Description
The restitution narrative, according to Arthur Frank, has the basic storyline: “”Yesterday I was healthy, today I’m sick, but tomorrow I’ll be healthy again” (2). This storyline is dominated by “talk of tests and their interpretation, treatments and their possible outcomes, the competence of physicians, and alternative treatments” (Frank 2). Does the restitution narrative guide or shape the development of the story ‘Suddenly Sick’? Do you think you need to modify Frank’s restitution concept to better explain the author’s pandemic experiences? Why or why not? Explain using details of the story including the author’s background.
Introduction:
Briefly introduce a) the COVID-19 pandemic story you chose to discuss in your essay and b) its significance.
- Briefly introduce the author or character’s socioeconomic, educational, and ethnic background and its significance for the story.
Briefly introduce AND define any or all three of Arthur Frank’s illness narrative types that you will use to analyze your story, and put forth a thesis statement addressing any of the above guiding questions
Please note that you do NOT have to discuss all three of Frank’s illness narrative types: restitution, chaos, and quest. You can focus on any one or two of his narrative types if you think that is appropriate to your pandemic story. This is your intellectual decision.
Two to three body paragraphs:
Each body paragraph should closely analyze certain details of your story (which may include the author’s and character’s background) to ILLUSTRATE how Frank’s illness narrative type(s) guide or shape the story’s development.
- Be sure to quote or paraphrase certain details of your story and Frank’s original narrative type(s), and provide detailed analysis of the quoted or paraphrased details.
If you need to modify Frank’s illness narrative types, you should closely analyze certain details of your story (which may include the author’s background) to ILLUSTRATE how you apply your modified narrative types to them.
- Conclusion:
Recapitulate the thesis statement in light of your discussion of how Frank’s illness narrative type(s) guide or shape the development of your story in the previous paragraphs.
- What insights have you gained in thinking about your pandemic story and Frank’s illness narrative type(s)?
- Works Cited:
