The book contrasts the view points and metaphors associated with each disease. Other articles where illness as metaphor is discussed. Despite the currency of the notion of mental illness, there are those who take the radical skeptical line that mental illness is a fabrication. Sylvia plath described her depression as a bell jar. A cancer patient herself when she was writing the book, sontag shows how the metaphors and myths surrounding certain illnesses, especially cancer, add greatly to the suffering of patients and often inhibit them from seeking proper treatment. Illness as metaphor served as a way for susan sontag to express her opinions on the use of metaphors in order to refer to illnesses, with her main focuses being tuberculosis and cancer. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Mar 23, 2020 the different uses of illness as metaphor go hand in hand with the human tendency to compare things to the human body.
Click on a datetime to view the file as it appeared at that time. At the moment, however, we still use the term mental illness, albeit in a nonpejorative way. Illness as metaphor and aids and its metaphors free pdf. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Illness as metaphor quotes by susan sontag goodreads. Discussion of sontags illness as metaphor 211 sontags essay is hurried and sometimes careless. Chaplain white reflected upon the correlation between this section of sontags essay and the play oedipus rex. Syphilis was thought to be not only a horrible dis ease but a demeaning, vulgar one. It is largely as a result of her work that the howto health books avoid the blameridden term cancer personality and speak more soothingly of diseaseproducing. Album illness as metaphor illness as metaphor chapter 1 lyrics two diseases have been spectacularly, and similarly, encumbered by the trappings of metaphor. The deeply ingrained metaphor of the ill person fighting a battle which can be won or lost is one of the features of the way we talk about illness challenged by susan sontag in her book illness as metaphor and aids and its metaphors. Although we all prefer to use the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place. Illness as metaphor and aids and its metaphors penguin. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
Illness as metaphor is a 1978 work of critical theory by susan sontag, in which she challenges. Illness is the nightside of life, a more onerous citizenship. It is not uncommon for people to write about their. Perhaps it was the spirit that had led her, when she recovered from her first cancer, to write a little proudly in her book aids and its metaphors of. Apr 12, 20 another possibility is the metaphor of a journey. It is largely as a result of her work that the howto health books avoid the blameridden term cancer personality and speak more soothingly of diseaseproducing lifestyles. Susan sontags illness as metaphor was the first to point out the accusatory side of the metaphors of empowerment that seek to enlist the patients will to resist disease. She states her main point on the first page of this long essay. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 436k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the. If and when we do this, i believe we have an obligation to acknowledge that we have no empirical evidence that any sort of biologically based mental illness exists.
Other major themes presented in the lecture greatly intrigued me. Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick. This interest led me to meet with chaplain white and discuss in detail his opinion on chapter six from illness as metaphor. Analogies to the human body occur everywhere in language, and they include broad metaphors such as the body of a political system, the brains of an organization, or the heart of a business. Reflections on illness and metaphor, 30 years after susan sontag. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Illness as metaphor is a nonfiction work written by susan sontag and published in 1978. With this image, having an illness takes us on a trip, a journey that will be marked by twists and turns, ups and downs, unexpected detours, smooth stretches of roadway, seemingly impassable rocky paths, enemies that threaten us as well loved ones who support us. The metaphor of mental illness neil pickering oxford. She concludes that not all metaphors applied to illnesses and their treatment are equally unsavory and distorting p.
The most truthful way of regarding illness and the healthiest way of being illis one most purified of, most resistant to, metaphoric thinking. Two diseases have been spectacularly, and simi larly, encumbered by the trappings of metaphor. In 1978 susan sontag wrote illness as metaphor, a classic work described by newsweek as one of the most liberating books of its time. Jul 03, 2009 buy illness as metaphor and aids and its metaphors penguin modern classics by sontag, susan isbn. Discussion of themes and motifs in susan sontag s illness as metaphor. Very sick the presence of competence while mind would indeed. Mar 27, 2011 and, whats more, neuroscience will sort out those physical abnormalities for us. Aug 25, 2001 in 1978 susan sontag wrote illness as metaphor, a classic work described by newsweek as one of the most liberating books of its time. Susan soniags studies on illness and metaphor raise a host of questions, based on the twin suppositions running through her project.
