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Summary Of Gerald Callahan's Essay 'Chimera'

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Summary Of Gerald Callahan's Essay 'Chimera'
Not many people can have simultaneously creative and scientific brains. I am a perfect example of this. I never have a problem with understanding simply that my brain will not work very effectively when concentrating on such polar opposites of subject. Separate one or the other and I have no problem, but together? No way.

Clearly Gerald Callahan does not have this problem. In his essay, “Chimera” he deftly weaves a personal narrative with an overreaching scientific explanation. He attempts to solve a deeply personal problem with seeing visions of his dead wife, by trying to apply research and science to the issue. At the same time he was implementing the metaphor of the body as an entire memory sponge, pushing it to the very limits.

Sometimes the reader might see the subject a bit dry, the writing gets very technical. I never felt this way as the language is exciting and when I have to …show more content…
Through strategic, concrete metaphors, such as his grandmother’s mason jars representing lymphatic collections of antibodies, Callahan keeps difficult concepts grounded. But the essay doesn’t simply use concrete metaphors to explain the immune system; it also uses the immune system as a metaphor. A chimera is a mythical animal made up of the parts of several genera or species, and the essay itself is a bit of a chimera, both science writing and personal essay. The science body headed by a personal essay about the nature of memory and morning, about how our lost loved ones can feel so absolutely real. The discussion of the immunology provokes an expansion of our understanding of how deeply embodied memory is, and how connected we are, both literally and
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