29 pages • 58 minutes read
Illness As Metaphor
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
87
Book • Nonfiction
1970s
1978
Adult
18+ years
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.
Informative
Contemplative
Challenging
Mysterious
Unnerving
Reviews & Readership
7,135 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
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.
7,135 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
A Bohemian novelist and short story writer who suffered from tuberculosis, providing insights into the societal and psychological dimensions of the disease through his personal experiences and correspondence.
Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich
An Austrian doctor and psychoanalyst with radical ideas about the connection between emotional repression and illness, highlighting the potential pitfalls of using metaphor in understanding disease.
Georg Groddeck
Georg Groddeck
A German doctor and advocate of psychosomatic medicine whose beliefs about the connection between illness and the patient's psyche contribute to cultural attitudes that link sickness with psychological factors.
87
Book • Nonfiction
1970s
1978
Adult
18+ years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.