eglaser's blog

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby is the story of  the chief editor of Elle magazine who suffered a massive stroke and became affected by what is known as “locked in” syndrome. Although his mental abilities, memories and senses remained intact he was unable to move his body except for the ability to shake his head slightly and blink his left eye. Despite all of this he managed to write a memoir about his experience and how he used the power of his own imagination to overcome his paralysis. Along with his descriptions of how his friends reacted, how he feels about the situation, he intersperses the story with vignettes where his mind creates an alternate, surreal reality and allows him to escape from his immobile body through memories and dreams.

All things evolve, biological, literary, and cultural, that is one thing that has become clear as this course has progressed. All things grow and change over time either fulfilling some purpose or slowly disappearing. Language is no exception, and is in fact, exemplary of this rule. Through an examination of the evolution of language, it is possible to shed light on the ideas of merging and divergence that are present in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass and Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species. Whitman urges that we come together, Darwin that we will always drift apart. In language, both principles are evident.