During the writing of this book, Bauby had ‘locked-in’ syndrome, a condition with symptoms similar to that of quadriplegics. Despite his condition, Jean-Do was later able to appreciate the “inseparable link between the brain and the spinal cord,” and soon enough said, “My diving bell becomes less oppressive, and my mind takes flight like a butterfly,” (4-5).Ĭrucial to understanding The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an understanding of the condition experienced by Jean-Dominique Bauby, ‘Locked-In’ Syndrome, and learning a bit about his life prior to his condition. Jean-Do’s memoir of his experience as a “locked-in syndrome”* patient revealed many intricacies of our nervous system as well as challenged our, or at least my, idea of what ‘living’ and experiencing truly is. However, as I delved deeper into the writing and thus, the mind of “Jean-Do” (as he was called by his friends) I found an infinite number of connections to our Neurobiology course. Before I begin my commentary on Jean Dominique Bauby’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I want to clarify that my initial reason for choosing this book was simply because I enjoyed its film adaptation, and I was intrigued as to the style of the original medium.
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