Alzheime1’s Association, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.<\/p>\n

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“DementialAlzheimer’s Disease.”\u00a0C<\/i>enters for Disease <\/i>Control <\/i>and Prevention<\/i>. <\/i>N.p.,\u00a016 Dec.<\/p>\n

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2011Web 18 Mar 2013<\/p>\n

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Sontag, Susan, and Susan Sontag.l\/lness as <\/i>Metaphor; <\/i>A<\/i>nd, <\/i>AID<\/i>S and Its<\/i>.Metaphors. <\/i>New<\/p>\n

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York: Doubleday, 1990. Print.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Essay #2 Assignment: Illness as Metaphor   \u201cMy subject is not physical illness itself but the uses of illness as a figure or metaphor. My point is that illness is not a metaphor, and the most truthful way of regarding … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1509,"featured_media":0,"parent":252,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-428","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=428"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":429,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/428\/revisions\/429"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/fys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}