The grade twelve ISU has definitely been challenging, but captivating at the same time. One of the greatest skills I feel I have honed from this project is the ability and keenness to analyze literature much more critically. Having been pushed to dig deep into a text, and pull out significant moments, quotations, symbols, motifs, themes and characters, I believe I understand Lam’s intentions with Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures much better. Truly, I feel that applying a critical knowledge to any art form, whether it be film, radio, television, theatre, art or literature, furthers the comprehension of the medium, which in turn allows for complete enjoyment. Having continued to read after this project, I find myself examining texts much more closely, with the intent of unearthing the ‘core’ of its intent.
Reading a work that has mastered both the technicalities of writing and the complexities of good story telling, I do feel that I have become a much better writer myself. A profound impact from reading a great novel inspires you to adapt their writing styles and themes into your own. As a young writer who is pursuing writing in many forms, I am ecstatic to have gained great insight into the art of story telling, and I hope that Lam’s riveting words will influence my future writing endeavours, both academically and leisurely.
Writing the apologia helped me define what I perceive to be the Canadian identity. To me, I feel that it is about embracing that which is distinctly Canada (like winter, for example) as opposed to rejecting it. It is accepting a huge variety of cultures, races, occupations, and ultimately, life paths. In terms of discovering the Canadian influence in other texts, I feel that Lam has taught me that it will not always be direct, or stereotypical. Exploring a culture’s identity takes a much more subtle approach, and it is often interwoven into the core of the text, and used to accent the author’s heritage.
Above all else, Vincent Lam has given me vast (probably too much!) insight into the human condition. If there is one idea that I am grateful Lam exposed for me, it is the fact that there isn’t an answer to everything. The explication helped me discover that life itself is an enigma, and try as I may to crack the code to the “meaning of life,” the result is simply inevitable confusion (and possible insanity, as in the case with Sri).
Overall, I found the experience of reading, and analyzing Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures a complete joy, and I am happy to have gotten the opportunity to explore both creative and analytical writing in the unique and up-and-coming medium of blogs.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Works Cited
Baetz, Joel and Stephanie Nixon. “Review of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam.” Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine. BioMed Central Ltd. 15 July 2007. Web. 24 October 2009.
CBC Arts. “Toronto’s Vincent Lam wins Giller Prize.” CBCNews.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 08 November 2006. Web. 21 October 2009.
CBC News. “Vincent Lam shortlisted for U.S. Story Prize.” CBCNews.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 09 January 2008. Web. 23 October 2009.
CTV.ca News Staff. “Giller Prize Nominees Bio: Vincent Lam.” CTV.ca. CTV Incorporated. 06 November 2006. Web. 21 October 2009.
Fillon, Kate. “Interview with Vincent Lam, doctor and Giller winner.” Macleans. Rogers Publishing Limited. 20 November 2006. Web. 22 October 2009.
Frenette, Brad. “Vincent Lam’s ‘Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures’ to be made into TV series.” The Ampersand. The National Post. 08 June 2009. Web. 23 October 2009.
Hughes, Evan. “Doctors in Distress.” NYTimes.com. The New York Times. 28 October 2007. Web. 22 October 2009.
Lam, Vincent. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. Canada: Random House of Canada Limited, 2005. Print.
McBride, Jason. "Q&A: Vincent Lam." TorontoLife.com. Toronto Life Publishing Limited. March 2006. Web. 21 October 2009.
Mukherjee, Neel. “Medical Breakthrough.” Time.com. Time Incorporated. 21 August 2008. Web. 23 October 2009.
CBC Arts. “Toronto’s Vincent Lam wins Giller Prize.” CBCNews.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 08 November 2006. Web. 21 October 2009.
CBC News. “Vincent Lam shortlisted for U.S. Story Prize.” CBCNews.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 09 January 2008. Web. 23 October 2009.
CTV.ca News Staff. “Giller Prize Nominees Bio: Vincent Lam.” CTV.ca. CTV Incorporated. 06 November 2006. Web. 21 October 2009.
Fillon, Kate. “Interview with Vincent Lam, doctor and Giller winner.” Macleans. Rogers Publishing Limited. 20 November 2006. Web. 22 October 2009.
Frenette, Brad. “Vincent Lam’s ‘Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures’ to be made into TV series.” The Ampersand. The National Post. 08 June 2009. Web. 23 October 2009.
