“Deficits” by Michael Ignatieff
Frankie ……………….

Questions about Meaning
Based on Ignatieff’s account, the effects of Alzheimer’s on patients include forgetfulness, aging fast and a feeling of loneliness. The patient is detached from the reality of life.
The narrator tells us that his mother (a patient) spent a week with her grandson. But after a week with him, she looks puzzled and says “He’s a nice little boy. Where does he sleep, I mean, who does he belong to?” (p.214).This shows she forgets quite easily and fast. The family members are faced with the responsibilities of taking care of the patient performing even the basics that the patient would comfortably do if he or she did not have the condition. They are also tasked with making sure that the patient follows medication. The narrator says “My brother usually stays with her my Dad is out of town. Once or twice a year, it’s my turn. I put her to bed at night. I hand her the pills-small green ones that are supposed to control her moods-and she swallows them” (p.214). The caretakers and the family members in this case are the ones with a harder time with dealing with the disease.
Ignatieff talks of fear that was “her mother’s secret”. This fear comes from her childhood air raid experience where she watched a mother sheltering a baby and thinking that she was all alone. (p.215).This shows that childhood experiences have strong ramifications on later life.
The author’s relationship with his mother is cordial and close. He is doing all the caring work for his mother, once or twice a year. However, the mother used to do these things for herself when she was young. The author tells us “Now I shave her. I soap her face and legs with my shaving brush. She sits perfectly still; as my razor comes around her chin we are as close as when I was a little boy” (p.215).
The author makes a comparison between his mother and a little girl at the end of the essay because: * She was the youngest girl in her family and felt all alone. She was dyslexic and the one left behind during her childhood. * She is now old, helpless and sickly. She feels alone again.
These two episodes of her life are similar and therefore the author is correctly making an informed comparison.
Questions about Rhetorical Strategy and Style
The author introduces this essay with a dialogue between himself and his mother. This is because these are the main characters in the essay. The dialogue introduces the reader to the theme and plot of the essay, telling him that the author’s mother is suffering from poor memory.
The author chooses to include intimate details of his caring to his mother. This level of detail contributes to showing the readers how close he is to his mother. He is determined to go to any lengths in caring. However, some readers may find this uncomfortable and should have been done by a hired caretaker. The author uses sensory appeals in the essay. Examples are: * Sight- “Often when I wake in the night, I see her lying next to me” (p.214) * Sound- When there are guests for dinner, the author’s mother bends slightly to catch everything that is said. * Taste- When the author was young, he tasted beer that was “bitter” (p.215). * Touch- the grandson goes down on the floor and kisses her feet (p.214). * Smell- She has anxieties and paces the floor waiting for lunch. (p.215).
References
Ignatieff, M. (n.d) Deficits