Williams’ family support network eased her own pains caused by witnessing her mother’s and grandmother’s suffering with cancer, being a potential cancer patient herself. This support network, which the Williams’ family demonstrates, gives patients release of emotions that accompany cancer. The week after Williams’ mother was diagnosed with cancer, she stated, “I’ve experienced every possible emotion this week” (Williams 34). This build of emotion can be overwhelming for any one, making the release of emotions critical. A study done by the American Cancer Society found that releasing emotion is beneficial during treatment and can help patients and family members cope (ACS website www.cancer.org). The Mormon faith emphasizes family and community, which is a healthy place to release this emotion, which is described in Refuge. On one such occasion, Williams’ mother states, “I feel abused” when describing chemotherapy (Williams 77). The close family connection between the Williams family reestablishes the teachings of Mormonism of family and community and helps Terry
I think to myself what if I had a fight with my mother? What if, the fight, I was in trouble? What would I do? After the chapter “ Rules of the Game ”, I think that I have a good idea on what Waverly will do next.
In Tricia Downing’s autobiography, Cycle of Hope, she faces and over comes many life changing obstacles. Downing wrote the book to show that it is possible to overcome anything, no matter how traumatic. After her accident she is faced with many different obstacles. Between the many problems while still in the hospital and all of the obstacles when she gets to go home, she shows that it is not the end of the world. She continues to push through the pain and overcome her obstacles. Anyone can do anything they set their minds to with the proper motivation. She has taken her life changing journey public to motivate readers. Her goal is to motivate anyone who is in a tough place to keep trying and overcome any obstacle.
8. There are several themes in this film and it's is close to our life. The theme of not giving up reminds me to achieve my dream as Judy does. This little bunny has not given up though she is laughed at by her parents, friends, and police academy peers. The teasing doesn't knock her down. So I should keep fighting for my aspiration. Also, the theme stereotyping change my attitude towards others. I would respect people without
Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther was an astounding book. Granted, it was a bit depressing, but it was a great book because I could relate so closely to the author. The trial of a loved one going through cancer is something I can relate to. Fortunately, my story turns out a little bit better than Johnny’s did.
In Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, the author chooses to primarily focus her novel on the miscommunications between traditional Chinese mothers and their American-born daughters via the use vignettes from almost every character. Throughout the novel, Tan writes about several characters that have made a hero’s journey according to Joseph Campbell. Campbell states that a hero’s journey includes: a departure, how a hero sets off onto their journey, a fulfillment, their goal that is being accomplished, and a return, how the character impacts others in the story. This blueprint for a hero was executed by Jing-mei Woo. In the novel, Jing-mei Woo faces the death of her mother which, in turn, plunges her into her own heroic journey according to Joseph
“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” The words of the great Jimmy Valvano. Jimmy was a Men’s Basketball Coach at N.C. State University. He is one of the greatest coaches of all time. But he is also the man who delivered the “Never Give Up” speech at the ESPY Awards in 1993. This has inspired so many people. It’s the thought of Cancer that often brings Jimmy into mind. Stuart Scott is also very inspirational when it comes to cancer. A real inspiration is Mrs. Spatz. She has beat cancer 4 times. Over and over again, she has fought and beat cancer. She is now a teacher at Wyndcroft Private School in Pottstown. Although she is my mother, she creates inspiration for many
In her memoir, she shares how she carries the burden of her husband’s death with faith and hope in God.
