What Is The Difference Between The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

There is not one specific part of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly that left a lasting impression on me. The author's wit and humor despite being disabled struck me throughout the entire piece. I literally laughed out loud during several passages of the memoir especially at (Bauby, 1997, p 12)“If I must drool, I may as well l drool on cashmere.” I think it is important to note that people who have physical disabilities but not mental disabilities are able to recognize their disability. This phrase gave me a deeper sense of the difference between a physical and mental disability: “I can weep quite discreetly. People think my eye is watering.” (Bauby, 1997, p 31). The author is clearly aware of their physical limitations and how a typical person reacts to
this limitation while explaining that this is their version of weeping. To weep is to express anguish beyond shedding a tear or quiet crying. I think it is unfortunate for the author but a great boon to society that the author happened to be an editor. The choice of words throughout the memoir painted such a lively picture of the author's mental state in contrast to their vegetable-like appearance. My favorite passage in the memoir is about the letters the author receives from all kinds of visitors.“They are opened for me, unfolded, and spread out before my eyes in a daily ritual that gives the arrival of the mail the character of a hushed and holy ceremony.
I carefully read each letter myself. Some of them are serious in tone, discussing the meaning of life, invoking the supremacy of the soul, the mystery of every existence. And by a curious reversal, the people who focus most closely on these fundamental questions tend to be people I had known only superficially. Their small talk had masked hidden depths. Had I been blind and deaf, or does it take the harsh light of disaster to show a person's true nature?” (Bauby, 1997, p32). I think the passage is ironic in that this book is written in the light of disaster and is a testament to the true nature of the author. Persevering through a total loss of physical function could have understandably caused the shutting down of the author's mind. The disability did quite the opposite and it is obvious through the humor and elaborate descriptions of every-day happenings that the author continued to have a rich inner life despite being bed-ridden and wheel-chair
bound. This memoir is filled with gratitude and I really appreciated the passage about letters for this reason as well. The author ends the passage with the thought: “A couple of lines or eight pages, a Middle Eastern stamp or a suburban postmark…I hoard all these letters like treasure. One day I hope to fasten them end to end in a half-mile streamer, to float in the wind like a banner raised to the glory of friendship.” (Bauby, 1997, p 32). Here we see that there is no sense of entitlement in the author's severely disabled state. To be thankful to be alive and cherish the sensations available to you, however small, is the biggest personal take-away from this book. Cognizance is not absolutely bound to the senses although the sense give people access to the physical world. To be alive is more than to taste, touch, see, hear, or smell.