Illness as metaphor
by Susan Sontag · first published 1978
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In 1978, while recovering from cancer, Susan Sontag wrote Illness as metaphor, the celebrated essay on the invented and often punitive uses of illness in our culture. It was not surprising that a decade later, after the advent of AIDS, Sontag felt compelled to write a sequel that would counter the almost universal labeling of AIDS as a "plague". Published together in one volume these works are brimming with humane and original ideas about disease and the modern condition.
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There's a really amazing book by Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor (and a followup she wrote in the late 80s called "AIDs and its metaphors") which talks about this need to speak about disease as a conflict or fight, or as a foreign invasion or corruption. It's a fascinating…
on “The terrorist inside my husband's brain” ↗See: "Illness as Metaphor" (1978) by Susan Sontag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illness_as_Metaphor
on “'Finally, a virus got me’: Scientist who fought Ebola and HIV reflects” ↗Agreed. It also reminded me of the book Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag. In the essay she talks about the social perception and behaviors around illness and how those create real barriers to overcoming and curing disease. Specifically, the she writes about…
on “Honestly: Does Glorifying Sickness Deter Healing?” ↗