Illness is the nightside of life, a more onerous citi zenship. Research on metaphor and breast cancer patients is scarce fillion, 20 and metaphor and prostate cancer patients is a topic which, to my knowledge, has not yet been a focus of investigation. Change the warfare metaphors when it comes to illness. Sep 08, 2007 illness as metaphor examines in more general than personal terms how society regards illness and being ill, in particular the punitive or sentimental fantasies concocted about that situation. Jul 30, 2008 the mental illness metaphor has not worked. I just noticed that youtube was lacking original cast recordings of bbaj and i set out to fix that.
In a sense she still writes from her experience in focusing on descriptions of cancer with some comparisons with tuberculosis, the disease that. Neil small, professor of health research, school of health studies, university of bradford. In l978 susan sontag wrote illness as metaphor, a classic work described by newsweek as one of the most liberating books of its time. A probing essay on the nature of human reactions to illness. In illness as metaphor, which focused on cancer, sontag argued that the myths and metaphors surrounding disease can kill by instilling shame and guilt in the sick. What are the different uses of illness as metaphor. As so we often casually refer to these experiences as mental illness. Yet it is hardly possible to take up ones residence in the kingdom of the ill.
Sontag argues against the use of illness as metaphor. Complete summary of susan sontag s illness as metaphor. Illness as metaphor, a groundbreaking book, grew out of susan sontags own struggle with disease. Illness as more than metaphor new york times msuepi. Aug 10, 2015 published in 1978, illness as metaphor is a polemic against what she perceived as the current practice of using cultural metaphors to describe serious illness. Her point is that ill ness is not a metaphor, and that the most truthful way of regarding illnessand the healthiest way of being illis to resist such metaphoric thinking. The sad fact is that in over 100 years of research into mental illness driven by a defectbased disease model, the yield in. Perhaps her repressed personality had contributed to her sickness, she surmised.
Thats progress, but until we do away with the term completely, and assert, like szasz, that it is indeed a metaphor, we will still be hamstrung by history. Susan sontag s illness as metaphor was the first to point out the accusatory side of the metaphors of empowerment that seek to enlist the patients will to resist disease. Yet it is hardly possible to take up ones residence. She challenged the blame the victim mentality behind the language society often uses to describe diseases and those who suffer from them. Dec 21, 20 click on a datetime to view the file as it appeared at that time. Metaphor and mental health advice centre of excellence. Because wherever i saton the deck of a ship or at a street cafe in paris or bangkoki would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air. The metaphor she is most anxious to see eliminated is the military metaphor, both on an illness level illness invades the person and a societal level social problems invade society. Since the publication of susan sontag s highly influential illness as metaphor in 1978, many studies have provided followup analyses on her critique of metaphors for cancer, but none have. My point is that illness is not a metaphor, and that the most truthful way of regarding illness and the healthiest way of being illis one most purified of, most resistant to, metaphoric thinking. My point is that illness is not a metaphor, and that the most truthful way of regarding illnessand the healthiest way of being illis one most purified of, most resistant to, metaphoric thinking.
Click download or read online button to get illness as metaphor book now. An incisive extended essay, illness as metaphor exposes mythologies connected with two of the most fearful of maladies, tuberculosis and cancer. Some metaphors are mortifying, they make the experience of illness worse. A cancer patient herself when she was writing the book, sontag shows how the metaphors and myths surrounding. Aids and its metaphors was published in 1988, while illness as a metaphor was published ten years earlier, before the emergence of aids into the global conscious.
In the 19th century it was tuberculosis, and by 1978 it was cancer. Although we all prefer to use only the good pass port, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place. Two diseases have been spectacularly, and similarly, encumbered by the trappings of metaphor. Illness as metaphor and aids and its metaphors susan sontag.