#4 Story: Cancer, death, and grief

Blog post #4 for a story is the same as #3. Again, because what I’m writing is more of a personal essay than a fictional story with a clear plot line, Instead of studying how my story applies to a standard narrative (which would be difficult, because it doesn’t) I’ll be researching some symbolism instead, which is a huge part of what I’m writing.

Here’s me answering the Next Steps questions from the last post:

1. Trains as metaphors for transition & emotional liminality

Schivelbusch (1986) argues that trains create a “panoramic perception” where passengers experience time and space as fluid, mirroring the disorientation of grief. He also notes that train journeys in literature often symbolize irreversible change – fitting for the protagonist’s shift after the grandfather’s death (Railways and Modernity).

2. Minimalist writing & emotional restraint

Research notes: 

1. The neuroscience of grief

FMRI studies show that grieving activates both the prefrontal cortex (memory) and the posterior cingulate cortex (self-relevance) (O’Connor et al., 2008). I could mirror this duality by alternating between memories of the grandfather and my self-reflection.

2. Silence as communication

Anthropologist Basso (1970) documents how cultural groups use silence strategically – a relevant lens for the grandfather’s “silent, distant presence.” 

3. Trains as liminal spaces

   – Schivelbusch (1986) analyzes trains as sites where “time and space collapse,” ideal for the mother’s outburst scene. I could use the train’s rhythmic motion to contrast with the rupture of her anger.

4. Photographs and absence 

Barthes (1980) describes portraits as “flat death” – the Beijing temple scene could emphasize the grandfather’s photo as both presence and void.

5. Ecological grief

Cunsolo and Ellis (2018) define grief for environments; adapt this to the protagonist’s bond with nature (wind, decay) as a proxy for human loss. To integrate this, I will link the graveyard’s natural decay to diminishing life.

Next steps: 

– Investigate cross-cultural mourning rituals (Qingming Festival) to deepen the Beijing temple scene.

– Study fragmented narrative structures (The Sound and the Fury) to reflect nonlinear grief.

References: 

1.        O’Connor, M. F., et al. (2008). “Craving Love? Enduring Grief Activates Brain’s Reward Center.” NeuroImage, 42(2), 969–972.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811908006101

2.        Basso, K. H. (1970). “To Give Up on Words: Silence in Western Apache Culture.” Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 26(3), 213–230.

https://web.stanford.edu/~eckert/Courses/l1562018/Readings/Basso1970.pdf

3.        Schivelbusch, W. (1986). The Railway Journey: The Industrialization of Time and Space. University of California Press.

http://cast.b-ap.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2014/09/Schivelbusch.pdf

4.        Barthes, R. (1980). Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Hill and Wang.

http://mitp-content-server.mit.edu:18180/books/content/sectbyfn?collid=books_pres_0&id=8126&fn=9780262013253_sch_0001.pdf

5.        Cunsolo, A., & Ellis, N. R. (2018). “Ecological Grief as a Mental Health Response to Climate Change.” Nature Climate Change, 8(4), 275–281.

https://www.uwosh.edu/sirt/wp-content/uploads/sites/86/2020/04/Cunsolo-and-Ellis-2018.pdf

6. Didion, J. (2005). The Year of Magical Thinking. Knopf.

Didion (2005) in The Year of Magical Thinking uses sparse prose to convey grief’s numbness, avoiding melodrama. Key technique: “Write the emotion, don’t name it.” Therefore, I must describe the cancer diagnosis call in blunt terms to mirror shock.

https://archive.org/details/yearofmagicalthi0000didi