...You are trapped in your own mind with your brain making you believe awful things. Something I have learned about mental illness is that, yes it is unpleasant, but it is so important to talk about. A lot of people go through life feeling so ashamed of something they have no control over and that is upsetting. If I have learned anything from suffering with mental illness; it is that we are so much stronger than we think we are. I had no idea I was strong enough to go through something like that and I have promised myself to never let that happen again. I am better than that and I deserve so...
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...up at the ceiling long after my rather large group of friends leave with the questions, “What’s wrong with being skinny?” They leave Molly to find me as a still as a statue. I turn my head to look at her and before I realise, I’m sobbing inside her warm, comfortable arms. The last time I remember feeling this safe with someone was with my four-year deceased father, bringing back memories of baking cookies (back when I didn’t shudder at carbs) and running around a sprinkler on hot summer days with him. This makes me cry harder. “Where did I go wrong?” I shudder into her chest. Molly lifts my head and looks at me with her warm, honeyed eyes, her brown hair cascading around her face. “Britney, you pushed yourself too far. You have a mental illness, and although it might seem scary as hell, I want you to know that I’m here for you. For real this time. The other girls in our group, Karen, Stephany, Hannah and so on, they don’t realise what’s wrong. And they won’t help. But I’ll always be there. You’re the closest friend I’ve ever had, and I can’t lose you.” I am speechless as my gratitude overwhelms me, so instead of thanking her I just hug her tighter. … Despite my protests, Molly eventually has to go and leaves me surrounded by the many thoughts swarming in my head. I now know what I’ve been doing has slowly been killing me inside, and no matter what I do, my body will never reach the perfection my mind so desperately craves. But that’s the beauty of being aware of the reasoning...
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...It was Christmas-time 2014 when I found myself nodding along to Lil Jon’s “Get Low” at a concert that I wasn’t entirely too interested in. A boy standing next to me, looking far more enthusiastic than I was, decided now was the time to shout into my ear that I had “pretty hair.” That was it—Lil Jon’s number one, khaki-shorts-wearing fan had set me in my distaste for hair related compliments. I don’t mean to undermine the endless other comments I’d received—my hockey team was always gushing about my “good helmet hair,” and my aunt confessed her jealousy at Thanksgiving dinner. With each well-meaning word, I could feel myself shrinking. By the time of the concert, I wondered if I had hidden myself so effectively in my hair that I had simply become it, disappearing completely and leaving a much loved chestnut updo in my place. Khaki Pants Guy grinned at me, awaiting thanks, oblivious to my spiraling distress. By New Years, I was staring holes into my bathroom mirror, sporting nearly two feet less hair. I touched my features, all still there, all still incredibly average. My hands landed in my new mess of pixie cut while I watched my face, searching for any sign of emotional instability. It was easy to put on a smile for my teary-eyed parents, promising “it grows back!” Friends claimed to love the change, as long as I did the same. Everyone seemed to have an opinion, but mine was still up in the air. This haircut was exactly what I’d wanted—immediate change—but I still felt my fingers...
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...Nancarrow-Clark (2012) states “illness is the personal experience of one who has been diagnosed by a doctor or who does not feel well; it involves changes in states of being and in social function” (p. 198). To listen to the story of the personal experience of a person with an illness is a narrative or a story that can be written or spoken about a series of events. A narrative of illness is the story of how one experiences illness and its accompaniments. Hellman (2007) refers to it as a “basic way of organizing an experience, especially a traumatic one; of ‘making sense of it’, and giving it meaning” (p. 140). A narrative is not only an explanation of what the patient is experiencing, but also their interpretation of the illness experience,...
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...Medicine 58 (2004) 1647–1657 Understanding breast cancer stories via Frank’s narrative types Roanne Thomas-MacLean* Dalhousie University Family, Medicine Teaching Unit, Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, P.O. Box 9000, Priestman St. Fredericton, NB Canada E3B 5N5 Abstract While breast cancer narratives have become prevalent in Western culture, few researchers have explored the structure of such narratives, relying instead on some form of thematic analysis based upon content. Although such analyses are valuable, Arthur Frank (The Wounded Storyteller, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1995) provides researchers with an additional means of studying stories of illness, through the examination of their structures. In this article, the author applies Frank’s work to a phenomenological study of embodiment after breast cancer. Frank’s three narrative types are used to enhance understanding of the ways in which stories are culturally constructed, using data collected through one focus group discussion and two in-depth interviews with each of 12 women who had experienced breast cancer. The author then conveys the significance of this form of analysis for future research. r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Breast cancer; Qualitative and narrative Introduction Frank (1995) writes that those who are ill ‘‘need to become storytellers in order to recover the voices that illness and its treatment often take away’’. (p. xii) Frank’s ideas are supported...
