Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted

by Suleika Jaouad

My days were a slow emergency, my life dwindling to four white walls, a hospital bed, and fluorescent lights, my body punctured by tubes and wires tethering me to various monitors and my IV pole.

Looking at the word choice, why would she chose "second class citizen"? How does that add to what she is trying to say? How does this relate to her overarching thoughts that she has in relation to time?

But some part of me knew the situation wasn’t sustainable. The land of the sick was no place for anyone to live 24/7; I would never have wished it upon my worst enemy. I knew that if I wanted our relationship to last, I would need to encourage Will to start living his life again.

How does this relate to what we spoke about last class--about the caregiver role that Will takes on? Why is her realizing this so important?

But the body has its own memory: It remembers who hurt it. On an irrational level, I felt wronged by those whom I saw as having “poisoned” me (people in lab coats, phlebotomists, my mother) and by those who encouraged me to think positively about it (friends, Hallmark cards, the “cancer books” section of Barnes & Noble). Finding the silver lining felt like part of the punishment.

This quote provides some insight on the extent of trauma that periods of treatment can have. How does its inclusion add to this retelling of events? How does it add to your understanding of the effects that going through something like this had on her?

I want to say: “Catherine, how is this happening to us, to Suleika?” And instead I say this and I say that, I ask about her son and her husband. It makes me feel better and wounded at the same time, because what I have to tell is about transfusions and fatigue and reality. The tears are in my heart but they never come out. Only when Suleika doesn’t speak to me do I lose all strength. Communication, love, laughter, her presence—that’s what makes this bearable, what allows us to keep going like Ulysses.

What affect does th inclusion have on thi particular part of the story? Why is it important to hear a voice outside of Suleika's POV?