How To Paul Kalanithi When Breath Becomes Air Essay

“Understanding is deeper than knowledge, there are many who know you but very few understand you”, we as humans often believe that we understand what people are going through, we believe that if we have the knowledge of exactly what is happening, we know what it feels like to be in that position. However, many people will never understand until it happens to them. We also tend to take life for granted, expecting too much and having a negative outlook on our situation when others are far worse off than ourselves. People are shaped by the experiences they have throughout life, this is why some people have a more optimistic outlook than others. For me, I had never understood a big change in life until I moved from my home Moonie, a small country

Kalanithi has produced a disturbing, yet intriguing autobiographical book about his journey towards death. He writes from when he was on the verge of completing years of training as a neurosurgeon when he learns that he has stage IV lung cancer. He explains how one day, he was a confident, young neurosurgeon saving lives, the next he was the patient, struggling to live. Just like that the future he had planned for his wife and himself had evaporated. When reading Kalanathi’s book, the audience is pulled into the story as though they too are experiencing cancer on a physical and mental level. Whilst doing this he uses clear language to allow the reader to experience what he is feeling, whilst(these two sentences don’t flow) skilfully entwining irony into the title `When Breathe becomes Air’ as it undoubtedly refers to the view that lung cancer causes breathing problems. The title further reiterates the underlying theme, which consists of the significant changes in life when diagnosed with cancer.(wording isn’t great here) Kalanathi’s writes poignantly about how he had become polished when talking about terminal illness. With these skills his empathy for patients had turned into sympathy. Moreover, the readers are left feeling inspired by an ordinary person

This captivating, bold and irreverent text further explores the role of cancer in modern society. Hazel Grace, a young teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer who begins to attend a cancer support group where she meets a young boy named Angus Waters. Together, they experience a range of emotions that include love and sadness, whilst they search for the author of their favourite book, only to be bitterly disappointed when they finally meet him. After their trip, only further heartbreak hits them when Angus is delivered the news that he once again has osteosarcoma (a rare form of bone