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Faria Nava

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Close Reading Assignment

November 6, 2023

HLTB50H3Y: Introduction to Health Humanities

Instructor: Melanie Lalani

TA: Tola Mbulaheni

Word Count: 500

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HLTB50 Close Reading Assignment

Introduction

Ronna Bloom writes poems based on her personal experiences. “Walking the Hospital”

demonstrates her vulnerability and empathy as she spends time in the healthcare setting. The

passage that caught my attention:

“I wanted to give poems to the staff, instead doughnuts. It was then that I made

that vow to pay attention every time I came in, to wake up and say, “Sick people

here,” meaning also “vulnerable people.” The sand is shifting and the person in

front of me might walk the halls one day differently than the next.”

(Bloom 2023)

My interpretation of this passage is that there was a shift in the author's reality as she

truly understood the importance and urgency of genuine care and empathy in a healthcare setting.

Supporting Details

The word choice significantly influences my interpretation of the text. The contrast

between poems and doughnuts symbolizes the disparity in thoughtfulness between the two gifts.

While a poem is personalized and crafted to suit each unique individual, a doughnut is simply a

doughnut. By advocating for poems over doughnuts, the author demonstrates a deeper

appreciation for valuing individuals

Bloom employs metaphors to convey her insights. Her statement, "The sand is shifting,"

signifies the unpredictable nature of human life within this environment. This realization leads to

a heightened level of care and compassion, which she conveys through her poem gifts.
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This moment of Bloom’s realization prompts several questions for myself. How did the

narrator's perspective undergo such a significant shift? In what ways does this poem speak to

more general social and moral issues, like the need for empathy in the medical field?

These questions are pivotal for our broader societal healthcare perspective. Shifting

society's focus from illness to the individual could enhance patient well-being and cause a

narrative shift in our society. “The mean rating for overall satisfaction with the Canadian health

care system was 5.4/10.0”(Gertsman et al., 2023). Emphasizing a need for change in Canadian

healthcare. Research also proves that “the professional who listens to the patient and who

demonstrates caring, who offers meaningful explanations, and who helps the patient feel more in

control of the illness is more likely to turn on the placebo effect. Research has identified the

neural mechanisms that allow our beliefs and emotions to trigger the release of chemicals that

can promote healing (Hester et al., 2019).

Conclusion

Bloom's metaphors and word choices in the text prompted my interpretation that she has

come to a profound realization about the true nature of hospitals: to see beyond the illness and

into the souls of the people they care for. I didn't select this text for its simplicity but because it

resonated with me. Initially, I took this course as a GPA boost, but it became a transformative,

eye-opening journey, similar to Bloom. The readings and videos led to significant self-discovery,

revealing my own biases toward ill individuals. If our society could embrace Bloom’s

perspective, it would undoubtedly positively benefit all individuals involved in healthcare.

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References

Bloom, R. 2023. Walking the Hospital. In Phil Hall (Ed.), A Possible Trust (pp.40-42). Wilfred

Laurier University Press.

Gertsman, S., Ene, I. C., Palmert, S., Liu, A., Makkar, M., Shao, I., Shapiro, J., & Williams, C.

(2023, September 1). Clinical empathy as perceived by patients with chronic illness in Canada:

A qualitative focus group study. CMAJ Open.

https://www.cmajopen.ca/content/11/5/E859#:~:text=The%20mean%20rating%20for%20overall

,and%20enhanced%20mental%20health%20outcomes.

Hester, R., Brody, H., & Clark, M. (2019). Chapter 13. humanities and the Medical Home.

Health Humanities Reader, 138–148. https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813562483-016