Hughes, Evan. “Doctors in Distress.” NYTimes.com. The New York Times. 28 October 2007. Web. 22 October 2009.
Lam, Vincent. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. Canada: Random House of Canada Limited, 2005. Print.
McBride, Jason. "Q&A: Vincent Lam." TorontoLife.com. Toronto Life Publishing Limited. March 2006. Web. 21 October 2009.
Mukherjee, Neel. “Medical Breakthrough.” Time.com. Time Incorporated. 21 August 2008. Web. 23 October 2009.
An Apologia of Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam - A Canadian Gem
At the emergence of his literary career, Dr. Vincent Lam has without question already made a name for himself in the canon of Canadian literature. His first book Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, a collection of twelve short stories, has been critically and publicly acclaimed not only in Canada, but internationally as well. Each individual story exudes a personal quality which transcends fiction, and tells truths from real life in the Canadian milieu. His work is, “a steady accumulation of truths” (Hughes). In numerous interviews, Lam has stated that there is a strong connection between his professional and personal experiences and the novel, noting that, “being a writer makes me listen for a story” (Fillon). Indeed, there are many parallels between the life of Vincent Lam, a Canadian of Chinese descent, and the characters in the book. Lam acknowledged that, “There’s one story that’s autobiographical, called “A Long Migration”” (McBride). The characters in the story not only reflect Lam’s own struggles to get accepted into medical school, but also address the cultural and racial issues faced by a minority in Canadian society. “All of them experienced things I’ve experienced emotionally,” he said (McBride). “Like all great fiction, [Bloodletting] is both the absolute truth and a vehicle for taking us to a place we’ve never been before” (Mukherjee). This great layering of complexities evinces the exceptional quality of Lam’s work, and his vast insight into the human intellect, the mental condition, social norms and the Canadian mind.
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures presents universal themes and ideals while Lam artfully addresses issues of ethics and morals that are pertinent to all societies and cultures. However, the book has a keen aversion to the Canadian identity, explored specifically through distinctly Canadian geography. On the very first page Lam establishes a Canadian context with a truly Canadian event - winter. Immediately he notes the vast Ontario snowbanks and snowstorms and the perpetual dripping noses that come with the tundra. As well as this, Lam integrates obvious Canadian locales such as the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto, coupled with Torontonian slang and streets to establish a candid Canada. Finally, the topic of the novel, medicine, provides a subject for the novel in an industry in which Canada is internationally known and acclaimed for.
Much like Canada’s acclaimed medical industry, Vincent Lam too has become acclaimed, but in a different industry - literature. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures brought forward immense accolades from critics. Time Magazine hailed “Lam’s insanely gripping book is also illuminated by shafts of radiant, beautiful prose” (Mukherjee). Canadian literary icon and famed author Margaret Atwood wrote on Bloodletting, “It has something - and that something is authenticity and drama and a feel of gritty real life” (CBC Arts). Fiction and non-fiction work of Lam’s has also been published in The Globe and Mail, the National Post, and the University of Toronto Medical Journal (CTV News). Lam gained even more international praise when he was shortlisted (one of three finalists) for The Story Prize in the United States in January, 2008 (CBC News). However, Lam’s greatest accomplishment was his surprise win of the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize, one of Canada’s highest literary honours (CBC Arts). Acknowledging the profound stories and success in Lam’s work, HBO Canada recently signed a deal to produce Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures into a television series, further exemplifying the impact Lam has had on numerous facets of the Canadian culture (Frenette).
Lam best relates his occupation and literature when he states: “What happens to you, as a doctor, is that someone comes to you and tells you the beginning of the story. What they’re hoping you’ll do is tell them the end of the story.” (McBride). Indeed, Lam has succeeded in the art of story telling, as his Giller Prize win is a testimony to that fact. Undoubtedly, Lam has made a strong contribution to Canadian literature, and he remains in the spotlight as the nation awaits the release of his next upcoming novel. Lam has used the occupation of physicians as a conveyance for telling a tale of life, love, perseverance, regret, hope and inevitably, death. Everyone in Canada has access to medicine, and the vast majority have been to a doctor in their lifetime, but most simply acknowledge ‘the doctor’ as a face, a healer, the one that makes them better. Lam humanizes his doctors by giving them a story worthy of an audience. For this reason alone, Lam is deserving of the magnitude of attention he is receiving for Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures.
