Still Alice

Still Alice follows the experiences of a 50 year Harvard Professor (who has a PhD in Neuroscience, and teaches courses in Psychology), as she learns of and comes to terms with a big change in her put-together life. When Alice Howland begins getting lost on her daily routines, forgets key words during lectures, and even forgets a business trip, she begins to worry about her mental health. When these strange occurrences begin, she googles menopause symptoms, which include confusion, disorientation, and memory loss, she quickly blames these things on the very normal, natural happening of menopause. 

When these strange and disrupting memory lapses become more constant, Alice goes to see her doctor about potentially taking Estrogen supplements. What she leaves with, though, is the news that she has a disease called Early Onset Alzheimer's. It takes Alice some time to understand this, and to be able to tell her equally successful professor of a husband, John Howland. He struggles with the diagnosis, but soon becomes caring and supportive. Eventually, Alice has to leave her beloved job. 
One day, Alice writes down three questions in her phone, all of which she knows the answer to. She decides that once she can no longer answer them, she wants to die. So she makes a file in her computer called Butterfly. We learn that this name has a connection to her childhood, because she remembers an experience with her mother and a butterfly. In the file, Alice wrote herself instructions for suicide by overdose; which is sad, but also selfless. She does not want to be a burden to her family. 
Her husband ends up leaving to NYU for a better job, while Alice withers away. Her youngest daughter, with whom she did not get along with for many years prior to the Alzheimer's, moved back from California, moved in, and took care of her mother. 

Subject: Still Alice is the story of a woman's battle with Alzheimer's, as it slowly burns away her mentality. The book shows how struggle can bring family together, and gives us a peek of what the world of Alzheimer's looks like. The message was delivered in a very unique way, because we are able to jump into the life of someone who it is difficult for us to connect to, even though she is just a regular person. While she has a clear mind (because her bad memory spouts are on and off) we can understand her thinking, and her reflections over her state.

Occasion: Takes place in Massachusetts, mostly at their home a mile away from Harvard, around town, and at Harvard. It is modern day, and everything in the book is relatable. That way we can focus on the unknown: the disease. 

Audience: This book is intended for anyone at an advanced high school reading level and above. It uses somewhat pedantic diction sometimes, which could be incomprehensible and take away meaning from the story for people who do not know the words.  

Purpose: With this, we learn a lot. We learn how the disease affects people, and their families. And we learn to feel empathy and sympathy. If it can happen to a Harvard professor who studies this type of thing, it can happen to anyone. 

Style: The point of view reflects the way that Alzheimer's affects a person, because we can see Alice's mistakes and memory blips even when she can't. This makes us somewhat of an all-knowing reader, but not on purpose.

Tone: The general tone of the book is very descriptive and emotional; full of meaning. There are not words wasted, everything contributes to the story, and to the emotions of the reader. Very well written, never dull. 

"I'm so sorry I have this. i can't stand the thought of how much worse this is going to get. i can't stand the thought of looking at you someday, this face I love, and not knowing who you are."
She traced the outline of his jaw and chin and the creases of his sorely out of practice laugh lines with her hands. She wiped the sweat from his forehad and the tears from his eyes.
"I can barely breathe when I think about it. But we have to think about it. I don't know how much longer I have to know you. We need to talk about what's going to happen."
He tipped his glass back, swallowed until there was nothing left, and then sucked a little more from the ice. Then he looked at her with a scared and profound sorrow in his eyes that she'd never seen there before.
"I don't know if I can."

p. 100

The diction utilized in the book varies, depending on the situation. When Alice speaks to her husband, she uses a tone leaning towards casual, but still not laconic or colloquial at all. Once in a while, they are very harsh and critical of one another. When she talks to her students and colleagues, Alice uses quite pedantic language. She speaks in a very scholarly manner to most people, perhaps because of the level of education she has and because of her profession. This book was very well written, and all sentences flowed very effortlessly. In terms of stylist elements, Still Alice did not fail. The book goes in a sort of reverse full circle. In the beginning, her husband is her main family member, who she lives with and is closest with. Although he does go behind her back to help their youngest daughter with money, who Alice does not get along with. In the end, the daughter is taking care of Alice, while her husband is gone and busy with his own life in NYC. Her daughter stepped up to the plate when those who were trusted before backed down. There is some very dramatic symbolism with the butterfly file: the file which leads her to suicide brings her back to childhood, when her mother taught her that the short life of a butterfly is still very beautiful and wonderful, regardless of length. Just like Alice's.

5/5 butterflies for educational content very interesting.