I should give credit to Philosopher Dr. Yevgenia Skorobogatov-Gray for declaring Tracy Kidder’s book “Mountains Beyond Mountains” (Random House, 2004) as the “best book of the century.” Kidder, afterall, wielded his words with excellent propriety making it impossible to put the book down once you’ve begun reading it (simplicity, of course, in literary concept, is highly regarded as mastery of one’s medium). As for myself, I finished it for almost two days at several intervals because of other obligations (promising to read it on the bus on way to school only to fall asleep). I cannot help but be psychologically and emotionally involved with the story, a story of a man who has devoted himself to serve the underprivileged and showed what real compassion is all about. “Mountains Beyond Mountains” is the story of Paul Farmer, an American physician who co-founded a health care group, Partners in Health, which provides service to the needy people of Haiti .
The story opens with a very promising note, where biographer and the subject meet for the first time in an unusual situation (an opening that starts with a recall): “Six years after the fact, Dr. Paul Edward Farmer reminded me, ‘We met because of a beheading, of all things.’” Of all things, indeed. But why such a scenario and how apt was it? It is, of course, a metaphorical point. Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of non-fiction books, was in Haiti to report about the American soldiers who were tasked to help the country with its security problems while its democracy is being reinstated in 1994. The beheading is a reflection of the political upheaval in the country. The Haitian government has suffered a tremendous setback during the rule of Dr. François Duvalier, known as "Papa Doc", who was the President of Haiti from 1957 and later declared himself “President for Life” from 1964 until his death. Under his government autocracy and corruption emanated. Corruption did not stop after his death, instead it went on when his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, took over his position; only to be toppled off from power in 1986 due to an uprising. Unstable political situation led the US to detail soldiers to help in keep things in order. Farmer, who was already well-known in the land, visited the barracks to inquire the commander whether the soldiers need some medical assistance. Kidder, in several interviews, said that the young doctor, then in his thirties, did not appeal to him as someone special, not until they’ve met again on the plane on their way to Miami . Successive interaction led to the uncovering of a noble service that needed more than special attention.
One may say that Kidder deconstructed the term “biography” in his presentation of Farmer. It is because Kidder himself was involved in the book, speaking both in the first and third person points-of-view, like a bird perched on top of a hill looking at the banquet below, only to descend to take part of the feast. The book, I can say, is comparable to the biography of Marie Curie (and her husband, Pierre) written by their daughter or perhaps, a non-fiction novel written by Truman Capote, “In Cold Blood”; or in some case a point of view relative to the work of Gertrude Stein in “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas”, though the form is different. Form, perhaps, is what makes the book distinct. This as, the writer was also transformed by the ideologies and beliefs of his subject, although, of course, there is a sense of internal monologue, a stream-of-consciousness which the author didn’t recognize or realize at all. I cannot say that Kidder’s book is groundbreaking but it can be compared to a morning mist in autumn – every scene in the book offers a new insight into the perspectives of the merging of three worlds – the world of Haiti and its people, of Farmer’s and of Kidder’s.
Perhaps, we can consider Kidder’s book as a form of New Journalism. Its construction is pure and solicitous. Kidder was intricate in the assembly of his facts and moralizing views. It might be because he has an intellectual as subject who could chop another man’s head off with his words and reason.
In the first few pages of the book show Farmer establishing a rapport with his patients and hospital staff (pp. 10-17) as head of the Infectious Disease Department of a hospital in Boston. This is to show us how a physician should act apart from their vow to serve those in need and practice ethical standards. There are doctors… and there are "doctors" – a concept that reflects “money”, “profit”. There are only a select few who took the lonely road of real service. They have genial concern for those who are sick and to the staff, the people who “runs” the hospital in “little” ways. I admire Farmer’s approach to an HIV + individual (p. 12). We have to consider, too, the sensitivity of one’s feelings when one is sick. And Farmer shows us how to deal with them.
In the succeeding chapters, we were led back to Haiti where Farmer established a medical complex in Cange. In the eyes of Kidder we are informed that it is always teeming with people, not only because people want to avail themselves of free medical assistance but a competent one. Though Farmer, at first, had to take on several problems, primarily financial, to realize his dream for the country.
I cannot help but relate my experience as a medical mission volunteer years ago in the Philippines. My first degree, which is Medical Technology, allowed me to be a part of a competent medical mission team conducting missions in several areas in the Philippines. We offered medical, dental and optical services to people residing in remote areas. Like Farmer we in the medical mission team had to immerse ourselves in another culture, though to be technically correct, subcultures. The Philippines is an archipelago composed of 7,107 islands. Though we may be part of one country, communities in each island have their own “little” cultures and we have to adjust to their standards and norms so as gain their trust and confidence. The medical mission team I went with is religious based. I often wonder why we conduct the clinics when we can just go on evangelizing (though I am not a direct participant in the evangelization process as I am a “free spirit”). I realized later on that in order for evangelization to proceed we need bait; such was the technique used by Jesus Christ. Jesus performed healing “miracles” in order to present his ministry. The “lure” was successful.
