29 pages • 58 minutes read
Susan SontagIllness As Metaphor
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1978A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Illness as Metaphor, Susan Sontag explores how metaphors related to diseases like tuberculosis and cancer have historically shaped cultural perceptions, often unfairly blaming sufferers. Drawing from sources across different eras—including literature, poetry, and medical writing—Sontag argues that these metaphorical constructions obscure the true nature of illness and impact both understanding and treatment. The book addresses themes of illness and stigma.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Susan Sontag's Illness As Metaphor has been praised for its incisive critique of the metaphoric use of illness, such as tuberculosis and cancer, in literature and culture. Reviewers commend Sontag's clarity and intellectual rigor, though some find her tone occasionally overly clinical. Overall, it’s valued for shedding light on the stigmatization and misunderstandings surrounding illness.
Who Should Read Illness As Metaphor?
Ideal for readers of thought-provoking essays like Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking and critics of cultural narratives such as Michel Foucault's The Birth of the Clinic, Sontag's Illness As Metaphor engages those interested in the intersection of illness, culture, and language.
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87
Book • Nonfiction
1978
Adult
18+ years