“Few first books are fortunate enough to receive both high praise and big awards, but Vincent Lam’s Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures deserves the attention” (Baetz and Nixon). Time Magazine’s literature critic summed up the universal recommendation on Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures best in his review: “Read it” (Mukherjee).
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures presents universal themes and ideals while Lam artfully addresses issues of ethics and morals that are pertinent to all societies and cultures. However, the book has a keen aversion to the Canadian identity, explored specifically through distinctly Canadian geography. On the very first page Lam establishes a Canadian context with a truly Canadian event - winter. Immediately he notes the vast Ontario snowbanks and snowstorms and the perpetual dripping noses that come with the tundra. As well as this, Lam integrates obvious Canadian locales such as the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto, coupled with Torontonian slang and streets to establish a candid Canada. Finally, the topic of the novel, medicine, provides a subject for the novel in an industry in which Canada is internationally known and acclaimed for.
Much like Canada’s acclaimed medical industry, Vincent Lam too has become acclaimed, but in a different industry - literature. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures brought forward immense accolades from critics. Time Magazine hailed “Lam’s insanely gripping book is also illuminated by shafts of radiant, beautiful prose” (Mukherjee). Canadian literary icon and famed author Margaret Atwood wrote on Bloodletting, “It has something - and that something is authenticity and drama and a feel of gritty real life” (CBC Arts). Fiction and non-fiction work of Lam’s has also been published in The Globe and Mail, the National Post, and the University of Toronto Medical Journal (CTV News). Lam gained even more international praise when he was shortlisted (one of three finalists) for The Story Prize in the United States in January, 2008 (CBC News). However, Lam’s greatest accomplishment was his surprise win of the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize, one of Canada’s highest literary honours (CBC Arts). Acknowledging the profound stories and success in Lam’s work, HBO Canada recently signed a deal to produce Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures into a television series, further exemplifying the impact Lam has had on numerous facets of the Canadian culture (Frenette).
Lam best relates his occupation and literature when he states: “What happens to you, as a doctor, is that someone comes to you and tells you the beginning of the story. What they’re hoping you’ll do is tell them the end of the story.” (McBride). Indeed, Lam has succeeded in the art of story telling, as his Giller Prize win is a testimony to that fact. Undoubtedly, Lam has made a strong contribution to Canadian literature, and he remains in the spotlight as the nation awaits the release of his next upcoming novel. Lam has used the occupation of physicians as a conveyance for telling a tale of life, love, perseverance, regret, hope and inevitably, death. Everyone in Canada has access to medicine, and the vast majority have been to a doctor in their lifetime, but most simply acknowledge ‘the doctor’ as a face, a healer, the one that makes them better. Lam humanizes his doctors by giving them a story worthy of an audience. For this reason alone, Lam is deserving of the magnitude of attention he is receiving for Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures.
“Few first books are fortunate enough to receive both high praise and big awards, but Vincent Lam’s Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures deserves the attention” (Baetz and Nixon). Time Magazine’s literature critic summed up the universal recommendation on Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures best in his review: “Read it” (Mukherjee).
Explication of "The Enigma" in Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
Of Polti’s Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, “The Enigma” is most prevalent in Dr. Vincent Lam’s Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, specifically in the characterization of two of his protagonists: Fitz and Sri. Throughout the book, the characters continually discover unique and distinct versions of their ‘self,’ with each disposition being exposed from different situations; romance, ethics, life and death. By piecing together the fragments and clues left within the twelve short stories, the reader can begin to uncover the puzzle that is the life of a doctor. Fitz and Sri are the quintessential example of Polti’s “Enigma” as they each become “The Interrogator” of their actions, thoughts, motives and decisions, all the while “Seeking” to find answers to the “Problems” within their lives, and profession.