Since her tragic accident, she has dealt with the physical consequences of quadriplegia: the daily pain, the frail bones weakened by lack of use, the danger of bladder infections, and the potential for pressure sores or a collapsed lung. Also, Joni is conformed to a wheelchair for most of her day and relies heavily on caregivers for some of the most basic tasks (“Sweet Surrender” 39). Upon being in the hospital and receiving her diagnosis, Joni went into a deep depression with the memories of asking her friends to assist her in suicide. She felt disconnected from life, but was encouraged by her close friend, Steve, who shared the Word of God with her. He often came by her side and they would study the Bible together. The question that often burdened Joni was: Why would God let this happen? She discovered that it was part of a big puzzle that changed her perspective of life (“Joni’s Life Story”). After two years of rehabilitation from her injuries, Joni was determined to make something of herself and to help others who were dealing with situations similar to hers. In 2010, Joni received a stage three breast cancer diagnoses. In an interview, she says her outlook of God's word had not changed and she goes back to certain Bible passages to bring her healing and hope. Yet again, Joni faced another life-threatening condition that could have taken her life. She kept trusting God and no matter what happened, she knew she
As Hope and her family fought cancer, their faith in God kept them grounded. Stuart and Shelby, Hope’s parents, would often ask God for signs that he was watching over her. Some of God’s signs were miraculous to say the least. When Stuart was in the mountains, he saw a huge billboard that read, “Hope Thou in God.” Additionally, when Shelby went to pray in the chapel at the hospital a stained glass window titled “The Hope Window” featured a picture of a young girl on crutches with God’s hands placed on her shoulder as he was healing her. God was certainly watching out for the Stout family.
The book is a testimony to the strength and determination of her grandmother, her mother, and herself and their resourcefulness in recreating themselves during
When people struggle to communicate with one another or disagree, the usual response is to ask questions and make an effort to fix the issue. Unfortunately, owning up to responsibility can be much more difficult when the argument is with a close friend or family member. Coming from two time periods, this is a prevalent issue for the women of the Woo family, especially since both individuals are intolerably headstrong and unable to accept humility. Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, displays how years of generational contrasts in American and Chinese values affect June and her mother Suyuan’s relationship, who, despite having little in common and being separated by cultural and language barriers, attempt to slowly rekindle a mutual understanding after Suyuan’s sudden death.
Joseph Campbell redefined the traditional idea of a hero in his interview with Bill Moyers, titled “The Hero’s Adventure.” In the interview, Campbell claimed that, “A hero is someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself,” and identified three distinct parts in a hero’s journey— departure, fulfillment, and return. To begin the journey, the hero is called to adventure either literally or figuratively. The hero then crosses the threshold and is challenged by multiple trials. As Campbell noted, “…there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed…the other kind is the spiritual deed.” Once the hero is able to overcome the initial series of adventures, the hero is then able to “recover what has been lost” or “discover some life-giving elixir.” Throughout Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club, many heroic characters who fit Campbell’s description of a true hero are presented; one of whom is Lindo Jong, the mother of Waverly Jong.
The Joy Luck Club, a novel written by Amy Tan, portrays the journeys and relationships between eight Chinese mothers and daughters. Lindo Jong, one of the four mothers from the novel, is betrothed to a boy named Huang Tyan-Yu when she is two years old. From then on, Lindo’s mother trains her to be a good housewife for her future family. When Lindo is twelve years old, her house gets flooded and consequently, Lindo’s mother forces Lindo to live with her husband’s family. Eventually, Lindo learns how to be a “proper” housewife under the commandment of Tyan-Yu’s mother, Huang Taitai. Lindo’s journey fits Joseph Campbell’s model of a “hero’s journey.” In The Hero’s Adventure, Joseph Campbell, a mythologist, divides a hero’s journey into three stages: the departure, fulfillment, and return. The departure initiates from something being lost or entering a “dark forest” (4), the fulfillment consists of trials that the hero must “have the courage to face” (4), and the return is accomplished by regaining what has been lost and bringing “a whole new body of possibilities into the field of interpreted experience for other people to experience” (4). Therefore, Lindo is a hero due to her departure from freedom, fulfillment through various trials presented by the Huang household, and return through her transformation and regainment of freedom and self.
In the inspirational true story Unbroken, a teenage girl named Lauren is battling her way through neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that generally originates in the spinal cord. Although she survived and is well, the cancer has drastically changed her life by how she views the world , even though, she dealt with her issues, by staying optimistic.