Summary Of When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air Throughout Paul’s experience with cancer, he reveals to the reader how dealing with mortality and being a neurosurgeon shaped that experience. Through this book, Paul details how he tries to tackle the question of his own mortality. At first, Paul tried to tackle this question by reading as much literature as possible. This plan worked, and Paul was exposed to different viewpoints on life and death. There was only one problem, even with reading all of these philosophical texts, he was still looking for the good life. In response to this dilemma, Paul decided that becoming a neurosurgeon was his best bet an answering this question, since he would be dealing with patients who were on the cusp of death. As a neurosurgeon,
Paul dealt with the mortality of others, such as an old woman who had a metastatic tumor in her brain, or the child with a tumor near his brain stem. In both of these cases, Paul feels comfortable, ready to use his own expertise to ease the suffering of a patient, and felt that it was worth it. Paul also demonstrates some key characteristics of a physician: he informs the patients so as to help preserve their autonomy, while trying to perform the most good for them, which lines up with the principle of beneficence. Such a response would seem normal from this neurosurgeon. For Paul, curing a patient was a core part of being a surgeon, the other part was helping patients who were facing terminal illness as a future. However, when this same neurosurgeon becomes a patient, he brings the same expertise to the cancer treatments he must undergo. However, Paul soon learns that, when facing death, his training as a neurosurgeon did not prepare him for it.
By writing “When Breath Becomes Air” Paul Kalanithi reveals to the reader his life choices up to the point when he has to struggles cancer while being a neurosurgeon.
As a neurosurgeon, Paul was expected to give his patients their prognosis and possible treatments. The reason that Paul became a neurosurgeon was to find out the meaning of life. This is important because Paul had devoted a large chunk of his life to find out which life was worth living. At first, Paul stated that he wanted to be a writer, not a doctor. In fact, on page 19, Paul states that he wanted to be anything besides a doctor. It was only after he read a book form his old girlfriend that Paul decided to become a neurosurgeon, the book stated that the mind was a fiction of the brain, and Paul wanted to debunk that belief. Deontologically speaking, Paul saw it as his duty to find out what was a good life, and to live that good life. Further proof of this can be found when Paul had to choose between working on a research project, or working as a chef in the Stanford alumni camp. Instead of working on a highly valuable research project, Paul decided to work as a chef in the camp. Both of these choices represent the fundamental conflict in Paul’s life. On one hand, Paul could choose to be a doctor, and learn about mortality from terminally ill patients. On the other, Paul could explore different options for his life. Paul could become a writer, a teacher, or a professor, as he was trying to do later on. Instead, by being a physician, Paul could observe how death changed a person, and explore the vast responses a person would put up against it. Furthermore, after becoming a physician, Paul started to find the good life in treating the neurological disorders within a patient. However, Paul’s attitude soon changes when he is diagnosed with a rare form of lung
cancer.
When Paul was diagnosed with lung cancer, he transformed form an actor on a stage to a stage that would be acted upon. Once this neurosurgeon becomes a patient, he is no longer an actor. Instead, Paul becomes a stage that is acted upon by his physician and friend Emma. When Paul became a patient diagnosed with lung cancer, he had to re-evaluate his life decisions. At first, Emma informed Paul on the procedures that were going to be taken to help him heal. Another important point that is revealed in this discussion is that Emma kept asking Paul what he valued as most important to his life. This conversation is important because Paul tried to respond by being a surgeon, however, when that was not possible, he decided to be a writer. Through out this discussion, it is important to note that Paul does not act as a patient, instead, Paul tried to act as a physician. Instead of asking for general direction, Paul asked for what his chances for survival are, instead of asking for an explanation of treatment options, he puts one out himself. These actions represent how Paul felt a physician should act, even if the patient being treated is the physician. The hidden importance to the discussion with Emma is how much of Paul’s identity came from being a physician. Paul saw his life revolving around neurosurgery, he worked to be a one, lead new students as a neurosurgeon, and he even wanted to teach like one by being a professor on neurosurgery. However, the cancer threatened all of his dreams, since Paul was wasting away and losing his ability to perform surgery. At first, Paul was dejected due to the change he would have to undergo, but he soon found a new passion, one that was buried deep in literature.
While transitioning from a physician to a patient, Paul had learned the hard way that being a neurosurgeon was going to be a difficult option. In the end, he lost the ability to stay as a neurosurgeon, and Paul decided to change his course by studying literature again. This choice arose from the fact that the treatment Paul was undergoing was not working, instead of curing him, the cancer came back and became more resistant to treatment. IN fact, at the end of the last round of treatments, Paul had reached the point were further treatment would fall along the lines of medical futility. With not option left, Paul had to give up on surgery since he was losing could no longer do it. Thus, trying to explore mortality via surgery was no longer an option, but opening up to literature was still an option, which Paul immediately chose. By delving into the works of different philosophers, Paul was able to explore his own mortality, which was rushing at him like a rush hour train. Due to the limited time, Paul searched these texts anxiously for an answer, and found one close to his death: for Paul, his life depended on living it to the fullest, enjoying the time he had left with his daughter, fixing his marriage with Lucy, talking to family and friends for the last time. Paul saw that taking these actions were what made his life worth it, to him, he had finally found out what the good life was. In the end, the author of this book, Paul, chose to have voluntary passive euthanasia while living his life fully.
As a physician, Paul was searching for the good life, or the life that was worth living. As a patient, Paul was finally able to find the answer to this question. Thus, while the transition from a physician to a patient was not something to look forward to, it helped Paul find the answer he was looking for, ever since he was in high school. As a patient, Paul acted autonomously and tried to find out the truth to his life, he even acted somewhat like a utilitarian by suggesting that his wife, Lucy, remarry after his death. By facing his own mortality, Paul surprises me, since he stands firm after accepting death as a reality. To me, Paul has pointed in the general direction everyone should search in order to find meaning in their life.
Throughout this book, Paul has demonstrated his ability to adapt, even if it takes him some time. This encouraged me to look at how I define my life in a different light, one that took into account that someday, I would die. At first, I was thinking along the lines of utilitarianism, and giving up ones life for the greater good. However, Paul demonstrates that there are other principles of equal importance, such as care ethics. In fact, it can be argued that Paul was quite the care ethicist since he focused part of his life on his family and friends. For me, I would do the same, if I was in Paul’s shoes, since these people are the ones who would miss me the most and thus would need to be comforted the most. I would also define my life as one that best given away, or spent on helping others. Thus, while Paul reveals his inner struggles with life and death, he helps the reader probe the question of the quality of life that must be lived. For me, this book not only delved into Paul’s life, but helped probe into how I would like to live, as some one who gave their life to others, and valued the relationships that they have formed as one of the key treasures of their life. As for Paul, I would say that originally, he did not and was not really trying to live up to my standard of a good life, but, in the end, Paul not only changed his values, he lived them out. These values coincide with what I believe is the good life. In conclusion, although Paul did not start out living the good life, he lived it at the end of his life.