“The Enigma” is poignantly portrayed in the short story “Winston.” Sri is offered temptations along his path to discovering his name. Throughout the story, he seeks to discover his purpose as a physician, and ultimately, the purpose of his life. The character of Sri is presented as profoundly logical, rational and stable, but in the midst of the character of Winston, he begins to interrogate himself by questioning the foundation of reason on which he has based his existence. Lam is able to seamlessly weave together the abstractions of cognition, truth, and perception to artfully present Sri and Winston as both real and unreal, and expose one of the book’s most inexplicable enigmas. This is epitomized in one of the novel’s many profound quotations, “You’ve heard that the sound of hoofbeats implies the presence of horses. It is true that we must look carefully for zebras, but for the most part we expect to find horses . . . Always, people are drawn to zebras” (Lam 125-126). Herein Lam has placed the paradox all doctors must face: can symptoms, “facts,” lie? The purple bird in “Winston” further symbolizes the enigmatic question that things are not always what they seem, and becomes one of the problems Sri must traumatically face as he ponders what to believe.
Lam has mastered and exploited the greatest enigma of mankind: the unknown. Mirroring the confusion presented within Sri, Lam further develops the concept within Fitzgerald. In “Eli,” Lam notes the contrast between blood and salvia, stating that, “Saliva, clear and innocent, but sometimes it carries infections and curses like the words it lubricates” (Lam 181). Similar to this, “Blood bears the curse of human malice. This life fluid may conceal destruction, the way words and thoughts can kill unseen. Within blood the idea of death can flow” (Lam 179). Much like in “Winston,” Lam is again presenting humans’ desperate seeking of the answer to the enigma that is the uncertain. In this torment, one must question the realms of reality, and ultimately, convinces them self that what they perceive is true. This idea reflects the life of Fitzgerald. The entire existence of Fitz in itself is perplexing, and portrays a constant struggle between what he wants, and what is real. As he slowly descends from hopeless romantic, to desperate lover, to abusive doctor, to alcoholic, and finally, to deathbed, Fitz is constantly, albeit contradictorily, searching for a solution to each of his respective problems. Inspired by is love of Ming, he interrogates himself to inspire a change in his self-destructive ways. However, it is only in the pain of death that he acknowledges the faults of his subconscious, and ultimately, accepts an eerily statisfying lack of closure as he succumbs to SARS, a disease in which he, a healer, paradoxically brought to Canada.
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures is one large puzzle with each story representing bits and pieces. It is the task of the reader to link these fragments in hopes of ascertaining the true meaning of Lam’s words, and finding an answer to the overwhelming enigma presented. Lam amplifies the challenge of his riddle with an evident equivocation throughout the book, exemplified in the opening quotation, “Medicine is a science of uncertainty, and an art of probability - Sir William Osler” (Lam Prologue). This idea of ambiguity is paralleled at the end of the collection in “Before Light” when Chen states, “I feel a beautiful alertness, as if the sorrow and calm and joy and exploding furious vengeance of the world have all settled into me and shown themselves to be the same. Yes, all of an identical essence, different reflections of one basic feeling, one notion, in the way that water is at once an iceberg, the surf, a cloud” (Lam 336-337). Ending the novel with one big, insurmountable, beautiful enigma sums up the stories, and the concept that an emotion has many undefinable facets that blend as one masterful metacognition.
“The Enigma” is poignantly portrayed in the short story “Winston.” Sri is offered temptations along his path to discovering his name. Throughout the story, he seeks to discover his purpose as a physician, and ultimately, the purpose of his life. The character of Sri is presented as profoundly logical, rational and stable, but in the midst of the character of Winston, he begins to interrogate himself by questioning the foundation of reason on which he has based his existence. Lam is able to seamlessly weave together the abstractions of cognition, truth, and perception to artfully present Sri and Winston as both real and unreal, and expose one of the book’s most inexplicable enigmas. This is epitomized in one of the novel’s many profound quotations, “You’ve heard that the sound of hoofbeats implies the presence of horses. It is true that we must look carefully for zebras, but for the most part we expect to find horses . . . Always, people are drawn to zebras” (Lam 125-126). Herein Lam has placed the paradox all doctors must face: can symptoms, “facts,” lie? The purple bird in “Winston” further symbolizes the enigmatic question that things are not always what they seem, and becomes one of the problems Sri must traumatically face as he ponders what to believe.
