The changing use of metaphors charts the evolution of social order. The depictions of illness in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice and Tristan and Albert Camus’ The Plague reveal Western culture’s evolving values. By examining their portrayals of disease through a phenomenological analysis, one sees a reflection of the philosophies of the early twentieth century. Written in 1902, Tristan illustrates the decline of the European aristocracy and the rise of new world powers. In Death in Venice, cholera represents the changing social structures by emphasizing the relationship between beauty and death. In Camus’ The Plague, the stifling effects of the plague mirror the unsettling philosophical questions inspired by the rise of totalitarianism throughout Europe and the lack of resistance to the Nazi occupation of France. By examining Thomas Mann and Albert Camus’ interpretations of disease on the individual and government, one can observe the influence of historical phenomena on Western philosophy.
As an early twentieth century work, Mann’s Tristan reflects the major political and economic changes which reshaped Europe in the pre-World War I era. As industrialism swept Europe, Europeans were forced to abandon age-old notions of aristocracy in favor of nationalist ideals and philosophies of government. The mortally afflicted Gabrielle Klöterjahn serves as the most prominent representation of the traditional elite. Delicate and feeble, Gabrielle conforms to conventional gender roles by obeying her husband’s every order. To establish Gabrielle’s role as a symbol of the failing European order, Mann juxtaposes her ailing countenance with opulent imagery. References to Gabrielle’s “pale blue and sickly” veins evoke images of the old...
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...italism and industry. Camus’ The Plague demonstrates the changes in political philosophy caused by the effects of World War II and reflects Camus’ absurdist views. Through images of oppression and futility, Camus examines the role of morality and the individual in an absurdist world with little hope for true understanding. The transition from Tristan and Death in Venice’s concern for the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of capitalism to The Plague’s interest in the nature of morality in a totalitarian society reflects the effects of political events. Through a phenomenological examination of disease in Mann’s Tristan and Death in Venice and Camus’ The Plague, one can observe the shifts in political philosophy due to major historical changes caused by the decline of the old-world monarchies and the totalitarian occupations of much of Europe by the Nazis.
In Janet Lewis’ “The Wife of Martin Guerre,” the author illustrates the family dynamics of the sixteenth century. Martin would legally remain a minor for the extent of his father’s lifetime, and women’s identity and importance were only known through their husbands. However, Bertrande de Rols, the wife of Martin Guerre, is known as herself in this novel, which expresses that the novel was written according to her experience as the wife of Martin Guerre. Even though it wasn’t acceptable for women to go forward with such accusations, Bertrande de Rols did the right thing by pursuing Arnaud as an impostor because she knew he was not her husband, despite what everyone else said. In sixteenth century France, women were not independent and treated as equals as they are today.
Some things are not as they seem. “Ring Around the Rosie” seems like a pleasant children’s nursery rhyme, but many believe it is actually a grisly song about the Black Death in Europe. The Black Death was a serial outbreak of the plague during the 1300s. During the Black Death, more than 20 million Europeans died. One-third of the population of the British Isles died from the plague. Moreover, one-third of the population of France died in the first year alone, and 50% of the people in France’s major cities died. Catastrophic death rates like these were common across all of Europe. However, just like the poem “Ring Around the Rosie”, the true effects of the Black Death differed from what many people believed. Though tragic, the Black Death caused several positive societal changes. Specifically, the Black Death helped society by contributing to the economic empowerment of peasants and disempowerment of nobility that led to the decline of manorialism, as well as by encouraging the development of new medical and scientific techniques by proving old methods and beliefs false.
But, what about the enemy that they could not see; the enemy that would plummet Medieval Europe into an age of darkness and, ultimately, death? The Bubonic Plague was a pivotal moment for Europe, bringing forth a new era of social mobility, thought, and artistic expression, leading to the Renaissance. This is very evident, as one looks farther into the supply and demand of labour, the altering perspective of the church, and the new movement in artwork.
literary perspective, which tends to blame the illness of the narrator on the patriarchy of society;
New York: Vintage Books, 1991. Print. The. Cervo, Nathan A. -. " Camus' 'The Plague'" Explicator 62.3 (2004): 169+.
