STEP 1: Choose at least 3 quotes from Khullar’s text. Beneath each quote, write a brief passage that either SUPPORTS, DEVELOPS, COMPLICATES, and or DISAGREES WITH the quote. Please clearly lable each response. STEP 3: Finally, choose 2 more quotes–one from Geary and one from Erard. Choose quotes that strike you as relevant to the conversation. After identifying the source use 1-2 sentences to explain why you chose each quote.
“The words we choose to describe illness are powerful” (Khullar 2) — I completely agree with this quote because the verbiage that is used by medical professionals or a patient is going to directly impact their outlook on an illness. It is subjective to both providers and patient for how they look at an illness, and they will influence each other.
“Physicians who used more metaphors were seen as better communicators” (Khullar 2)– Speaking from personal experience, I can understand how this would be found true by most. A major job of doctors is to be able to translate medical terminology into commonplace language that their patient can understand. I agree that a doctor who is able to incorporate metaphors into their explanation could do a great job, but that relies on the choice of metaphor. Some metaphors may be hard to understand and give the wrong idea of the illness. So even if a patient thinks they understand their illness, that is all reliant on the strength of the metaphor that their doctor used. Medicine is concrete, metaphors are not.
“(F)or many patients, thinking of their treatment course as a fight or battle may be helpful, and important part of their journey, invoking ideals of courage, resilience, and determination” (Khullar 5)– While this statement is true for most patients, some might find a metaphor of violence challenging. Especially for patients with chronic illnesses, coming to terms with their illness would be hard on terms of violence. Peaceful metaphors may be of better use to them.
“Metaphor matters because it created expectations” (Geary 5:09)– This quote directly relates to how a metaphor impacts an individual’s outlook on a whole course of treatment.
“you do have to be careful with emotional responses” (Erard 6)– This quote speaks directly to Khullar’s point. Different metaphors elicit different emotional responses depending on the individual.
I like the diversity of the quotes you used. I think that the second quote should have a beginning quotation. Also the third quote explanation, I think it would be beneficial to go more in depth about the idea of having a more peaceful metaphor for the patients who wouldn’t want to think of their illness as a battle. Don’t forget that you had to elaborate on all the quotes and why you chose them. Good job.
I think that last Erard quote (along with some context) would work really well in your paper! The personal connection that you begin to build with your second Khullar quote could prove really fruitful if you elaborate a little more. I like Zoe’s advice to elaborate on the benefits of having a more peaceful metaphor. That sounds like a word count generator to me!