Lam has mastered and exploited the greatest enigma of mankind: the unknown. Mirroring the confusion presented within Sri, Lam further develops the concept within Fitzgerald. In “Eli,” Lam notes the contrast between blood and salvia, stating that, “Saliva, clear and innocent, but sometimes it carries infections and curses like the words it lubricates” (Lam 181). Similar to this, “Blood bears the curse of human malice. This life fluid may conceal destruction, the way words and thoughts can kill unseen. Within blood the idea of death can flow” (Lam 179). Much like in “Winston,” Lam is again presenting humans’ desperate seeking of the answer to the enigma that is the uncertain. In this torment, one must question the realms of reality, and ultimately, convinces them self that what they perceive is true. This idea reflects the life of Fitzgerald. The entire existence of Fitz in itself is perplexing, and portrays a constant struggle between what he wants, and what is real. As he slowly descends from hopeless romantic, to desperate lover, to abusive doctor, to alcoholic, and finally, to deathbed, Fitz is constantly, albeit contradictorily, searching for a solution to each of his respective problems. Inspired by is love of Ming, he interrogates himself to inspire a change in his self-destructive ways. However, it is only in the pain of death that he acknowledges the faults of his subconscious, and ultimately, accepts an eerily statisfying lack of closure as he succumbs to SARS, a disease in which he, a healer, paradoxically brought to Canada.
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures is one large puzzle with each story representing bits and pieces. It is the task of the reader to link these fragments in hopes of ascertaining the true meaning of Lam’s words, and finding an answer to the overwhelming enigma presented. Lam amplifies the challenge of his riddle with an evident equivocation throughout the book, exemplified in the opening quotation, “Medicine is a science of uncertainty, and an art of probability - Sir William Osler” (Lam Prologue). This idea of ambiguity is paralleled at the end of the collection in “Before Light” when Chen states, “I feel a beautiful alertness, as if the sorrow and calm and joy and exploding furious vengeance of the world have all settled into me and shown themselves to be the same. Yes, all of an identical essence, different reflections of one basic feeling, one notion, in the way that water is at once an iceberg, the surf, a cloud” (Lam 336-337). Ending the novel with one big, insurmountable, beautiful enigma sums up the stories, and the concept that an emotion has many undefinable facets that blend as one masterful metacognition.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Apologia - Process
- Vincent Lam is clearly a successful Canadian author, as demonstrated through his Giller Prize win
- However, Lam is also respected internationally (see international reviews from Europe, Australia and the United States)
- Lam was nominated for an American short story prize (made the shortlist)
- Bloodletting touches on many universal themes, but portrays them in a fresh light
- Focuses on an industry that Canada is renowned for (medical)
- Distinctly Canadian settings and descriptions (Toronto streets, Canadian winters)
- “It has something - and that something is authenticity and drama and a feel of gritty real life.” - Margaret Atwood (CBC Arts)
- “Actually it does, because being a writer makes me listen for story. And if you can do that, you can get the diagnosis about 95 per cent of the time. But I'm probably more gifted as a writer. Being a diagnostician just requires a lot of work.” - Vincent Lam (Macleans)
- “Lam excels at this kind of steady accumulation of truths, a tangling of action and incident that renders judgment of the characters difficult, and futile besides.” (NY Times)
- “This is a rigorously balanced assessment of the achievements and limitations of modern medicine, as well as an atlas of suffering, survival and failure. Emotionally complex and layered, with a preternaturally surefooted negotiation of the human mind and heart, Lam's insanely gripping book is also illuminated by shafts of radiant, beautiful prose. Like all great fiction, it is both the absolute truth and a vehicle for taking us to a place we've never been before. Read it.” (Time Magazine)
- Lam is able to present all of his characters in different situations, which ultimately reveals different character traits. He possesses the ability to completely contradict an already perceived idea about a character simply by manipulating them into a different situation.
- Though educational, enlightening, heavy and heartbreaking, Lam has not forgotten that readers need to be entertained. Dispersed moments of comedy heighten the tone of the overall product, and allows the reader to continually engage with the text.
- Lam expresses masterful views on the mental condition, social norms, phycological ideas.
- Lam writes about what he knows - medicine. This creates a wholly honesty and convincing tale. Each character is a real person in the eyes of the reader, created only through vivid description, proving Lam’s mastery of the craft.
- Each of the stories are so vivid and articulate they become as real as our own lives.
- Lam unravels the inner workers of a doctor - someone we all come in contact with regularly, yet rarely contemplate the turmoil of their profession. Lam stops the reader from taking physicians for granted, and forces his audience to acknowledge them as more than just healers, but as people.