In the medical mission I found myself and my soul. Not because of the religious affiliation but with deep compassion to people in need. I met families who lived miserably but with a positive outlook in life. From this facet it made me realize how lucky I am as my problems couldn’t be as big as theirs. Farmer left the comforts of his American life to live “miserably” with the people of Haiti. Meaning - share their burdens and fears, but he is to offer them solutions to their problems. My years in the medical mission made me appreciate each day that passes by. Several years ago a television special in the Philippines featured medical doctors and midwives who have chosen to serve communities in far-flung areas where there are limited resources and even basic necessities like electricity. It also featured teachers who had to leave their families in the city in order to teach children who live in the mountainous areas of the country. These are my heroes. With them I share my happiness. Despite the meager income or even without any remuneration at all these people, armed with university degrees, choose to give their ownselves as gifts to the less privileged people.
Farmer also had to deal with local customs and beliefs. Belief in sorcery is a common aspect in poor countries. It is because they have nothing to turn to, nothing to believe in, being uneducated in the patho-physiology of diseases. They rely on native knowledge, some of which are remarkable but effective, especially in their use of native herbal plants for the treatment of common ailments, while others are just beyond the commonality of human understanding. In one island we’ve visited, we were oriented by the minister and local people not to accept food or gifts from patients or other people as it may contain some indigenous elements that will make our stomach ache and only that person who gave the item can take away the pain. Though we don’t believe such notion, we, however, cannot just disregard the kindness of people, especially patients who just want to express their appreciation to our service. In Farmer’s case, it is where the core of the story. How could a man who lives in the age of technology introduce the magnificence of modern-day medicines to Haitians? How could his modern-day shamantic elements compete with the Voodoo elements in the country? How could he convince the people to adopt his system when they are still rooted in their cultural knowledge? Not that culture is absurd but there are certain levels of it that needed to be re-aligned to reality. Culture is a community’s identity. But identity, Dr. Gray said, is like a roll of yarn; if you pursue it you will understand that it is a paradox, a fragment. Even a simple act of giving Farmer a bottle of milk becomes an act of reproach because the milk was unpasturized and the bottle wasn’t cleaned. Even washing day (p.40) in Haiti is an identity.
Identity, perhaps, also links Farmer and Kidder. They’ve become one in the book. As Prof. Gray put it: “The book is the biography of two minds.” Two minds becoming one. But Farmer and Kidder cannot separate their self-identities. Nobody can. As Dr. Gray confronts: “Identity is tightly woven.” However, Dr. Gray also notes that “Self-identity is a dialogue of several other dialogues.” What Kidder successfully achieved was the interweaving of his subject and his’ self-identities.
Farmer’s advocacy is not rooted in religion, though religion plays a vital part in the realization of his plans. He came to Haiti for transformation (p.44). His role as an ethnographer is not just to observe but offer a relief for those living in pain; consequently because he is also a medical doctor. However, Farmer believes that a doctor must have knowledge of native beliefs, such as Voodoo, (p.83) to avoid getting into war with the Voodoo priests. He said a doctor must make allies with these priests to better understand the culture and beliefs about certain diseases so as to trace its origin. Though he does not discount faith for boosting healing, Farmer said he has also faith in medicines (p.85-87). “He’d never cared much for the religious dogma he’d been taught as a child, and he didn’t believe in most of it now. He would say, for instance, ‘I’m still looking for something in the sacred texts that says, ‘Thou shalt not use condoms.’’ His is the socio-political reformation, afterall, religion and poverty have political orientation. His is the theology of freeing the Haitians from deprivation, maybe from health and other amenities, and a faith that one day he will bring a lasting impact that people may be moved by such gesture and help in their mission.
Imagine a small group making a change in a society and making an impact around the world. That is a formidable task and Farmer and his group had designed it to be a task that needs to be imposed without help from the US government. Despite several setbacks such as the impending increase in prices of medicines against TB and HIV (even with a handsome contribution from Bill Gates of $45 million), Farmer remain confident that they will survive.
