April Borja
Professor Mike
Link
EDUC
2530 (3)-005
20 March 2014
Book Review: The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
The
Diving-Bell and the Butterfly is a remarkable memoir of life in death by
Jean-Dominique Bauby, the former editor-in-chief of Elle magazine. The fact that the book was transcribed from
beginning to end makes it that much more intriguing. I greatly enjoyed this
book, and it made me appreciate my life so much more. I think that people will
take a step back after reading this book and will take a look at their own
lives, not be afraid to take chances, and truly live like there is no tomorrow.
Bauby begins his story at the
hospital, describing how something like a giant invisible diving-bell holds his
whole body prisoner. Bauby has had a
cerebro-vascular accident, which puts his brain-stem out of action. This was
formerly known as a massive stroke, and you simply died. Advancements in the
medical field now allow for survival, but the patients are paralyzed from head
to toe with what is known as locked-in syndrome. Bauby cannot do everyday
functions that most people can do without a hitch. He cannot bathe himself,
dress himself, stretch when his limbs are stiff, eat without the help of a
gastric tube, and breathe without a respirator. Bauby’s mind is fully intact,
yet he is trapped in his own body, and unable to speak or move. Since he has no
choice but to lie down and watch television most days, he wanders off in space
or time, and lets his mind take flight like a butterfly. His only means of
communication is blinking his left eyelid. He was able to complete this book
with the help of Claude Mendibil, the publisher’s emissary, who translated
Bauby’s blinks into sentences and to whom this book is dedicated. Mendibil had
the grueling task of using a system in which she would point at each letter of
the alphabet on a screen, and Bauby would blink once for yes, and twice for no.
Bauby would spend most nights editing his thoughts and memorizing sentences so
that he was prepared for when Mendibil would take notes in order to capture
each chapter of the book. Each chapter covers memories of Bauby’s past and
present life and the people who helped shaped them, such as his father,
children, friends, and past and present girlfriends. He also mentions things
such as books and landmarks, which have influenced him over the years. In some
chapters, he speaks of his dreams and imaginations, and during those moments,
you forget about how the memoir was put together, literally piece by piece.
Every chapter flowed so smoothly and in
some ways, poetically. It is so hard to believe that this book was created in
the way that it was. Bauby’s account of his life is so lighthearted that you
forget about the tragedy he his faced with upon reading this book. There is a
point in the book where Bauby wakes up to the hospital ophthalmologist sewing
his right eyelid shut, and Bauby is afraid that the doctor will sew his other
eyelid too which is his only link to the outside world. Instead of being
terrified about the fact that his eye is being sewn, he is more afraid of the
doctor getting carried away and sewing both eyes shut. He does have a reason to
be afraid about that, but I just found it so odd that he explained this
situation nonchalantly. He even started the chapter off as, “I have known
gentler awakenings” (61), yet just reading about this made me queasy. I learned
shortly after that since his right eyelid was no longer fulfilling its function
as a protective cover, he ran the risk of an ulcerated cornea. I did not even
think about blinking being so important, but after reading about this, I feel
so lucky. You would think that Bauby’s memoir would be filled with bitterness
and sadness, but it is mostly filled with hope and imagination. He does speak
of his varied emotions when he recalls memories of his past, but he adds humour
to outweigh the sadness of his condition. For example, he talks about how he
finds it amusing to have his bottom wiped and swaddled like a newborn’s, yet
the next day, the same procedure will be unbearably sad because he reminisces
about his past life. Although he is only human and clearly gets affected by his
condition, he quickly follows these moments with witty remarks. For example, he
says, “Like the bath, my old clothes could easily bring back poignant, painful
memories. But I see in the clothes a symbol of continuing life. And proof that
I still want to be myself. If I must drool, I may as well drool on cashmere”
(25). This part of the book was extremely touching, and I was sold right then
and there. No matter how tough his situation was, Bauby remained strong, and
never lost hope. I was so moved by his story and I was surprised to find the
humour in it. Sometimes, I felt as though I was reading a different book and I
would get lost in the chapter, and have to re-read it to fully grasp its
meaning. I realize now that those chapters that were more imaginative tied
together the beauty of Bauby’s story. I believe he included these random
thoughts to show us that his mind could still do everything as before. He still
had feelings, dreams, and an imagination like the rest of us. Just because he
could not move, he was still alive, and still a member of society.
If I was in Bauby’s situation, I do not
think I would be as strong. I do not know how I would be able to get through
life not being able to do every day functions on my own, such as eating and
breathing. After reading this book, I felt like I took these daily functions
for granted. This book made me think more deeply about the path I am taking in
life and how all of it could be taken away in an instant. I always had it in
the back of my mind that life is short, but I never fully had the saying in
perspective until I read this book. This book was a quick, but powerful read.
At one hundred thirty nine pages, The
Diving-Bell and the Butterfly was able to affect me more than the majority
of books I have read in my life so far. I highly recommend this book,
especially to those who want to learn more about locked-in syndrome. This book
will give you a deeper appreciation for life, and may change the way you look
at things for the better.
Work Cited
Bauby,
Jean-Dominique. The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly. Great Britain: Harper
Perennial, 2008. Paperback.
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