- Everyday life is molded into something far more astronomical. Lam heightens in seemingly unimportant moments we all experience and shines a light on their profound effects on who we are as people.
- Lam makes the ordinary extraordinary.
- This is his first book, yet he has already garnered much attention. It is clearly a sign of things to come.
- “Few first books are fortunate enough to receive both high praise and big awards, but Vincent Lam's Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures deserves the attention.” (PEHM)
- However, Lam is also respected internationally (see international reviews from Europe, Australia and the United States)
- Lam was nominated for an American short story prize (made the shortlist)
- Bloodletting touches on many universal themes, but portrays them in a fresh light
- Focuses on an industry that Canada is renowned for (medical)
- Distinctly Canadian settings and descriptions (Toronto streets, Canadian winters)
- “It has something - and that something is authenticity and drama and a feel of gritty real life.” - Margaret Atwood (CBC Arts)
- “Actually it does, because being a writer makes me listen for story. And if you can do that, you can get the diagnosis about 95 per cent of the time. But I'm probably more gifted as a writer. Being a diagnostician just requires a lot of work.” - Vincent Lam (Macleans)
- “Lam excels at this kind of steady accumulation of truths, a tangling of action and incident that renders judgment of the characters difficult, and futile besides.” (NY Times)
- “This is a rigorously balanced assessment of the achievements and limitations of modern medicine, as well as an atlas of suffering, survival and failure. Emotionally complex and layered, with a preternaturally surefooted negotiation of the human mind and heart, Lam's insanely gripping book is also illuminated by shafts of radiant, beautiful prose. Like all great fiction, it is both the absolute truth and a vehicle for taking us to a place we've never been before. Read it.” (Time Magazine)
- Lam is able to present all of his characters in different situations, which ultimately reveals different character traits. He possesses the ability to completely contradict an already perceived idea about a character simply by manipulating them into a different situation.
- Though educational, enlightening, heavy and heartbreaking, Lam has not forgotten that readers need to be entertained. Dispersed moments of comedy heighten the tone of the overall product, and allows the reader to continually engage with the text.
- Lam expresses masterful views on the mental condition, social norms, phycological ideas.
- Lam writes about what he knows - medicine. This creates a wholly honesty and convincing tale. Each character is a real person in the eyes of the reader, created only through vivid description, proving Lam’s mastery of the craft.
- Each of the stories are so vivid and articulate they become as real as our own lives.
- Lam unravels the inner workers of a doctor - someone we all come in contact with regularly, yet rarely contemplate the turmoil of their profession. Lam stops the reader from taking physicians for granted, and forces his audience to acknowledge them as more than just healers, but as people.
- Everyday life is molded into something far more astronomical. Lam heightens in seemingly unimportant moments we all experience and shines a light on their profound effects on who we are as people.
- Lam makes the ordinary extraordinary.
- This is his first book, yet he has already garnered much attention. It is clearly a sign of things to come.
- “Few first books are fortunate enough to receive both high praise and big awards, but Vincent Lam's Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures deserves the attention.” (PEHM)
Explication - Process
“The Enigma”
Elements: Problem, Interrogator, Seeker
Enigma: A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand (see riddle or paradox)
Problem: A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome; a thing that is difficult to achieve or accomplish (a problem exists when an individual notices the difference between what is and what ought to be)
Interrogator: A person who asks questions of someone closely, aggressively, or formally; a person who poses a problem
Seeker: A person who attempts or desires to obtain or achieve something
- Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures is one large puzzle with each story representing a piece or pieces. These pieces or fragments must be pieced together by the reader to solve the puzzle, or enigma.
- Each of the four main characters (Fitz, Chen, Ming and Sri) are Seekers. However, at the same time, they are all their own Interrogator (with some overlap).
- The Problem varies for each character. However, each character faces the problem of regret and being unsure. They all questions their choices in life, and struggle to find answers to matters of life and death. Ultimately, the four doctors are each on an individual quest to unveil how to continue life after death.
Common Ideas in “The Engima”
1) Search for a person who must be found on pain of death
2) A riddle to be solved on pain of death
3) A riddle to be solved on pain of death in which the poser is the coveted woman
- Indeed, these ideas hold true in Bloodletting. In the beginning, Fitz desperately searches for Ming. At the time however, it is not clear that she will become the coveted woman for Chen as well. Both Chen and Fitz face a riddle to be solved on pain of death in which the poser is the coveted woman. Chen and Fitz fight for the love of Ming, and are forced to meet her desires. However, only Chen succeeds (and ultimately marries Ming). Fitz, having lost a on pain of death, succumbs to SARS. The irony is that neither man realizes that each of these factors has been on the pain of death.