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...refers to the part of the novel, when Kino discovers an enormous pearl or “the Pearl of the World”. The register of the text is fictional narrative, and type of narration is heterodiegetic, because the narrator situated outside the level of action. The text is with omniscient point of view, or zero focalization – the narrator knows more than characters. The authorial narrative allows the narrator to have an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and to see the story from outsider`s position: And he wondered whether he had baptized Kino`s baby, or married him for that matter. And the doctor’s eyes rolled up a little fat hammocks and he thought of Paris. He remembered the room he had lived in there … In addition, it is a third-person narrative extract, because all character of the story referred as “they” “it” “he”: their mother knew it; his eyes; he wondered; they waited etc. Finally, it is overt narrator; he makes his opinion known and gives extra information and explanations: The news came to the doctor where he sat with a woman whose illness was age, thought neither she nor the doctor would admit it (this is also an example of irony). The narrator uses evaluative phrases and emotive expressions, e.g. And a town has a whole emotion; panting little boys; curious dark residue, etc. To create the tone or melody of the narrative, the narrator use conjunction “and” number of sentences in the extract begins with this conjunction: And a town has a whole emotion. And...
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...Gattaca presents a chilling vision of a “not-too distant future”. A future in which, despite numerous safety checks and precautions being taken, human greed and selfishness endangers the happiness, progress, and very souls of humanity. I am referring, of course, to the criminal injustice of a man committing fraud in order to secure his right to pilot a group of five other people on a potentially dangerous mission while suffering from a heart condition which could kill him (and, by inevitable extension, them) at any moment. Though Gattaca tries very hard to paint him as a hero, Vincent Freeman is despicably self-centered, and stands to ruin a great many lives, if one considers his actions in the film through a serious lens, rather than a dramatic one. It’s not surprising that many people can watch the movie while missing this detail - it makes every effort to show a world in which individual freedom is suppressed, and must triumph. It hardly goes a scene without inviting us to consider the plight of gifted ten-fingered piano players, unable to produce the currently fashionable music, or brilliant minds restricted to menial work because of their genius’ natural origins. It is a setting brilliantly suited to the story of a man unjustly disregarded attaining the dream he so richly deserves. This makes it somewhat unfortunate that it is actually the story of an unchained sociopath destroying everything in his way. Vincent’s case isn’t like the ones discussed above. He isn’t...
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...Everyone loves a vacation, a time where you can get away from the everyday stress, lay back and really relax. But in some places this relaxation is ruined, not because of bad weather or illness, but because of the natives thrusting for your money. We all hate the feeling of the na-tives pulling us towards them when passing a restaurant or trying to sell us something, only seeing us as a money machine. This is the problem the main character “Kate” a Scottish girl on vacation on Zanzibar, faces in Allan Bissett’s short story “Flotsam and Jetsam” 2012. The narrative point of view in the Short story “Flotsam and Jetsam” is in 3ird person narrative with a limited non-omniscient point of view. The story follows the main character “Kate” and her vacation on Zanzibar, her thoughts are not written down, but there is use of hesitation in what she is saying and direct written of her feelings, that makes it feel like we are reading her thoughts “Just reading it made her the sort of dizzy teenagers feel when first in love.” “She opened her mouth then closed it, scanning his intensions.” A limited narrator can be very unre-liable because the reader only sees the situation from one perspective instead of more, and it is difficult to be aware of all the important events. The story takes place in the physical setting of Zanzibar, but this story isn’t only referring to Zanzibar but all other Eastern places that depend on tourist and their money. At the beginning of this short story the...
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...and quite honestly still reigns true. Over the span of my life I have experienced poverty,health complications with my mother, and mental illness. I’ve found that the only way out of a bleak circumstance is through it, and perseverance through these difficulties has resulted in my drive to excel academically and attend college as the first one in my family to do so. I was in the seventh grade when my father told me that he had lost his well-paying job with the BNSF railroad company, and ever since then, he has not been able to hold a steady career. He has hopped from low-paying job to low-paying job, but he has not been able to support the family in a stable way since I was about twelve. This resulted in the absence of hot water,...
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...Endless alarms, bright blinking monitors, scary scurrying strangers, fish-face nebulizer masks, and numerous needle sticks punctuate my early memories. With each ER visit, the life-saving routine became increasingly predictable as doctors grew more aware of how to treat my life-threatening chronic illnesses. I lived with angst as a constant reminder that I could not afford to make the mistake of living a carefree childhood. Dining spontaneously and freely exploring the world were not my options. Approaching the drop-off line on the first day of Kindergarten, I felt like Ruby Bridges. Why was the crowd pointing at me? Why were parents circulating a petition to remove me from “their” school? For years, bullies propelled their slanderous claims about me throughout the community. I was physically attacked. I was excluded from social activities. The sensationalized media coverage of the situation failed to include my side of the story. I faced fear many times, but the perpetuated ignorance and hatred I felt from the homogenous local community seemed insurmountable. Determined to prove I am not defined by my illnesses, I focused on developing resiliency and inner strength. My Holocaust survivor grandmother taught me I can overcome adversity through perseverance. My activist grandmother taught me I can create change through education. My immigrant grandfather taught me that compassion and generosity can lead to personal satisfaction. My parents demonstrated hard work...
