Alienation and Reification of Hunter
There are endless crossroads in the human life, and the ability to distinguish these crossroads relies on ones ability to relinquish any preconceptions of the meaning of life. These crossroads embody what sociological critics for centuries have referred to as alienation and reification. They deem the twin theories are the essence of our individual universes. They interpret the abyss human’s deem from their legitimate sense of self. Every human at one divergence in their life has loss the path they were intended to take, thus becoming alienated. This is because society unduly influences humanity into assuming materialism, is the preeminent necessity to strive for, thus experiencing reification. Sociological critics find alienation and reification as important concepts in understanding literature and films. An excellent way to illustrate how important these theories are is to apply them to the story of one man who faced and overcame them. The man I refer to is Hunter Adams, and the movie based on his life is Patch Adam. In the beginning of the film, Hunter interprets his feelings of alienation when he states, “ the storm was in my mind, or as the poet Dant
The dean told Patch he was dangerous, and that he made everyone around him nervous. The dean also stated that this type of behavior was not what it takes to be a doctor. Patch realized it was not that he was dangerous to others only the dean, because he represented change. While addressing the medical board, Patch argued the true meaning of what a doctor is. He asked the medical board “since when did a doctor become more than just a trusted and learned friend who visited the sick”(Patch)? Then he turned and addressed the medical students in the room and pleaded: uld ever threaten the wholeness he is feeling but he was wrong. While assisting a patient they had treated in the past, Corrine was killed. This devastation caused Patch to uncover the feelings he was repressing. Freud had once stated “there is always a return of the repression” (Barry, pg100). Freud believed that repression hides on the level of the unconscious and similar feeling triggers it. Patch felt he had taught her the medicine that killed her, and he was not going to be responsible for anyone else. As Ashley Montagu says, “ for no man can ever be other than involved in mankind. Human beings by their very nature are involved with and dependent upon other human beings all the days of our lives” (78). Patch realized that he can not let this destroy his life, but he could use it as a learning experience. He went back school to fulfill his destiny only to face the State Medical Board and the accusations of Dean Wilcox. e put it, ‘in the middle of the journey of my life I found myself in the dark woods for I had lost the right path’. Eventually, I would find the right path, but in the most unlikely place” (Patch). Hunter committed himself to a mental institution for suicidal tendencies. Ashley Montagu would say, Patch was “attempting to understand how in evading the demands of evolution, he had gone astray, then he would give up his present course and join the general mass of humanity” (80). Patch wanted to insure that the next class of doctors was, not subjected to the alienation and reification that classes in the past were. He gave them the medicine and hoped they took it. Ashley Montagu best sums up what is at the heart of Patch Adams theories by saying, “the measure of a person’s humanity is the extent and intensity of his love for mankind” (109).
Some topics in this essay:
Dean Wilcox,
Gesundheit Institute,
Reification Hunter,
Patch Adams,
Using Arthur,
Ashley Montagu,
Patch German,
Patch Patch,
Patch Adam,
Montagu Patch,
alienation reification,
barry pg,
ashley montagu,
patch realized,
medical board,
quality life,
sociological critics,
barry pg 157,
pg 157,
157 patch,
patch patch,
pg 157 patch,
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Approximate Word count = 1633
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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