Farmer though admitted that he distrusts all ideologies (p.195) as it fails men at some point. Kidders quotes him, “If one pushes this ology to its logical conclusion, then God is to be found in the struggle against injustice. But the odds are so preposterously stacked against the poor… then is it responsible, is it wise, to push the poor to claim what is theirs by right?” Poverty and inequality co-constructs the world of his advocacy. To offer medical relief to sick Haitians is just the end of the rope but Farmer got hold of the rope and made a swing by quoting a woman in Cange who told him (p.199), “’You want to stop HIV in women? Give them jobs.’”
The story opens with a very promising note, where biographer and the subject meet for the first time in an unusual situation (an opening that starts with a recall): “Six years after the fact, Dr. Paul Edward Farmer reminded me, ‘We met because of a beheading, of all things.’” Of all things, indeed. But why such a scenario and how apt was it? It is, of course, a metaphorical point. Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of non-fiction books, was in Haiti to report about the American soldiers who were tasked to help the country with its security problems while its democracy is being reinstated in 1994. The beheading is a reflection of the political upheaval in the country. The Haitian government has suffered a tremendous setback during the rule of Dr. François Duvalier, known as "Papa Doc", who was the President of Haiti from 1957 and later declared himself “President for Life” from 1964 until his death. Under his government autocracy and corruption emanated. Corruption did not stop after his death, instead it went on when his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, took over his position; only to be toppled off from power in 1986 due to an uprising. Unstable political situation led the US to detail soldiers to help in keep things in order. Farmer, who was already well-known in the land, visited the barracks to inquire the commander whether the soldiers need some medical assistance. Kidder, in several interviews, said that the young doctor, then in his thirties, did not appeal to him as someone special, not until they’ve met again on the plane on their way to Miami . Successive interaction led to the uncovering of a noble service that needed more than special attention.
One may say that Kidder deconstructed the term “biography” in his presentation of Farmer. It is because Kidder himself was involved in the book, speaking both in the first and third person points-of-view, like a bird perched on top of a hill looking at the banquet below, only to descend to take part of the feast. The book, I can say, is comparable to the biography of Marie Curie (and her husband, Pierre) written by their daughter or perhaps, a non-fiction novel written by Truman Capote, “In Cold Blood”; or in some case a point of view relative to the work of Gertrude Stein in “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas”, though the form is different. Form, perhaps, is what makes the book distinct. This as, the writer was also transformed by the ideologies and beliefs of his subject, although, of course, there is a sense of internal monologue, a stream-of-consciousness which the author didn’t recognize or realize at all. I cannot say that Kidder’s book is groundbreaking but it can be compared to a morning mist in autumn – every scene in the book offers a new insight into the perspectives of the merging of three worlds – the world of Haiti and its people, of Farmer’s and of Kidder’s.
Perhaps, we can consider Kidder’s book as a form of New Journalism. Its construction is pure and solicitous. Kidder was intricate in the assembly of his facts and moralizing views. It might be because he has an intellectual as subject who could chop another man’s head off with his words and reason.
In the first few pages of the book show Farmer establishing a rapport with his patients and hospital staff (pp. 10-17) as head of the Infectious Disease Department of a hospital in Boston. This is to show us how a physician should act apart from their vow to serve those in need and practice ethical standards. There are doctors… and there are "doctors" – a concept that reflects “money”, “profit”. There are only a select few who took the lonely road of real service. They have genial concern for those who are sick and to the staff, the people who “runs” the hospital in “little” ways. I admire Farmer’s approach to an HIV + individual (p. 12). We have to consider, too, the sensitivity of one’s feelings when one is sick. And Farmer shows us how to deal with them.
In the succeeding chapters, we were led back to Haiti where Farmer established a medical complex in Cange. In the eyes of Kidder we are informed that it is always teeming with people, not only because people want to avail themselves of free medical assistance but a competent one. Though Farmer, at first, had to take on several problems, primarily financial, to realize his dream for the country.
I cannot help but relate my experience as a medical mission volunteer years ago in the Philippines. My first degree, which is Medical Technology, allowed me to be a part of a competent medical mission team conducting missions in several areas in the Philippines. We offered medical, dental and optical services to people residing in remote areas. Like Farmer we in the medical mission team had to immerse ourselves in another culture, though to be technically correct, subcultures. The Philippines is an archipelago composed of 7,107 islands. Though we may be part of one country, communities in each island have their own “little” cultures and we have to adjust to their standards and norms so as gain their trust and confidence. The medical mission team I went with is religious based. I often wonder why we conduct the clinics when we can just go on evangelizing (though I am not a direct participant in the evangelization process as I am a “free spirit”). I realized later on that in order for evangelization to proceed we need bait; such was the technique used by Jesus Christ. Jesus performed healing “miracles” in order to present his ministry. The “lure” was successful.