4) Temptations offered with the object of discovering his name
- Sri best fits this idea, most notably in “Winston.” He desires to discoverer his purpose in life, and his purpose as a physician. However, he is tempted by ideas of insanity, confusion, and reality.
5) Temptations offered with the object of ascertaining the sex
- Ming would best represent this idea. Throughout the book, different layers of Ming are revealed, and she quests to find her position are a female doctor. This also reflects her promiscuity with her cousin, Karl, as well as Chen and Fitz.
6) Tests for the purposes of ascertaining the mental condition
- This is the big one. Each character faces many tests in the hopes of understanding them self.
The Reader: As the reader, I was immediately drawn into this enigma. I found myself like a detective, trying to pick up on clues and hints that would help complete the picture. As the novel progressed, more and more pieces were added, and it became much more difficult to solve the puzzle. However, it was this effect that engrossed me further and further into the novel. “The Enigma” is designed to draw the reader into the situation as they seek to understand the puzzle in hopes of the reward of closure. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures does just that, however, it artfully tweaks “The Enigma’s” form by providing an eerily satisfying lack of closure.
Elements: Problem, Interrogator, Seeker
Enigma: A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand (see riddle or paradox)
Problem: A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome; a thing that is difficult to achieve or accomplish (a problem exists when an individual notices the difference between what is and what ought to be)
Interrogator: A person who asks questions of someone closely, aggressively, or formally; a person who poses a problem
Seeker: A person who attempts or desires to obtain or achieve something
- Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures is one large puzzle with each story representing a piece or pieces. These pieces or fragments must be pieced together by the reader to solve the puzzle, or enigma.
- Each of the four main characters (Fitz, Chen, Ming and Sri) are Seekers. However, at the same time, they are all their own Interrogator (with some overlap).
- The Problem varies for each character. However, each character faces the problem of regret and being unsure. They all questions their choices in life, and struggle to find answers to matters of life and death. Ultimately, the four doctors are each on an individual quest to unveil how to continue life after death.
Common Ideas in “The Engima”
1) Search for a person who must be found on pain of death
2) A riddle to be solved on pain of death
3) A riddle to be solved on pain of death in which the poser is the coveted woman
- Indeed, these ideas hold true in Bloodletting. In the beginning, Fitz desperately searches for Ming. At the time however, it is not clear that she will become the coveted woman for Chen as well. Both Chen and Fitz face a riddle to be solved on pain of death in which the poser is the coveted woman. Chen and Fitz fight for the love of Ming, and are forced to meet her desires. However, only Chen succeeds (and ultimately marries Ming). Fitz, having lost a on pain of death, succumbs to SARS. The irony is that neither man realizes that each of these factors has been on the pain of death.
4) Temptations offered with the object of discovering his name
- Sri best fits this idea, most notably in “Winston.” He desires to discoverer his purpose in life, and his purpose as a physician. However, he is tempted by ideas of insanity, confusion, and reality.
5) Temptations offered with the object of ascertaining the sex
- Ming would best represent this idea. Throughout the book, different layers of Ming are revealed, and she quests to find her position are a female doctor. This also reflects her promiscuity with her cousin, Karl, as well as Chen and Fitz.
6) Tests for the purposes of ascertaining the mental condition
- This is the big one. Each character faces many tests in the hopes of understanding them self.
The Reader: As the reader, I was immediately drawn into this enigma. I found myself like a detective, trying to pick up on clues and hints that would help complete the picture. As the novel progressed, more and more pieces were added, and it became much more difficult to solve the puzzle. However, it was this effect that engrossed me further and further into the novel. “The Enigma” is designed to draw the reader into the situation as they seek to understand the puzzle in hopes of the reward of closure. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures does just that, however, it artfully tweaks “The Enigma’s” form by providing an eerily satisfying lack of closure.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Links & Welcome
Very effective, Max. You're building an excellent links list. At this stage, can you name the significance of Lam's work in the Welcome? Very attractive blog layout.
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