Metaphor Use in Literature

Metaphors are used in many different forms to allow us to perceive what is going on around us. We use them to make sense of things we don’t understand. The use of metaphors is found in many professions and has proven to be effective in conveying information. Without realizing it, the use of metaphors has pervaded into our culture and society. Metaphors not only help us understand, they also help to shape our perception. They can either confuse us even further, or help us understand what we otherwise would have not. The texts “Illness as Metaphor” by Susan Sontag and What Cancer Takes Away by Anne Boyer delve into disease and how it effects the victim in the present and future. Through the use of metaphors, these two texts explore cancer, and allow the reader to fully understand the effects of cancer on a human life. Sontag’s use of comparing cancer to a demonic pregnancy obscures our understanding of cancer , and Boyer comparing cancer to a cruel democracy opens our eyes to the effect that cancer has and the mess it leaves behind.

In Illness as Metaphor, Sontag describes in detail two diseases, tuberculosis and cancer. Throughout the text, tuberculosis is described as being the most favorable and least tasking on the body. On the other hand, cancer is described as being cruel and life debilitating. This is mostly due to the fact that at that time, cancer was not fully understood the way tuberculosis was. Because of the mystery that surrounded cancer, it was feared by many. People even thought that the disease was contagious. In some countries, patients aren’t even told that they have cancer. In countries like France and Italy, doctors believe it is better for patients to not know of their diagnosis. Only the mature and intelligent patients are allowed access to the information. All of this creates a stigma around cancer, which steers people away from discussing it. However, tuberculosis was looked at in a whole different light. It was even sought after and mimicked because of its physical effects: liveliness and rosy cheeks. “TB was-still is- thought to produce spells of euphoria, increased appetite, exacerbated sexual desire” (Sontag 13) In the use of this descriptive language, Sontag is able to capture these two diseases and their effect on mankind.

A metaphor that Sontag uses is “Cancer is a demonic pregnancy”. In this metaphor, cancer is being compared to a demonic pregnancy. This comparison is due to the fact that cancer can grow and spread within the body. Like when a woman is pregnant with her child, the cancer will soon control the body and become the person’s main priority. Secondly, like how a pregnancy protrudes and is known to the world, cancer can protrude with tumors and is noticeable because of physical effects like losing hair and being lethargic. The cancer is demonic in a way because it feeds off of the host, burning through supplies and taking all nutrients to the point of death. In a human pregnancy the woman gains weight to nurture the baby, but the opposite occurs when cancer is involved. In contrast to a human pregnancy, cancer grows and takes more of the host’s nutrients, the person will start to lose weight and grow weak as the cancer progresses and gets larger. Cancer is like to a parasite, how it takes everything from its host and cares only for its well-being. “Novalis..for his encyclopedia project, defines cancer along with gangrene, as full-fledged parasites they grow, engender, have their structures,secrete,eat”(Sontag 13-14) Cancer spreads and invades wherever it can, not caring about the consequences in comparison to a human pregnancy that is confined to only the womb. “But this lump is alive, a fetus with its own will”(Sontag 13) says Alice James who died from cancer. In like with a human pregnancy, cancer is also alive and has a mind of its own. This metaphor shapes the perception of cancer and puts it in a negative light by comparing it to a demon.

In What Cancer Takes Away, Boyer talks about her current state and how she is dealing with her cancer diagnosis. Upon hearing her diagnosis, she finds out that she has a 3.8 centimeter cancerous tumor in her left breast. She went on a journey of treatments and medications, including doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and carboplatin. She says how the medication she takes does not only affect her, but the people close to her and in her environment. In her case, they slow the rapid proliferation of cells, make her lose hair and sense of taste. For people surrounding her, her bodily fluids can be toxic to them and many of the drugs pass from her urine into wastewater which can last for hundreds of years. She perseveres and pushes through her struggles. She doesn’t give up, instead she fights and eventually overcomes.

In her text, a metaphor that she uses is “The cancer pavilion is a cruel democracy of appearance” This metaphor is comparing cancer to a cruel democracy. A democracy is when everything is mostly equally represented and the same. However, cancer is a cruel democracy because the same symptoms and situations happen to every cancer patient, regardless of the type of cancer. “The same bald heads, the same devastated complexions, the same steroid-swollen faces, the same plastic ports visible as lumps under the skin” (Boyer 7) It doesn’t matter the severity or type of cancer, you will most likely go through these symptoms. It is also cruel because these symptoms are identifiable with cancer, so when a person is in the public displaying these symptoms, people will know that they have cancer. “The old seem infantile, the young act senile, the middle-aged find that all that is middle-aged about them disappears” (Boyer 7) This metaphor allows us to see the consequence of cancer and what is does to the patient. The synonymous symptoms can make the patient feel invalid or drowned in their illness. They can feel like their illness defines them and can overcome them.

Both of these texts lay emphasis on cancer and how it affects that patient and the people surrounding them. I am comparing these two metaphors because they both talked about cancer. Sontag’s text uses “demonic pregnancy” as a metaphor for cancer while Boyer describes it as a “cruel democracy”. Both of these metaphors show how cancer can wreak havoc on the patient and change their lives. Sontag’s text obscures our understanding of cancer, while Boyer enhances our understanding. In describing cancer as a demonic pregnancy, Sontag obscures our knowledge and gives cancer a property it doesn’t have. Giving cancer the property of being demonic implies things that aren’t really happening. Although cancer is debilitating and harmful, it isn’t demonic. It doesn’t define what cancer really is at all. In fact, describing cancer as being demonic stigmatizes it even more. It makes people ashamed of having the disease and makes them not talk about it. However, Boyer describing cancer as a cruel democracy, allows us to see the actual effect of cancer on the patient. It shows how cancer can single people out just by their appearance and put them in a box. It shows how cancer can become the defining part of the patient and consumes them. The both of these have negative connotations relating to cancer and corroborate off of each other. They are explaining cancer and the effects it has on the patients. These metaphors also lay emphasis on the outward appearance of cancer. In Sontag, it describes cancer as a demonic pregnancy which would have prominent effects on the physical appearance of a person. “The one there with his swollen belly is pregnant with his own death..The cancer patient shrivels or shrinks” (Sontag 14) This use of language makes a very concrete image in your head. Boyer lays out the physical manifestations of cancer on the body. “ the same bald heads, the same devastated complexions, the same steroid-swollen faces” (Boyer 7)

Furthermore, we see how language and metaphors can play a big role in us understanding a topic. The use of these two metaphors in these two texts allows us to get a greater understanding of the text. They help us to understand the graveness and severity of cancer and its effects. Through the use of metaphors, these two texts Illness as Metaphor and What Cancer Takes Away explore cancer, and allow the reader to fully understand the effects of cancer on a human life. Sontag’s use of comparing cancer to a demonic pregnancy obscures our understanding of cancer, and Boyer comparing cancer to a cruel democracy opens our eyes to the effect that cancer has and the mess it leaves behind.