Quality of Life // Emma Kate Patterson

 In the opening of chapter thirty-five Dickens states," I lay ill through several weeks, and the usual tenor of my life became like an old remembrance. But this was not the effect of time, so much as the change in all my habits, made by the helplessness and inaction of a sick room." To open the chapter Dickens makes it the sickness clear to the reader. He then uses a synonym to help the reader better understand the loss of the quality of life that has been experienced by the sick character. This is important because it sets the scene for the reader and leads into what I find to be a very enlightening statement made by Dickens. He makes the statement that the loss of the quality of life is not due to the loss of time but due to the loss of habits. I think so many times when we think of a serious sickness we associate it with the loss of time on this earth. In all actuality it is important to remember that often times the quality of life for terminally ill patients does not come from the time left but that time is spent doing. I big debate that is constantly made for majorly ill patients is if the treatment is worth the extra time if it cause the inability of action. I think Dickens covers this perfectly in this opening statement of the chapter. He paints a picture for the reader to understand the sickness and quality of life and then tells what caused the loss of quality of life. I think the second sentence in the paragraph paints a picture for the reader to better understand not the illness of the character but also the illness of real life serious sicknesses.


I commented on Song Whittington's and Emma Dalgety's post 

Comments

  1. Emma DNovember 8, 2021 at 11:24 PM

    I think this is so true! When Esther slowly recovers, it's almost like watching her half-live, since she at first does none of the things we are accustomed to seeing her doing, and remains so isolated from the people she loves (it's so heartbreaking... I admit I did cry when she sees herself in the mirror). It's only when she comes back to Bleak House, takes back the keys, and puts everything back the way it was does it feel like she's truly recovered (though now a new version of herself). (Also... Charley was the most amazing character in these chapters. Talk about learning from Esther and matching her work ethic!) - Emma D

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