Essay on Illness as Metaphor

    Susan Sontag presents her unique attitude towards the usage of metaphor through tone, diction, and paradox. The metaphors that she uses also increases the completeness of the article in general and they also give the article its distinct meaning. After analysing the article, it becomes evident that the author possesses a skeptical attitude towards the usage of metaphor. This skepticism can be determined by interpreting the tone, diction, and paradox presented. The metaphors used add to the strength of the paradox and together present the author's attitude in an outstanding way.

     The skeptical tone that the author writes in can be seen pretty clearly throughout the article itself. The author speaks by presenting her ideas with contradictions. A contradiction that leads to the skepticism the author tries to present. The author states that the best way to think "is one most purified of, most resistant to, metaphoric thinking". By saying this, the author makes it clear that she believes metaphoric thinking lead people off their desired personality. When people use metaphoric thinking, they no longer belong to the the "kingdom of the well". The author also dedicates the article to people who are trying to clarify themselves from metaphors, to free themselves from the "kingdom of the ill".

    The diction of the author reveals an underlying attitude that she possesses towards metaphors. The words "dual citizenship" and "good passport" show the author's prejudice towards using metaphors. The author uses "kingdom of the well" and "kingdom of the ill" to describe the difference between people who think metaphorically and those who do not. The words "elucidation" and "liberation" demonstrates the author's attitude very clearly. She believes that metaphors lead people into the "kingdom of the ill", but she uses metaphors in her article. The paradox presented helps clarify her diction and her tone.

    The most important paradox that exists in the article is the phrase "the healthiest way of being ill". In the beginning of the article, the author states that "....sooner of later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of the other place". We are destined to think about thing in regard with metaphors, but we should think in most purified of, most resistant to, metaphoric thinking. This contradiction shows that the author doesn't trust metaphor because they blind people from their truthful selves. Sontag uses metaphors to convey her point that people shouldn't think metaphorically.

    Tone and diction play a role in revealing the attitude of the author, but paradox is the most influential tool that the author uses to convey her points. Even though Sontag is skeptical and and dislikes the idea of thinking metaphorically, she clarifies her ideas though metaphoric phrases inside the article. Paradox leave the readers with a strong impression in the readers mind and the author is very successful in conveying her ideas.