In the medical mission I found myself and my soul. Not because of the religious affiliation but with deep compassion to people in need. I met families who lived miserably but with a positive outlook in life. From this facet it made me realize how lucky I am as my problems couldn’t be as big as theirs. Farmer left the comforts of his American life to live “miserably” with the people of Haiti. Meaning - share their burdens and fears, but he is to offer them solutions to their problems. My years in the medical mission made me appreciate each day that passes by. Several years ago a television special in the Philippines featured medical doctors and midwives who have chosen to serve communities in far-flung areas where there are limited resources and even basic necessities like electricity. It also featured teachers who had to leave their families in the city in order to teach children who live in the mountainous areas of the country. These are my heroes. With them I share my happiness. Despite the meager income or even without any remuneration at all these people, armed with university degrees, choose to give their ownselves as gifts to the less privileged people.
Farmer also had to deal with local customs and beliefs. Belief in sorcery is a common aspect in poor countries. It is because they have nothing to turn to, nothing to believe in, being uneducated in the patho-physiology of diseases. They rely on native knowledge, some of which are remarkable but effective, especially in their use of native herbal plants for the treatment of common ailments, while others are just beyond the commonality of human understanding. In one island we’ve visited, we were oriented by the minister and local people not to accept food or gifts from patients or other people as it may contain some indigenous elements that will make our stomach ache and only that person who gave the item can take away the pain. Though we don’t believe such notion, we, however, cannot just disregard the kindness of people, especially patients who just want to express their appreciation to our service. In Farmer’s case, it is where the core of the story. How could a man who lives in the age of technology introduce the magnificence of modern-day medicines to Haitians? How could his modern-day shamantic elements compete with the Voodoo elements in the country? How could he convince the people to adopt his system when they are still rooted in their cultural knowledge? Not that culture is absurd but there are certain levels of it that needed to be re-aligned to reality. Culture is a community’s identity. But identity, Dr. Gray said, is like a roll of yarn; if you pursue it you will understand that it is a paradox, a fragment. Even a simple act of giving Farmer a bottle of milk becomes an act of reproach because the milk was unpasturized and the bottle wasn’t cleaned. Even washing day (p.40) in Haiti is an identity.
Identity, perhaps, also links Farmer and Kidder. They’ve become one in the book. As Prof. Gray put it: “The book is the biography of two minds.” Two minds becoming one. But Farmer and Kidder cannot separate their self-identities. Nobody can. As Dr. Gray confronts: “Identity is tightly woven.” However, Dr. Gray also notes that “Self-identity is a dialogue of several other dialogues.” What Kidder successfully achieved was the interweaving of his subject and his’ self-identities.
Farmer’s advocacy is not rooted in religion, though religion plays a vital part in the realization of his plans. He came to Haiti for transformation (p.44). His role as an ethnographer is not just to observe but offer a relief for those living in pain; consequently because he is also a medical doctor. However, Farmer believes that a doctor must have knowledge of native beliefs, such as Voodoo, (p.83) to avoid getting into war with the Voodoo priests. He said a doctor must make allies with these priests to better understand the culture and beliefs about certain diseases so as to trace its origin. Though he does not discount faith for boosting healing, Farmer said he has also faith in medicines (p.85-87). “He’d never cared much for the religious dogma he’d been taught as a child, and he didn’t believe in most of it now. He would say, for instance, ‘I’m still looking for something in the sacred texts that says, ‘Thou shalt not use condoms.’’ His is the socio-political reformation, afterall, religion and poverty have political orientation. His is the theology of freeing the Haitians from deprivation, maybe from health and other amenities, and a faith that one day he will bring a lasting impact that people may be moved by such gesture and help in their mission.
Imagine a small group making a change in a society and making an impact around the world. That is a formidable task and Farmer and his group had designed it to be a task that needs to be imposed without help from the US government. Despite several setbacks such as the impending increase in prices of medicines against TB and HIV (even with a handsome contribution from Bill Gates of $45 million), Farmer remain confident that they will survive.
Farmer though admitted that he distrusts all ideologies (p.195) as it fails men at some point. Kidders quotes him, “If one pushes this ology to its logical conclusion, then God is to be found in the struggle against injustice. But the odds are so preposterously stacked against the poor… then is it responsible, is it wise, to push the poor to claim what is theirs by right?” Poverty and inequality co-constructs the world of his advocacy. To offer medical relief to sick Haitians is just the end of the rope but Farmer got hold of the rope and made a swing by quoting a woman in Cange who told him (p.199), “’You want to stop HIV in women? Give them jobs.’”
(This article appeared in print in Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper in two parts. The first part was posted on-line on December 23, 2006, however, the second part was forgotten into oblivion. Oh well.)
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