Chaos struck all-over Europe in the 14th century; no social class or individual was immune from this bizarre mysterious death. Historians estimated that this unidentifiable disease killed a total of one-third of Europe’s population by the 1350’s. Now in today’s society scientists classify the unidentifiable disease as the bubonic plague also referred to as the Black Death. During 14th century European-society, there was no logical medical knowledge; instead, people resorted to supplementary explanations, such as God punishing the sinners, or other religious groups outside of Christianity misbehaving (Black Death 1). In this time period, oral tradition was still common among the illiterate, luckily for the upper class society several people were literate and documented the event of the Black Death by letters, poems, or even stories. The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is a fictional medieval allegory story within its frame narrative has 100 tales that documented life in Italy occurring the same years as the bubonic plague. In the text the Decameron, author Boccaccio, depicts a story about ten wealthy Italians fleeing to the countryside after news of this mysterious deadly disease. Through interpretations of the story, Boccaccio gives insight about the Black Death’s affects, believed causations of the time, moral and religion standard, and response of the people in Florence Italy. In addition, found from examining the texts, information not related to the Black Death such as insight about the affects the Decameron had on society, Boccaccio’s reason for creating the story, and the intended audience. (Boccaccio).
In Camus' novel, “The Plague”, he tells a fictional story about a port town in France that has been infected by the Plague. Camus' detail in recounting the symptoms the people face as a pla...
To begin with, the plague killed an estimated 30000 Athenians – out of a population of 100000—it represented 25% of the population . As a result of the mass deaths, the conventional Athenian society changed. It led to the failure of social order in Athens. This idea of “living in the moment” became the motto of so many Athenians. Consequently, the traditional moral laws such as the obligation of families to care for the sick, funerary, and religious rites were not as i...
Health as a Social Construction In my essay, I aim to find out why social construction affects the health of our society. Ill health may be defined as 'a bodily or mental state that is deemed undesirable'. This means that health is the condition of the body both physically and mentally. Social construction of health refers to the way health varies from one society to another.
Over the years, the social determinants of health (SDOH) have been receiving more attention due to its importance in determining peoples’ health access, health quality and health outcome. The social determinants of health have been described by various scholars as the situation or environmental condition in which people are born, or where they grow, live and work; unfortunately these conditions have continued to affect and determine people’s ability to access proper care.1-5 In other words, the SDOH continues to consciously and unconsciously influence people’s access to most opportunities in life including access to healthcare services both in developed and developing countries.2 This issues have continue to deteriorate in most developing countries increasing people’s susceptibility to multi-morbidity among different age groups, with a slight increase among the elderly.6
Albert Camus was a French writer who was very well known all over the world for his different works but especially with the idea of “absurdism”. Camus believed that something that was absurd was not possible by humans or logically. It was beyond ridiculous and therefore impossible. This was the basis of one of his most famous works, The Plague. The Plague is a novel that explores aspects of human nature and condition, destiny, God, and fate. The novel is about a plague that takes place in Oran, Algeria that is fictional, but it’s believed to be relatively based on a cholera outbreak in the mid 1800’s in Oran that killed thousands of people. Dr. Bernard Rieux is the protagonist but also is the narrator. However, he doesn’t admit to being the narrator until the end of the novel. Camus writes in the beginning that the instances in Oran are being told by witnesses of the plague. In The Plague, Camus wants his audience to read the book unbiasedly not knowing the narrator in order to take sides with the characters that one wants to and not to be persuaded by the narrators telling of the events.
Albert Camus’ gripping novel The Plague is a fascinating story of how man handles the concept of death and how a person's drive can radiate and transform the people around them. After the North African coastal town of Oran is struck by a mass plague, Dr. Rieux, the story's protagonist, makes a life changing choice that is in blatant contrast with society, as well as pure rationalism. Despite knowing that the chances of actually making a difference are rather minuscule, Dr. Rioux commits to sterilizing a city full of mass disease and hopelessness simply out of hope and goodwill. Through his selfless actions, he singlehandedly inspires society's transition from an aesthetic state to an ethical one, while defining himself as an individual.
In the late 19th century decadence was a tremendously popular theme in European literature. In addition, the degeneracy of the individual and society at large was represented in numerous contemporary works by Mann. In Death in Venice, the theme of decadence caused by aestheticism appears through Gustav von Achenbach’s eccentric, specifically homoerotic, feelings towards a Polish boy named Tadzio. Although his feelings spring from a sound source, the boy’s aesthetic beauty, Aschenbach becomes decadent in how excessively zealous his feelings are, and his obsession ultimately leads to his literal and existential destruction. This exemplifies how aestheticism is closely related to, and indeed often the cause of decadence. Although the narrative is about more complexities, the author’s use of such vivid descriptions suggest the physical, literal aspect of his writing is just as important to the meaning of the story.
Sociology of Health and Illness The sociological approaches focus on identifying the two sociological theories. We critically analysed the biomedical model and doctor-patient relationship. We also evaluated how the medical professionals exercise social control and the medical professional’s contribution to ill health. The difference between society and health is studied by sociologists in relation to health and illness.
Medicine as a Form of Social Control This critique will examine the view that medicine is a form of social control. There are many theorists that have different opinions on this view. This critique will discuss each one and their different views. We live in a society where there is a complex division of labour and where enormous varieties of specialist healing roles are recognised.