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...Jorie (&Jamie): A Deposition It is always hard for families having a kid with an illness – whether is mental or corporeal. The same is it for the family of Jorie and Jamie. Their father leaves the house and their mother ends up in jail. How and why does it end up with that? Following there will be a focus on how the narrative technique affects the story and further a characterization of the mother. The narrator of the story is the thirteen-year-old girl, Jamie. Jamie used to live in a house with her mom, dad, twin-sister and little brother. Jamie’s twin-sister, Jorie, suffers from mental illnesses like neurological impairment and epilepsy seizures. Jorie’s illnesses cause a lot of problems in the house and family. The story is Jamie’s deposition of the actions that have occurred in the house. The story’s chronology changes a lot throughout the text and switches between flashbacks and present talk, which says a lot about the narrator Jamie, and also that it is a deposition. Lines 1-34 are a flashback, but ll. 34-37 is back to present. In the present talking you can sense the authenticity of Jamie saying: “Can I see my mom now? When can I see my mom?” We get a sense of something have happened to the mother and further that Jamie and the mother are very connected to each other. This sense of that something has happened is very central for the story. First of all by an interpretation of the title, which is deposition. Something has happened and need to be explained...
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...part of the story, the narrator recalls the time of Emily’s death and how the whole town attends her funeral in her old dilapidated home. We are told how the previous mayor, a man in his eighties, has retracted Emily’s taxes after her father’s death. When the new younger generation town leaders take over they try to make her pay taxes but she gets her way and successfully gets rid of these officials. In the second part, the narrator describes how thirty years earlier, Emily’s house started to smell horrible. The younger officials sprinkle lime along the foundation to appease the townspeople who are complaining of the odor. The narrator gives us a clue about Emily’s state of mind by telling us the Emily’s great aunt had succumbed to mental illness. Even though Emily has denied that her father is dead for three days, eventually she turns over his body to be buried. In the third part, a contractor named Homer Barron comes to town to pave some roads. Homer starts taking Emily out for a buggy ride but the townspeople don’t approve, thinking that he’s beneath her social status. After this she buys arsenic and gets her way again by...
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...Escape – Extract 2 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “It was kind of lazy...”(p26) to “...till he got that chance.” (27) Collins Classics The Catcher in the Rye “The funny thing is though...”(p13) to “...when you think about it.” (p16) Penguin Analyse the extract in detail. Make sure you cover: * The ways in which the writer presents and develops Huck’s character. * The ways in which the writer creates a distinctive narrative voice. * The ways in which the theme of escape is presented. The ways in which any other themes are explored by the writer. * The ways in which the extract is a product of the novel’s social and historical context. In both extracts the theme of escape is explored. In extract 1, Huck is planning to escape from his abusive father and in extract 2 Holden does his best to escape from Mr Spencer’s room. Both extracts are in the first person so that the reader feels the narrator’s discomfort. Both characters feel the need to escape from oppression of some type; Huck from physical abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father and Holden from what he feels is the oppressive, “depressing” atmosphere of Spencer’s room and Pencey in general. In both extracts the reader feels the anxiety of the main character. However, the two characters are quite different. Huck is practical, resourceful and admirably cheerful whereas Holden is portrayed as neurotic and judgemental. We seem to be presented with a hero in Huck and an anti-hero in Holden. Both characters...
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...Through Gilman writing she shows us that is a lack of understanding when it comes to the mentally ill. In the story the Yellow Wallpaper it says “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in a man. John is practical in the extreme. He has no patient with faith, an intense horror of superstition. That there is nothing the matter with one but temporarily nervous depression a slight hysterical tendency what is one to do.” (pg.154) Today, Doctors who treat mental illness give temporary drugs that have permeant effects on the body and mind with extreme consequences. In the article, Anatomy of an epidemic psychiatric drugs and the astonishing rise of mental illness in America it states Big drug based paradigm of care that is fueling this epidemic. Big pharmaceutical drugs increase the likihood that a person will become chronically ill, and induce.” The second most common way that mental illness...
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...improve patient’s quality of life. Is the work of a team of doctors, nurses, occupational therapist and other health professionals who work together to clarify goals of care, and provide symptoms management, financial, emotional and spiritual support. Patient can receive this care at any time and any stage of illness, whether will it be terminated or not. Family members are an important part of cancer care, like the patients they have a number of changing needs. Family members can become overwhelmed by the responsibilities...
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